DIFFEEENT KINDS OF FEATHEES. 55 



"modifications." But the Great American Cock a wild Turkey 

 (Meleagris gallopavo) is a great favourite. It has a superb cinnamon- 

 brown mottled tail, and its thighs are covered with magnificent scarlet 

 hackles having a black bar. 



In Bustard, those of the Indian and African species are the best. 

 Bustard, both light and dark, is an effective decoration. The various 

 degrees of clearness of marking give considerable scope of choice for 

 effect. The hackles neither dye so well, nor wear so well, as those of the 

 Gallina. The best bird I ever saw was shot by Mr. Mobray M. Farquhar, 

 in Matabeleland, early in the season of '95. Being brittle, fibres of 

 Golden Pheasant tail should be mingled with those of all Bustards when 

 employed, for mixed wings. The male bird is the more valuable. He has 

 about twenty tail feathers ; he is larger than his mate, and differs from her 

 in one interesting feature, to which I may be permitted to allude. The 

 male Bustard has a kind of bag or pouch situated in the forepart of the 

 neck, and capable of containing two quarts. The entrance to it is 

 immediately under the tongue. They are generally supposed only to 

 run like an Ostrich aided by the wings, but when once in the 

 air they can fly several miles without resting. The South African 

 (Otis Ludwigi) is the largest and best of the dark species. The 

 European species (Otis tarda) is sometimes used, but the bird is less 

 valued. It is commonly known as the Great Bustard, and, instead of 

 mottled feathers, this sort has dark bars across the ferruginous groundwork. 



The feathers from the little Bustard are sometimes used in small 

 patterns. 



The Asiatic Florican provides us with much brighter feathers and 

 hackles darker in the bars, and lighter in the fermginous ground of the 

 feather. It is scarcely so brittle as Bustard, and, although a strip for 

 extended " cheeks " is often telling, we generally use it for small strip- 

 winged patterns, such as are fashionable on the Ness and Locky. 



The Peacock, as they say, has " a plumage of an angel, the voice of 

 a devil, and the stomach of a thief " ; but for all that, he is a useful 

 friend to the dresser. The herls from the tail and sword feathers are 

 sometimes used for "butts" and "bodies," but more frequently for 

 " wings." No feathers deteriorate more rapidly, unless placed at once in 



