*>"7 



74; STHUTHIONID^. 



a f^^arden, and died of cold in the winter. " He killed 

 mice and sparrows with liis bill by pinching their heads, 

 and then swallowed them whole, even when of consider- 

 able size. It was easy to observe a large mouse going 

 down his throat, making a moving tumour till it came 

 to the turn of the neck ; it then moved backwards, and 

 although out of sight, yet its progress was traced by the 

 .feathers between the shoulders separating, and closing 

 again as soon as it passed into the gizzard. He was fond 

 of worms, and while the gardener was digging, stood by 

 him and looked out for them. He ate the buds of flowers, 

 and particularly of roses ; also the substance of cucumbers, 

 but not the outside. From these observations the Bustard 

 is evidently fitted more particularly to live on animal 

 food." 



The average number of Bustards annually supplied to 

 Chevet, the great game-dealer of the Palais Eoyal, Paris, 

 is six. Its principal place of resort in France is the wild 

 country between Arcis-sur-Aube and Chalons ; in most 

 other districts it is as little known as witli us. 



Several authors of undoubted veracity state that the 

 adult male Bustard has a capacious pouch, situated along 

 the fore part of the neck, the entrance of which is under 

 the tongue, capable of holding several quarts of w^ater — 

 it is said not less than seven. Montagu, in his " Orni- 

 thological Dictionary," expresses his doubt whether the 

 bird could carry as much as seven quarts, or fourteen 

 pounds, ' ^Yhile flying; he admits, however, that "it is 

 large, as may be seen in the Leverian Museum :" ani he 

 adds, *' that it is only discoverable in adults, as it is most 

 likely intended for the purpose of furnishing the female 

 and young in the breeding with water." Of this pouch 

 a figure is given by Yarrell, copied from "Edwards's 

 Gleanings of Natural History," and there inserted on the 

 authority of Dr. James Douglas, the discoverer. Some 

 doubts having arisen in ISIr. Yarrell's mind as to the 



