AFRICAN REPTILES AND BIRDS 



juicy and fat than that of deer, elk, or moose. The king 

 of game birds is, in my opinion, the Giant Bustard. This 

 stately bird, which is often seen on all the large plains of 

 British East Africa, stands somewhat over four feet in 

 height, and measures about nine feet across the wings. 

 As the bird is generally found walking among the dry 

 grass and stones of the plains, his coloring of dark 

 grayish brown is indeed more protective than that of most 

 mammals or birds. The bustards feed, like our turkey, 

 mostly on insects, and their favorite food seems to be 

 grasshoppers, but if these are scarce they wdll not refuse 

 fruit and seeds. 



They are very wary and capable of making out the 

 hunter at so great a distance that it is practically impos- 

 sible ever to get a chance at them with a shotgun. Their 

 great size and thickness of feathers would also make a 

 shotgun of no value, unless loaded with very heavy shot. 

 The sportsman is indeed lucky if he can come within rea- 

 sonable rifle range of these graceful birds, and two hun- 

 dred and fifty to three hundred yards would almost be 

 considered " close quarters " with them ! When disturbed, 

 the bustard often flies away only a short distance, gen- 

 erally to alight again almost straight in front of the on- 

 coming hunter. Then it calmly walks away, picking at 

 insects and worms, or whatever it chooses to eat, until 

 the sportsman comes up to within some two hundred to 

 three hundred yards, when the giant bird again takes a 

 few long strides as if running to start off on its wings. 

 During this short run it begins to flap with these, until 

 it finally lifts itself majestically from the ground. In 

 localities where bustards have been more often shot at, 



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