372 TETRAONID^. 



absence of a hind toe. It is found also in the North of Africa, 

 especially among the thickets and dwarf palms of Mount 

 Atlas. In habits it resembles the Quail, except that it is 

 a solitary bird. Two specimens only have been seen in 

 Great Britain. 



THE GREAT BUSTARD. 



OTIS TARDA. 



Head, neck, breast, and edge of the wing ash gi-ey ; on the crown a longitudinal 

 black streak ; bill with a tuft of elongated loose feathers on each side of the 

 lower mandible ; upper plumage reddish yellow, streaked transversely witli 

 black ; lower whitish ; tail reddish brown and white, barred with black. 

 Fevmle — smaller, without a moustache, the streak on tlie crown fainter. 

 Length nearly four feet. Eggs olive-brown, irregularly blotched with dull 

 red and deep brown. 



The Great Bustard was formerly not unfrequent in Britain, 

 but of late years it has become so rare that it is now 

 impossible to describe its habits on the testimony of a 

 living eye-witness. In several parts of the Continent it 

 is indeed still to be met with ; but I find so many 

 discrepancies in the various accounts which I have con- 

 sulted, that it is hard to believe all the writers who 

 describe it to have had the same bird in view. Some of 

 these the reader may examine for himself. 



The earliest mention of it which I find occurs in the 

 Anabasis of Xenophon, who describes a plain or steppe 

 ]iear the Euphrates full of aromatic herbs, and abounding 

 with Wild Asses, Ostriches, and Bustards (Otis). The 

 latter, he says, " could be caught when any one came on 

 them suddenly, as they fly to a short distance like Part- 

 ridges and soon give in. Their flesh is delicious." Pliny's 

 description of the Bustard is very brief. He says it 

 approaches the Ostrich in size ; that it is called A vis tarda 

 in Spain, Oiis in Greece ; its flesh is very disagreeable, in 

 consequence of the strong scent of its bones." Our country- 



