11 POULTRYKIND, 



barred tranfverrely with black and bright ruft colour. The greater 

 quill feathers are black; the belly white j the tail, confifting of twenty 

 feathers, is marked with broad red and black bars, the legs dufky. The 

 male (only) has a tuft of feathers, about five inches long, on each fide the 

 lower mandible. He (only) has alfo a pouch, whofe entrance lies im- 

 mediately under the tongue, capable of holding near feven quarts of 

 water. This is probably filled upon proper occafions, to fupply the hen 

 when fitting, or the young before they can fly. 



They haunt the plains, downs, heaths and uplands. Their food is 

 corn, berries, and large earth-worms, whofe moifture enables them to 

 live on plains which furnifii but little water. They fwallow pebbles like 

 the oilrich. They have always centinels placed at proper eminences, 

 which warn the flock of the fmalleft appearance of danger. Are fcldom 

 Ihot, but often run down by greyhounds; having fed themfelves fo 

 very fat, that they are unable to fly without great preparation, which 

 gives an advantage to their purfuers. 



They feparate in pairs about the latter end of fummer, if there be a 

 fufHciency of females; if not, the males fight till one of them falls. The 

 male Jlruts around the female, and fpreads his tail like a turkey-cock. 

 They neftle on the ground, juft fcraping a hole in the earth, fometimes 

 lining it with a little long grafs or ftraw. Lay two eggs, the fize of a 

 goofe-egg, pale olive brown, marked with darker fpots. They hatch in 

 about five weeks, and the young run about as foon as they are out ot 

 the fheil. They allemble in flocks in Odober, and keep together 

 till April. 



There is a fmaller buftard not half the fizc of this, being only eighteen 

 inches long, but of the fame manners. Found in France ; is rare. Its 

 fiefh is brown, but excellent. Cunning to a proverb. 



Mr. Pennant places the Stone-Curlew as a third of this kind. 



In Arabia is a tufted buftard, called Lo-pong. 



In Africa a buftard afti-coloured, and black; which Has been mif- 

 takenly called a flying-oftrich. 



In India, a fmail kind with longer legs, colours black, brown, and 

 grey; inhabits Bengal. 



THE 



