The Great Bustard 255 



Wear clothes suited, more or less, to environment — greenish, 

 we suggest, for choice — but remember that immobility is tenfold 

 more important than colour. A pure white object that is 

 quiescent is overlooked, where a clod of turf that moves attracts 

 instant attention. 



In spring, when bustards gorge on green food, gralloch your 

 victims at once, otherwise the half-digested mass in the crop 

 quickly decomposes and destroys the meat. 



Here is an example of an error in judgment that practically 

 amounted to a blunder. Before our well-concealed line stood a 

 grand pack, between thirty and forty bustard beautifully " horse- 

 shoed," and quite unconscious thereof. Momentarily we expected 

 their entry — right in our faces ! At that critical moment there 

 appeared, wide on the right flank and actually behind us, three 

 huge old harhones directing a course that would bring them 

 along close in rear of our line. No. 4 gun, on extreme right, 

 properly allowed this trio to pass ; not so No. 3. But the 

 culprit, on rising to fire, had the chagrin to realise (too late) his 

 error. The whole superb army-corps in front were at that very 

 moment sweeping forward direct on the centre of our line ! In 

 an instant they took it in, swerved majestically to the left, and 

 escaped scot-free. That No. 3 had secured a right-and-left at the 

 adventitious trio in no sort of way exculpated his mistake. 



