136 The Great Bustard 
during the course of a Bustard drive. For those wary birds, 
whom nothing can induce to fly over any sort of “hide” or 
“blind,” will cross recklessly over scattered clumps of thistles 
on the open plains. 
On the wing the Great Bustard often appears to the eye 
to be almost white, which causes surprise to those who see it 
for the first time and whose knowledge of its colour is got 
from stuffed specimens with closed wings. For despite the tints 
of its lavender neck and the marvellous variegated colouring of 
both back- and wing-coverts, in which almost every conceivable 
shade of rich siennas, browns and russet reds barred with black 
is presented; when the bird is on the wing, an entirely different 
impression is produced. For then white is the prevailing colour, 
both breast and under-parts are a pure white whilst the vast 
expanse of wing, over 8 ft. across and broad in proportion as 
becomes a game bird, is largely marked with white above and 
is entirely white below. In fact, Great Bustards at a distance, 
when on the wing are to the eye as white as a Gull. 
Many writers have thrown a doubt upon their polygamous habits, 
but to my mind nothing seems more manifest than that they never 
pair in the true sense of the word. Every éanda I have seen 
consists of a few old males, with a proportion of from double 
to treble the number of females and no doubt young males. 
When the eggs are first laid in the standing corn I have 
occasionally flushed an old male in company with the females, 
but as soon as the hens have settled down to incubate, they 
seem to be entirely abandoned by the males which collect in 
flocks and keep away from them altogether. 
The habit of the old male Bustards, as the breeding season 
approaches, of “showing off” to the females has been often 
described. Their actions on such occasions in many ways 
approach that of the domestic Turkey. But the Bustard, owing 
