The Great Bustard 257 



later they would liiivc averaged over 30 lbs., the increased weight 

 being largely due to the abundant feed in spring, but possibly 

 more to the solid distention of the neck,^ 



This wet season (1908) the grass on the manchones, or 

 fallows, was rank and luxuriant, nearly knee-deep in close vege- 

 tation — more like April than January. Already these bustards 

 were showing signs of the chestnut neck, and all had acquired 

 their whiskers. The following winter (1909) was dry and not a 

 scrap of vegetation on the fallows. Even in February they were 

 absolutely naked and the cattle being fed on broken straw in the 

 byres. 



The quill-feathers are pale-grey or ash-colour, only deepening 

 into a darker shade towards the tips, and that only on the first 

 two or three feathers. The shafts are white, secondaries black, 

 and bastard-wing lavender-white, slightly tipped with a darker 

 shade. 



In Wild Spain will be found described two methods by 

 which the great bustard may be secured : (A) by a single gun 

 riding quite alone ; and (B) by two guns working jointly, one 

 taking the chance of a drive, the other outmanoeuvring the 

 game as in plan (A). We here add a third plan which has 

 occasionally stood us (when alone) in good stead. 



On finding bustard on a suitable hill, leave your man to ride 

 slowly to and fro attracting the attention of the game till you 

 have had time, by hard running, to gain the reverse slope. The 

 attendant then rides forward, the whole operation being so 

 punctually timed that you reach the crest of the ridge at the 

 same moment as the walkins; bustards have arrived within shot 

 thereof. Needless to add, this involves, besides hard work, a 

 considerable degree of luck, yet on several occasions we have 

 secured as many as four birds a day by this means. 



The great bustard, one imagines, has few enemies except 

 man, but the following incident shows they are not entirely 

 exempt from extraneous dangers. In October, some years ago, 

 the writer purposed spending a couple of nights at a distant 

 marsh in order to see whether any snipe had yet come in. Our 

 course led us through good bustard-country, and by an early start 



1 We know of no other bird tliat inereases thus in weight anticipatory of the breeding- 

 season, nor are we at all sure that it is the swollen neck that explains that increase. 



S 



