THE BUSTARD. 333 



Difference between male and female. 



and feet ash-colour, and covered with very small 

 scales. 



The male is nearly one-third larger than the 

 female: her colours are not so bright as those 

 of the male, and she wants the tuft on each side 

 of the head. Another very essential difference 

 exists between them; the male being furnished 

 with a bag or pouch, situate in the forepart of 

 the neck, and capable of containing about two, 

 or, as some say, seven quarts. The entrance to 

 this singular reservoir is immediately under the 

 tongue. It was firs!; discovered by Dr. Douglas, 

 who supposes that the bird fills it with water as 

 a supply in those dreary plains in which it is ac- 

 customed to wander. The bustard likewise makes 

 a further use of it in defending himself against 

 the attacks of birds of prey; on these occasions 

 he throws out the water with such violence as 

 frequently to baffle the pursuit of his enemy. 



The bustard, though very large, is an extremely 

 timid animal, possessing neither a knowledge of 

 his strength nor the instinct to employ it. They 

 sometimes assemble in flocks of fifty or sixty, 

 but derive no more courage from their numbers 

 than the magnitude of their dimensions. The 

 least appearance of danger alarms them, and 

 they know no method of saving themselves but 

 by flight. They are slow in taking wing, but 

 run with great rapidity; and when young are 

 sometimes taken with greyhounds, which pursue 

 them with great avidity. The chase, which is 



