OTTDES. 191 



Europe, Southern Siberia, and parts of Central and Western Asia, 

 and spending the winter in North-eastern Africa, India, and 

 China. In India it is most common in the Deccan, Guzerat, and 

 Kattywar, occurring in immense flocks; less common, though far 

 from rare, throughout North- western and Northern India, and in 

 the Peninsula as far south as Mysore ; it is rare farther south, 

 though it has been seen at Kollegal, Coimbatore district, by 

 Mr. Theobald, and it is said to occur even at Tinnevelly ; but it is 

 unknown on the Malabar coastlands, in Ceylon, in Lower Bengal', 

 Assam, and Burma. 



Habits, $-e. The Demoiselle arrives in India early in October, 

 and leaves, as a rule, in April. Hume says the birds apparently 

 arrive in Guzerat and the Deccan earlier than they do in Northern 

 India and remain later, and he suggests that the birds so numerous 

 in the Bombay Presidency may come from Africa. The habits of 

 this bird resemble those of the Common Crane, but it associates in 

 much larger flocks, and its call-note is quite different and much 

 harsher. The flocks often spend hours during the day flying and 

 circling in the air at considerable heights. The name of viryo is 

 said to have been derived from the bird's " elegant appearance and 

 dancing propensity" (//. T. Wharton). When well fed the 

 Demoiselle, like the Common Crane, is delicious eating. 



Suborder OTIDES. 



The Bustards appear, to form a link between Eails and Cranes 

 on one side and Plovers on the other, but are nearest on the whole 

 to the Cranes. They are sehizognathous and holorhinal, with 16 

 or 17 cemcal vertebrae, and with two small notches on each side 

 of the posterior border of the sternum. No oil-gland. Caeca long. 

 There is no hallux, and the deep flexor tendons simply unite, and 

 then the united tendon divides into three. Ambiens muscle, 

 accessory femoro-caudal, semitendinosus, and accessory semitendi- 

 nosus present; feinoro- caudal wanting. A single family. 



