198 OTIDIM; 



Bustard on record, but elsewhere in the British Isles it 

 must be regarded as a very rare and an accidental visitor. 

 The majority of birds have been taken in winter. Mr. 

 Harting states that up to the year 1872 over forty instances 

 were known to him, and subsequently he has recorded 

 many more. Among recent captures may be mentioned : 

 One taken in Hastings, Sussex, on December 23rd, 1900 

 (G. W. Bradshaw, 'Zoologist,' 1901, p. 428) ; another shot 

 in the same county on December 16th of the following year 

 (W. P. Westell, ' Zoologist/ 1902, p. 70) ; while on May 14th, 

 1901, a Little Bustard was shot in North Derbyshire, the 

 second from that county (W. Storrs Fox, ' Zoologist,' 1901, 

 p. 270) ; and on February 4th, 1902, a specimen was obtained 

 in Jersey (H. Mackay, ' Zoologist,' 1904, p. 378). 



The Little Bustard has been obtained four times in 

 Scotland and six times in Ireland, as follows : 



Scotland. One near Montrose, December, 1833 ; one 

 near St. Andrews, March 6th, 1840 ; one at Halkirk, Caith- 

 ness, June, 1848 ; and the fourth at Westfield, near Elgin, 

 February 8th, 1861 (Harting). 



Ireland. One on Killough Bog, in co. Wicklow, August 

 23rd, 1833 ; another accompanied it but escaped being shot ; 

 one on Ballycottin Bay, co. Cork, December 24th, 1860 ; 

 one on Youghal Bay in the same county, November 14th, 

 1883 ; one " sent to the Dublin Market in a package of 

 game from co. Longford," February 13th, 1883 ; two seen 

 and one secured near Belmullet, co. Mayo, December, 1887 ; 

 this specimen is preserved in the Dublin Museum ; one 

 near Ballybunion, co. Kerry, December 30th, 1892 (Ussher). 



In its general habits the Little Bustard resembles its 

 larger relative, but differs in that the males do not assemble 

 in packs when the females are hatching, each keeping near 

 its own particular mate. 



Flight. Like the Great Bustard, this species is strong 

 on the wing, and when suddenly surprised will rise with 

 a clattering noise, flying off with immense velocity. 



Voice. The peculiar note of the male heard in the 

 breeding-season sounds like prut-prut. When uttering the 

 cry the bird assumes a characteristic attitude. Its head and 

 neck are well thrown back between the shoulders, the wings 

 are partly extended, and the tail is held erect. Moreover, 

 the bird has a strange habit of suddenly jumping up after 

 each call " striking the ground in a peculiar manner on his 

 descent" (Saunders). In the spring-season the throat is 



