The Zoologist— January, 1871. 241 § 



the species " is extremely common," where he has " seen a hundred 

 together," and where they "collect in the autumn in immense 

 numbers," there must be abundant opportunity for a naturalist 

 to work out all such details. The gnlar pouch of the bustard, 

 concerning the existence of which so many doubts have been 

 expressed, and which Messrs. Owen, Yarrell, Bartlett and Dr. 

 Giinther could not discover, is only mentioned in a foot-note. 

 This singular apparatus, if 1 may apply that name to the part under 

 consideration, seems to be still very imperfectly understood, not- 

 withstanding the apparently careful examination by Dr. Culleu. 

 The Rev. A. C. Smith, during his 'Spring Tour in Portugal,' 

 availed himself of the rare opportunity of examining a recently- 

 Ivilled bustard, with the express object of discovering the secret 

 of the pouch ; and here is his report of the investigation : — 



" With the assistance of Dr. Suche, whose anatomical skill was of the 

 greatest service to me, I spent several hours in examining the soft wattle- 

 like protuberance which hung below the cliiu and throat, and gave the 

 whole neck a thick puffy appearance : the result was that I entertain no 

 doubt whatever, and (what is of far more value) Dr. Suche was equally 

 positive, that this male great bustard possessed a pouoh of considerable 

 capacity, or rather (as it seemed to me) a number of membrane-divided 

 sacs, which appeared capable of extending to almost any dimensions, and 

 the larger of which would apparently contain many quarts. I am quite 

 aware that my own attempts at dissection were very poor, and I should not 

 venture to speak thus positively on so disputed a point, but for the able 

 assistance in the work, and the positive conclusions deduced therefrom, by 

 Dr. Suche. To this I may add, that on mentioning our work and our 

 unanimous conclusions to Professor du Socage, he not only cordially con- 

 curred with us, but declared that it was impossible for any one to examine 

 the throat and neck of an adult male Otis tarda without being convinced 

 by his own senses that such a pouch did exist. Even previously to 

 removing the skin of my bird, the position and size of the large goitre-Hke 

 excrescence standing out from the neck, though concealed by feathers, 

 could be plainly discerned, and when handled at once betrayed the soft 

 yielding nature of its substance." — ' Sjn-inff Tour in Portur/al,' p. 207. 



Even after reading this passage, evidently written with great 

 care, and as evidently also the result of anatomical examination, 

 one does not quite see the object of this apparatus : that it is a sac 

 or pouch intended to contain seven quarts of water, as I have seen 

 stated, or even the smaller quantity of two quarts, seems incredible : 



