OTIS TAKDA TARDA 141 



forming a band across the fore-neck which is washed with light 

 grey, the sides of the neck with numerous small bars of black ; 

 sides of upper breast sandy-rufous barred with black ; remainder 

 of under-surface of body pure white. 



Colours of Soft Parts.— "Bill leaden-grey, horn-black at the tip, 

 feet earthy-brown, nails horny-black, iris dark-brown, eyelid with 

 white feathers." {•/. F. Naumann.) 



Measurements. — "Total length about 42 inches, culmen 2'1, wing 

 23-5, tail 10, tarsus G." [Sharpe.) 



Wing 533 to 635 mm., tail 223 to 280 mm., bill at front about 

 50 to GO mm., and from gape G9 to 75 mm., tarsus 135 to 1G5 mm., 

 mid-toe G3 mm. 



Adult Female. — The female differs from the male chiefly in being 

 considerably smaller and in having no whiskers. The chestnut band 

 on the lower throat of the male exists in the female only as patches at 

 the sides under the shoulders of the wings. 



Measurements. — Wing 453 to 508 mm., tail about 203 mm., bill 

 at front 48'2 to 53'5 mm., and from gape 69 mm., tarsus 114'3 

 to 113'2 mm., mid-toe 57 mm. 



Young. — The crown of the head like the back, which is similar to 

 that of the female but paler and less boldly marked with black ; 

 lower throat and fore-neck more or less washed with sandy-buff ; the 

 white of the wings is much marked with black, the bastard-wing 

 is barred with rufous and brown and there is a certain amount of 

 rufous on the greater wing-coverts. 



Nestling. — Covered with light down, mottled with black. 



According to Hartert the Great Bustard loses its moustache, the 

 hairy feathers of the pouch, and the chestnut feathers on the breast 

 after the breeding season ; there are then only blue-grey feathers 

 on these parts, but in early winter the nuptial dress begins to be 

 gradually assumed, and the moustache, chestnut band, etc., are 

 complete before the spring approaches. 



Colonel Willoughby Verner in his most interesting book " My 

 Life among the Wild Birds in Spain " makes the following remarks 

 concerning the weights of Bustards : — 



" The weight of a Bustard is a subject of which very varied 

 accounts have been written. Apparently the unfortunate stragglers 



