Bustards.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



15 



I applied for information respecting the picture, the 

 artist, and his subjects, seemed to be aware of the 

 existence of this evidence of the dodo in the Hague 

 collection. 



" I think I told you that ray friend Professor 

 Eschricht, of Copenhas;en, had written to inform me 

 that the skull of a dodo had been lately discovered 

 in the museum at Copenhagen : it had before formed 

 part of the museum of Duke of Gottoip." 



In Nov., 1S39, Professor Owen, at a meeting of the 

 Zool. Soc, exhibited the thigh-bone of an extinct 

 bird of the struthious order, from New Zealand ; 

 since which period he has received numerous addi- 

 tional specimens and almost entire skeletons, proving 

 that several races of birds (five distinct species), one 

 of which was of gigantic stature, have till a com- 

 paratively recent period existed in that island, where 

 the apteryx, their pigmy representative, is soon, per- 

 haps, about to follow their fate. The bones are not 

 truly fossilized, but still contain much animal mat- 

 ter. At a recent meeting of the Zool. Soc, Profes- 

 sor Owen brought the specimens in question before 

 the scientific world, and entered into elaborate de- 

 tails respecting their anatomical peculiarity. To 

 the extmct genus of birds in question he gave 

 the title of Dinornis. Of the five presumed species, 

 three were respectively named D. giganteus, D. 

 struthioides, and D. didiformis ; of these the first 

 must have stood at least ten feet six inches in height, 

 and probably more. They appear to have been all 

 wingless. Professor Owen assigns the extinction of 

 these birds to a period shortly after the occupation 

 of New Zealand, perhaps till then untrodden by the 

 foot of man, by the Malay race, of which the New 

 Zealanders are an offset ; and as these birds pre- 

 sented to the wanderers (driven perhaps on the 

 coasts of that island by storms) the only large ani- 

 mals which could serve as food, he argues, with 

 much reason, that the improvident extinction of 

 these birds, and the consequent failure of food, led to 

 that practice of cannibalism tor which the New 

 Zealanders have been notorious. The preservation 

 of the apteryx, after the destruction of its relatives 

 (for they belonged to the family Apterygidae), he 

 justly attributes to its much smaller size, but especi- 

 ally its nocturnal and burrowing habits. (November, 

 1843.) We have here, then, within human records, 

 perhaps two species of Dodo and five of Dinornis 

 obliterated by the agency of man from the cata- 

 logue of living animals. 



ORDER GRALLATORES. 



Thk word Grallatores, which literally means Stilt- 

 walkers, is synonymous with the French term les 

 Echassiers, which Cuvier has given to the present 

 order, and which is in truth very applicable to the 

 birds in general compreliended in it. It has by 

 many naturalists been termed the Wading order, a 

 ■title which is correct as respects the greater number 

 of groups, but not all. The birds of this order, says 

 Cuvier, are characterized by want of feathers at the 

 lower part of the thighs and the elevation of the 

 tarsi, two circumstances which permit them to 

 wade to a certain depth without wetting their 

 plumage, and thus to procure fish by means of their 

 neck and beak, the length of which is generally 

 proportionate to that of the legs. Such as have the 

 beak strong live on fish and reptiles; those in 

 which it is feeble, on worms and insects. A few 

 feed partially on grains and herbage, and these live 

 at a distance from water, frequenting open plains, 

 downs, and extensive commons. The order Gral- 

 latores is very extensive, and contains a variety of 

 forms, from the bustards to the snipes and rails, 

 differing no less in habits and instincts than in ex- 

 ternal and internal characteristics. 



Family OTID^ (BUSTARDS). 



The bustards are peculiar to the Old World, 

 Europe, Asia, and Africa, and have the body stout, 

 the wings moderate or ample, the neck and legs 

 long, the beak short, conical, and compressed : three 

 shoit stout toes entirely united at their base, but no 



1825, 1826, 1827.— The Great Bustard 

 {Otis Tarda). Outarde of the French; Starda of 

 the Italians ; Der grosse Trappe, Trappgans, and 

 Akentrap of the Germans ; Abutarda of the Spa- 

 niards; yr Araf Ehedydd of the Welsh. (Hg. 

 1827, Female.) 



This noble bird, which was once common in our 

 island, is now rarely to be seen, except, we believe, 

 in the weastern part of Norfolk ; it is true that it oc- 

 casionally makes its appearance on the wide plains 

 and commons, in various parts of the country, as 

 Salisbury plain, Newmarket heath, and North Stow 

 heath in the neighbourhood of Bury St. Edmunds, 

 but unfortunately its presence attracts observation, 

 and observation in such a case is generally followed 

 by active measures conducing to its destruction. 

 In Spain and the plains of Greece, in some parts of 

 Russia, and on the wilds of Tartary, it is common ; 

 it is occasionally seen in some parts of France, very 

 rarely in Italy. 



The male bustard weighs from twenty-five to 

 thirty pounds, and measures about three feet three 

 inches in length. The female seldom exceeds one- 

 third of the size of the male. Grain, various grasses, 

 the tender leaves and sprouts of turnips, insects, 

 worms, frogs, &c., constitute their food. In the adult 

 male there exists a membraneous pouch beneath 

 the skin on the fore-part of the neck, having an en- 

 trance to it under the tongue ; it is of considerable 

 capacity, being capable, according to Pennant, of 

 containing seven pints of water : it has been, indeed, 

 supposed by some that the use of this sac is for car- 

 rying a supply of water, either for its own use or 

 that of the female and her young ; but as the male 

 takes no care of the brood, and as no water has ever 

 been found in this pouch, this supposition is unte- 

 nable. Its use, in fact, is not known. 

 ! The bustard runs very swiftly, and we have ac- 

 j counts of its having been chased by dogs, which we 

 can readily credit, because a good greyhound would 

 I press so hard as not to allow the bird the time of 

 preparation for taking wing, should he come upon 

 it by surprise. On the other hand, however, we 

 agree with Mr. Selby, who says, " Upon being dis- 

 turbed, so far from running in preference to flight, 

 as has been often described, it rises upon wing with 

 great facility, and flies with much strength and 

 swiftness, usually to another haunt, which will 

 sometimes be at the distance of six or seven miles. 

 It has also been said that in former days, when the 

 species was of common occurrence, it was a practice 

 to run down the young birds, before they were able 

 to fly. with greyhounds, as aft'ording excellent di- 

 version. So far from this possibility existing with 

 respect to the present remnant of the bird, the 

 young birds upon being alarmed constantly squat 

 close to the ground, in the same manner as the 

 young of the lapwing, golden plover, &c., and in 

 , this position are frequently taken by the hand : in- 

 i deed, this is even the habit of the female at the time 

 of incubation." 



In the ' Booke of Falconrie ' (1611) the bustard is 

 mentioned as affording what was termed the "great 

 flight,' together with the crane, wild goose, bittern, 

 heron, &c., a proof in favour of Mr. Selby's observa- 

 tion, that it gives preference to the wing when 

 alarmed. In the winter the bustard associates in 

 small flocks, which traverse the country in search 

 of food, and visit turnip-fields for the sake of the 

 leaves, to which they are very partial ; in severe 

 weather they seek sheltered situations, and often 

 resort to the maritime districts. The eggs of the 

 bustard are two in number, as is usual with the birds 

 of this family ; the female forms no definite nest, 

 but deposits them on the ground in a slight depres- 

 sion made to receive them, generally in extensive 

 corn-fields; they exceed in size those of the turkey, 

 and are of a pale brownish olive, with darker 

 blotches. Incubation lasts four weeks, and the 

 young as soon as excluded follow their parents, but 

 are unable to take wing for a considerable period. 

 As an article of food the flesh of the bustard is in high 

 estimation ; it is dark in colour, short in fibre, and of 

 fine flavour. In its wild state the bustard is very shy, 

 so as not to be approached within gun-shot, unless 



markings of black ; under parts white, a tinge of 

 yellow occupying the chest. Tail white, at the base, 

 passing into yellowish brown, with- one or two black 

 bars. 



The female is destitute of the moustache-feathers, 

 and the head and neck have a deeper tint of grey 

 than in the male. Gular pouch wanting. 



1828. — The Black-headed Bustard 



(0/i.s mjgricepn). This fine species is a native of 

 India, and is very generally spread : it occurs in the 

 Himalaya Mountains, and is figured by Mr. Gould 

 in his ' Century of Birds' from that elevated chain 

 According to Colonel Sykes, it is so common in the 

 Dukhun, "that one gentlemen has shot neaily a 

 thousand." It is gregarious, and the male is fur- 

 nished with the remarkable gular pouch found in 

 the Otis Tarda. Its flesh is excellent. The food of 

 this spieces was found by Colonel. Sykes to consist 

 almost exclusively of grasshoppers. In the male 

 the body above is of a pale bay, lightly undulated 

 with rufous brown. Neck, a few spots on the wings 

 and under parts, white. The head, which is crested, 

 the outer wing-coverts, the quills, and a large mark 

 on the breast, black. Length fifty-six inches and a 

 half. The female resembles the male in plumage, 

 but is only forty-one inches and a half in length. 



1829. — The Leaden-tinted Bustard 



{Otis ccBrulescens). This species is a native of the 

 plains of South Africa, where it was discovered by 

 Le Vaillant. Its habits and manners are those of the 

 family generally. The summit of the head is marked 

 with black and reddish zigzags, straight, and nearly 

 approximated. Above the eyes extends a large 

 whitish band, punctured as it were with brown; 

 plumes near the ear-opening of a clear ruddy colour. 

 Under the neck a semicircular band of pure white ; 

 and below, another twice as large, of deep black. 

 Front of the neck, breast, and all the other lower 

 parts of a lead colour. All the upper parts of the 

 body of a reddish or yellowish brown, marked with 

 black zigzags and dots very near together. Lower 

 coverts of the wings and tail-feathers unspotted, 

 ruddy. End of the tail black, tinged with brown. 

 Quills black. Feet yellowish green. Bill brown, 

 yellow at the base. Length tvyenty inches ; height, 

 when erect, seventeen inches six lines. 



1830. — The Kori Bustard, Head of 



{Ot'is Kon). This magnificent bird is a native of 

 Southern Africa, and was found by Burchell on the 

 banks of the Gariep. "We shot," he says, " a large 

 bird of the bustard kind, which was called Wilde 

 Paauw (Wild Peacock). This name is here very 

 wrongly applied, as the biid to which it properly 

 belongs difters from this in every respect. There 

 are, indeed, three or perhaps four birds to which, in 

 different districts, this appellation is given. The 

 present species, which is called Kori in the Sichuana 

 language, measured, in extent of wing, not less than 

 seven feet, and in bulk and weight was almost 

 greater than some of the people could manage. 

 The under part of the body was white, but the 

 upper part was covered with fine lines of black on 

 a light chesnut-coloured ground. The tail and 

 quill-feathers partook of the general colouring of 

 the back ; the shoulders were marked with large 

 blotches of black and white, and the top of the head 

 was black ; the feathers of the occiput were elon- 

 gated into a crest, those of the neck were also 

 elongated, loose, narrow, and pointed, and were of 

 a whitish colour marked with numerous transverse 

 lines of black. The irides were of a beautiful pel- 

 lucid, changeable, silvery, ferruginous colour. Its 

 body was so thickly protected by feathers that our 

 largest-sized shot made no impresssion ; and, taught 

 by experience, the hunters never fire at it but with 

 a bullet. It is reckoned the best of the winged 

 game in the country, not only on account of its size, 

 but because it is always found to abound in fat. 

 The meat of it is not unlike that of a turkey, but 

 is certainly superior as possessing the flavour of 



game. 



We may here mention the Otis Tetrax and the 

 Otis Houbara as European species of this group ; 



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hind-toe. , They frequent wide plains, extensive [i with great caution : it always selects for its place of N he former of la^^^^ 



downs, and open lands dotted with patches of shrub 

 by vegetation. Their food consists of tender herbage, 

 grain, and insects. They run with extreme rapidity, 

 and unless closely pursued, seldom take wing; when 

 obliged to rise, their flight is direct and rapid. They 

 are shy and watchful, and not to be approached, 

 without some difficulty. In their habits they are po- 

 lygamous. The females quit the society of the male 

 previous to laying egus, and they make their nest 

 and incubate alone. The moult of these birds is 

 stated to take place twice in the year. The males 

 not only exreed the females in size, but are distin- 

 guished by a richer style of colouring. The young 

 males of the year resemble the females, and the 

 adult males, it is believed, lose in winter their orna- 

 mented livery, and nearly resemble the females. 



repose the centre of the largest inclosure, or if the 

 country be open, that part of the plain where it will 

 be most secure from the danger of a surprise. Those 

 which have been kept in confinement, though tole- 

 rably tame towards persons with whom they were 

 familiar, have exhibited both distrust and ferocity 

 towards strangers. All attempts to breed these 

 birds in captivity have failed. 



In the male bustard, from each side of the cheeks, 

 near the lower mandible, arises a tuft of long wiry 

 feathers with loose barbs. The fore part of the neck 

 over the pouch is destitute of feathers, the skin 

 beinc bluish black. The head and back of the neck 

 are bluish grey ; a longitudinal streak of black oc- 

 cupies the top of the head. The upper surface is 

 of a fine orange buff, barred with zigzag transverae | 



latter as rare within the borders of Europe, but 

 common in Baibary. Arabia, Persia, &c., where the 

 natives employ hawks in the chace of it, and enter 

 with enthusiasm into the sport. (See vol. i. p. 270.) 

 In India, where there are several species, these bus- 

 tards are commonly termed Florikens. 



Family CHARADRIAD^ (PLOVERS). 

 In this comprehensive group the legs are long, the 

 toes short, the hinder generally wanting or minute, 

 and the wings long and powerful. Sandy unbhel- 

 tered shores and exposed commons or moois are 

 their chief haunts ; they congregate in flocks, and 

 run with great swiftness: the head is thick; the 

 eye full and large ; the bill short, with the basal 

 half soft, the apex often swollen : the habits often 



