152 otididjE. 
great height, may always he recognized by its white or, rather, 
pied appearance, caused by the greater part of the wings being 
white. When these are closed, and they are settled on the 
ground, this white does not show, and they are very difficult 
to make out or notice, particularly as they usually frequent 
ground which has some cover (in the shape of weeds, thistles, 
or grass). In the breeding-season they keep entirely among 
thick herbage, and at that time I never could get a sight of 
one on the ground. 
The male Little Bustard in the breeding-season has a most 
peculiar and offensive-sounding call, which can be easily imi- 
tated by pouting out and pressing the lips tight together and 
then blowing through them ; the birds when thus calling seem 
to be close to you, but are often in reality half a mile off. 
They must possess powers of ventriloquism, as I have often 
imagined that they were quite close to me, and upon hunting 
the spot with a dog found no signs of them anywhere near ; 
indeed, at that season it is sometimes as difficult to make 
them rise as a Landrail. They nest in the beginning of May, 
laying three shiny smooth olive-green eggs, more or less 
blotched with dark brown, w hich are placed among the corn 
or long grass. The males in breeding-plumage have the 
throat and cheeks bluish black, and the breast black, with 
two white gorget-marks across it. 
There is little or no difference in the size of the sexes, the 
average length being about 17 inches. 
211. EupoDOTis ARABS (Linn.). The North- African Bus- 
tard. 
This large Bustard was obtained by Mr. Tyrhwitt-Drake 
in the north of Morocco ; and towards the south, about Mo- 
gador, it is stated to be common. 
Larger than the Great Bustard [Otis tarda), it has the entire 
back covered with those delicate vermiculated feathers, sandy 
brown crossed with fine lines of deep brown almost black, 
which are so valuable for artificial flies. Similarly marked 
feathers are found in the Indian and Cape species [E. Edwardsii 
