838 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



actually seen one male perform the procreative 

 operation upon several females in the course of a 

 few minutes ; it is therefore clear to my mind that 

 when the male Bustard " pairs," it is from a lack of 

 females, and not from the affectionate constancy 

 which is supposed to govern and restrain the passion 

 of many other species. About the second or third 

 week of April the hen Bustards scratch a slight 

 cavity in the ground, almost always amongst growing 

 corn, occasionally collect a few dry straws or grasses 

 therein, and commence to lay : the usual complement 

 of eggs is three, often only two are laid, the most I 

 ever heard of in one nest was five ; they are not 

 remarkably large for the size of the bird, and their 

 ground-colour varies from a pale dull green to dark 

 olive-colour, more or less blotched with splashes of 

 a darker green-brown. As soon as the female birds 

 begin to sit, the males, who have previously ceased 

 to " keep company," unite in flocks and betake 

 themselves to the most open flat ground that they 

 can find, especially to the uncultivated parts of the 

 great alluvial plains of the lower Guadalquivir, 

 between Seville and San Lucar de Barrameda. 

 Large portions of these plains are under cultivation, 

 and the male Bustards are often to be seen amongst 

 the corn in which there are females on their nests ; 

 but during the greater part of the day in May the 

 former seem to prefer the cattle-pastures, in which 

 the vegetation at that time is occasionally very strong 

 and rank, or the open undrained marshes, which in 

 an average season are more or less under water from 

 the end of October till the following spring, and in 

 May barely afford sufficient covert to conceal a Lark ; 

 here these splendid birds may be observed in all their 



