HOUBARA. 99 



In Sind, this fine bird is extremely common during winter, affecting chiefly 

 the large plains and hill sides covered with Grewia bushes, on the fruits of 

 which they principally live. It is usually found in parties of 2, 4, or 6, and, as 

 game, is much sought for by all sportsmen. It is also largely hawked by the 

 Sindees, Fw/ff j;7rfr, J iiggur zxviS. peregr'\7ius\i€\wg\\'-i(tdi for the purpose. It 

 is found all over the plains of the Punjab, also in Beloochistan, Southern 

 Persia and Afghanistan ; breeding in Persia and Afghanistan, where it occurs 

 in the summer. In Rajputana too it has been found, also in Kutch, Northern 

 Guzerat and Kattiawar. The following, extracted from The Field, entitled 

 " Oobara shooting in Lower Sind," I think by "an old Sindee," gives a fair 

 account of the mode of shooting this Bustard. He says: — "So far as my 

 experience goes, the Oobara, which may be briefly described as a bird of the 

 Bustard tribe, is chiefly to be found in Sind. I have occasionally come 

 across a solitary one or two in Rajputana and Guzerat, and I also presume 

 they are to be met with in many parts of the Punjab, and, in fact, perhaps 

 anywhere where large sandy plains exist. They are, I believe, seldom, if ever, 

 to be found in black soil. 



"The Oobara is a migratory bird, coming in with the cold weather, and 

 disappearing at the first approach of the hot season. They are usually to be 

 found in pairs, and feed early in the mornings and late in the evenings. At 

 these times they are so wary, as seldom to be got at even by careful stalking. 

 They appear, however, to be peculiarly susceptible to heat, as the moment the 

 sun attains any power they retire into the shade of a bush, and,, if undisturbed, 

 lie quiet throughout the heat of the day, or .if flushed, only take short flights. 

 This is the time to get them, and the usual method is by stalking them on a 

 well-trained camel, driven by an experienced shikaree. The camel is made 

 to circle round and round the bird, and the moment the bird perceives this it 

 crouches down, trusting to its colour, which is exactly that of the ground, 

 and to being so exactly similar when in this position to the several stones 

 lying around it, to escape observation. The circle gradually becomes smaller 

 and smaller, until the bird is brought within range. INIost men shoot it on 

 the ground, but as a rule I have found it better sport and easier to let the 

 bird rise before firing, and then dropping it on the wing. The bird fancying 

 that (like an ostrich) when its head is hidden its whole body is out of sight, 

 seldom, if ever, moves unless the camel stops in its circling, and even then its 

 flight is so slow, as to make it almost impossible even for an ordinary shot to 

 miss. 



" As a game bird, the Oobara is perhaps one of the greatest delicacies that 

 can be put upon the table, while its feathers are invaluable to the fishermen 

 for salmon flies; and there is a little tuft of feathers just under the point 

 of ihe shoulder which is greatly prized by the fair sex as an ornament for hats. 



" All about Kurrachee is a very favourite country for Oobara, but, as may 

 be imagined, anywhere within a radius of eight or ten miles they do not get 



