148 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



ellipses in shape, rarely oval, and still more rarely with both ends 

 somewhat pointed. Dresser in 'European Birds,' gives the greatest 

 and least dimensions of ten as 347 X 218 inches and 3075 X 2'075 

 respectively. In his ' Paltearctic Birds,' he gives the average as 

 3-22 X 2-12. 



The twenty-six eggs in the British Museum collection vary 

 between 27 inches (= 68'G mm.) and 3"35 (= 85'1 mm.) in length and 

 between 20 (= 50'8 mm.) and 24 (= G09 mm.) in breadth. I have no 

 eggs as large as the largest of Dresser's in my collection, but I have 

 a pair from South Eussia which measure only 265 X 1"98 (= G7'3 X 

 50-3 mm.), and 2-63 X 1'99 (= 6(3-8 X 50o mm.). These are un- 

 usually small, almost abnormal eggs. 



The ground-colour varies very much, it may be a dark stone- 

 colour, grey-stone, dull olive-grey, or olive-brown, olive-buff or even 

 olive-brown with a tinge of yellow ; nine eggs out of ten, however, 

 will be found to be olive, either olive-brown or olive-grey, more often 

 the fonuer, though even this will vary considerably in depth and 

 richness of tone. Dresser says that sometimes the ground-colour 

 may be an almost uniform dull bluish, but in the very large series I 

 have examined lately I have seen none such. The marks consist of 

 blotches, smudges and clouds of dull-brown of various shades and 

 density, sometimes reddish and occasionally purplish. These are 

 seldom very numerous and sometimes very scanty, and are distributed 

 fairly evenly over the whole surface of the egg, being but rarely any 

 more thickly scattered over the larger end than elsewhere. 



The secondary or underlying spots are of paler brown and grey, 

 as a rule the latter colour predominating. These markmgs are often 

 tinted with purple or pink and are generally less well-defined than 

 the superior markings. I have seen a few eggs which have, in 

 addition to the markings already described, a few streaks and lines 

 of very deep rich brown, in one or two almost black. 



The texture is rather coarse, but extremely close and hard, and 

 most eggs carry a very fine gloss, though this varies and is sometimes 

 practically absent. 



General Habits. — In its general habits the Great Bustard closely 

 resembles our Great Indian Bustard, but the few occasions on which 

 it has been seen in India have not given much opportunity for 



