176 GAMB-BIBDS OF INDIA 



It will be seen from Jerdon's description, which I have above 

 quoted, that the Bustard is capable, when necessary, of rising straight 

 from the ground into full flight, at the same time there is little 

 doubt that our Indian bird, like the European Great Bustard, prefers 

 to run a few steps before springing into flight, though the facility 

 with which it does this is a matter of opinion. Thus Captain A. H. 

 Mosse writes: " The big Bustard is very slow in rising, and has to 

 take four or five steps with outstretched wings before he succeeds in 

 getting up into the air." Captain C. Brownlow, on the other hand, 

 writes: "before rising from the ground, they ran only a few steps 

 and rose with apparent ease." When once flushed, it flies well and 

 strongly, though with but slow beats of the wing, and at a very 

 much faster rate than those who have not shot at it would give it 

 credit for. Those who have shot these fine birds soon find, how- 

 ever, that they fly quite as fast as smaller birds which appear to go 

 at twice the pace and it is necessary to shoot well forward to bring 

 them down. 



In addition to the moaning call and the bark or bellow described 

 by Jerdon, Capt. C. Brownlow mentions a third sound made by these 

 birds. He writes to me about this as follows : — 



" I then saw a flock of six or seven feeding near a small village 

 and managed to get within some thirty yards or so before they 

 became alarmed and flew off. Whilst moving about before they 

 were disturbed they kept up a sort of crackle." 



The Bustard is a difficult bird to circumvent, affording as good 

 sport as any game-bird known, and calling forth all the cunning 

 and patience of the sportsman. 



Of course, there are occasions on which the bird's natural cuteness 

 fails to keep it in its ordinary advantageous position in the open and 

 the quantity of food obtainable in high crops sometimes entices it 

 to its doom. Thus, as Mr. J. E. James records in ' Game-Birds,' 

 " the largest bag I ever knew was made near Malegaon, in the Nasik 

 district, when an officer came upon a flock feeding in a field of jowari 

 which was above their heads. He walked them up and shot eight of 

 them as they rose, like so many partridges." 



So, also, Capt. Mosse remarks : — 



