THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 311 



bare plains, it will sometimes run a step or two before mounting 

 in the air. A writer in the Bengal Sporting Magazine asserts that 

 he has known the Bustard ridden down, and that after two or 

 three flights it is so exhausted as to allow of its capture. I imagine 

 that a healthy bird would tire out the best horse and rider before 

 giving in.'" 



Referring to Jerdon's remarks on the " showing off" of the 

 male bird at the commencement of the breeding season, Huine 

 remarks : — " The way in which the male expands the throat at 

 times during the breeding season is most extraordinary. Twice 

 I have closelj' watched the whole process through binoculars. 

 First tlie male begins to strut about, holding his head up as high 

 as if he wanted to lift himself off his legs ; then, after a few turns, 

 he puffs out the upper part of the throat just under the jaws, then 

 draws it in again, then puffs it again, and so on, two, three or four 

 times, and then, suddenlj^ out goes the whole throat down to the 

 breast, and that part of it next the latter swells more and more ; 

 his tail, already?- cocked, begins to turn right back, over the back, 

 and the lower throat bag gets bigger and bigger, and longer and 

 longer, till it looks to be within six inches of the ground. All the 

 feathers of the throat stand ou.t, and looked at in front, he seems 

 to have a huge bag covered with feathers hanging down between 

 his legs, which wabbles about as he struts here and there with 

 wings partly unclosed, and occasional sharp snappings of his bill. 

 From time to time he utters a sort of deep moan, and stands quite 

 still, and then off he struts again close up to the female, and then 

 away from her. On both occasions that I witnessed these antics, 

 the excitement seemed gradually to relax, and no connubialities 

 resulted. Whether this is usually a prelude to such, or a mere 

 nautch for the edification of the female, like the Peacock's grand 

 displaj^, I cannot tell, but I am inclined to believe the latter." 



It will be seen from Jerdon's description, which I have above 

 quoted, that the Bu.stard is capable, when necessary, of rising 

 straight from the ground into full flight, at the same time there is 

 little doubt that our Indian bird, like the European Great Bustard, 

 prefers to run a few steps before springing into flight, though the 

 facility with which it does this is a matter of opinion. Thus Capt. 



