COURTSHIP. 99 



SO that, by crossing the ends of the long primary 

 quills, he is enabled to keep the tail down, and 

 he then ruffles up all his back feathers and 

 scapulars, so as to completely hide the wings 

 and the tail together. The white under-tail 

 coverts are then brought up so as to form a kind of 

 fringe or ' halo ' at the back of the bird, who next 

 proceeds to make an attempt to turn the feathers 

 of the wing inside out. The white inner secon- 

 daries which lie nearest to the back are raised and 

 thrown over the latter, and in order that there 

 may be no mistake about these being seen, the 

 bird flings down the long parapteral featheis 

 which lie between the shoulders and the wing- 

 coverts, and thus the wife is enabled to admire 

 the show of white feathers which are elevated 

 across the back. The wing - coverts are also 

 treated in a similar fashion, but not quite to the 

 same extent. Having accomplished this extra- 

 ordinary contribution to the study of the love- 

 making, the bustard then proceeds to inflate his 

 chest, which he does by blowing out his pouch to 

 an enormous extent; and then, burying his head 

 in his neck so that his whiskers become upturned 

 on each side of the head, he adds the final touch 

 to one of the most wonderful exhibitions in 

 nature. That ivhite is an attractive colour in 

 this display must be gathered from the extra- 

 ordinary efl'orts put forth by the bird to show 

 all his white plumage to the best advantage." 

 What this display looks like is admirably shown 

 on page 102. 



The pouch referred to, and shown in the 

 accompanying illustration (fig. 3), is a suffi- 



