GREAT BUSTAED. 190 



OTIDID^. 



GREAT BUSTARD. 



Otis tarda. 



The Great Bustard was formerly well represented in Sussex. 

 Dr. John Hill, in liis ' History of Animals/ published in 

 1 752, writes of this species (p. 483) : — " I have seen great 

 numbers of them on the downs in Sussex ; they run away 

 at the approach of men, but rarely, and indeed difficultly, 

 take wing. They are often taken by greyhounds in a fair 

 course, in the manner of a hare. Their flesh is very well 

 tasted.'^ Gilbert White, writing to Daines Barrington from 

 Ringmer, near Lewes, in October 1 770, says : — '' There are 

 Bustards on the wide Downs near Brighthelmstone,"" and 

 remarks that they look at a distance like Fallow Deer; and 

 Professor Newton tells me that he was much struck liy the 

 justice of the comparison on the only occasion on which he 

 saw a wild Bustard, with neck extended at right angles to 

 the body, general " fallow " colour, and legs invisible, so 

 that there might just as well have been four as two. 



The Bustard was often hunted with greyhounds by my 

 grandfather, who died at an advanced age in 1844. He told 

 me that he had had many a good course with these birds. 

 He used to go out early in the morning, after a foggy night, 

 to look for them feeding in the wet turnips, when they were 

 frequently so thoroughly soaked as to be unable to fly. He 

 generally found them in little parties of from five to ten, and 

 sometimes took five or six in a morning, commonly young 

 birds, though occasionally he had known an old one to be 

 caught, but they avoided them as much as possible, as, when 

 overtaken by the dogs, they fought savagely, and had more 

 than once damaged the greyhounds. They were most 



