6 THE PEACOCK BUSTARD. 



The PEACOCK, however, has long ceased to form 

 a common dish for the table in this country, and 

 probably, from its coarseness and ill colour, when 

 it did, the motive was rather show than use ; but 

 pea-hens and pea-chicks still retain their place at 

 fashionable tables. 



BUSTARDS. The Bustard is the largest land bird 

 of Europe, the cock generally weighing from twenty- 

 five to twenty-seven pounds. The neck a foot long, 

 the legs a foot and a half. It flies with some little 

 difficulty. The head and neck of the cock ash co- 

 loured ; the back barred transversely with black and 

 a bright rust colour. The greater quill feathers 

 black, the belly white ; the tail, consisting of twenty 

 feathers, marked with broad black bars : it has 

 three thick toes before and none behind. There 

 are upwards of half a dozen species of this bird, 

 two or three of which (African) are crested. The 

 LITTLE Bustard, differs only in size, not being 

 larger than a pheasant. They were known to the 

 ancients in Africa, and in Greece and Syria ; are 

 supposed to live about fifteen years; are gregarious, 

 and pair in spring, laying only two eggs, nearly of the 

 size of a goose-egg, of a pale olive brown, marked 

 with spots of a darker hue. They sit about five 

 weeks, and the young ones run, like partridges, as 

 soon as delivered from the shell. The cocks will 

 fight until one is killed or falls. Their flesh has 

 ever been held most delicious, and I suppose they 

 are fed upon the same food as the turkey. 



There were formerly great flocks of bustards in 

 this country, upon the wastes and in the woods, 



