On the Gular Pouch of the Male Bustard. 143 



XIII. — On the Gular Pouch of the Male Bustard (Otis tarda, 

 Linn). By William Henry Cullen, M.D. 



Residing in a district where the Great Bustard breeds freely, 

 and where, during the seasons of migration, it may even be 

 said to abound, I read with the greatest interest Mr. Alfred 

 Newton^s paper " On the supposed Gular Pouch of the Male 

 Bustard," in the ' Ibis ' for 1862 (p. 107), and determined, as 

 far as practicable, in answer to his call, to elucidate this subject 

 by the examination of recent specimens. In consequence of 

 my inquiries, many fine ones have been repeatedly brought to 

 me, but always in a useless state, as it is the invariable cus- 

 tom of the natives throughout the East to cut the throat of 

 every animal directly it is caught or shot. Though disappointed 

 at not finding it in several instances, I felt no doubt that the 

 pouch existed, as I was assured, , in answer to my inquiries, 

 by a very intelligent Tartar ('^ Avji ") sportsman that both his 

 father and himself had repeatedly seen it in the Crimea, though 

 in his opinion it could only be detected during the breeding- 

 season, after which it gradually diminished in size, till it was 

 hardly discernible in the winter. He had never discovered any 

 water in it, or seen any appearance of it in the female. It 

 seems, from his statements, that the bird does not arrive at 

 maturity till the fourth year, previously to which period he has 

 never been able to detect its presence. 



On the 5th of January my younger son was fortunate 

 enough to shoot two full-grown males, weighing seventeen 

 and twenty pounds respectively, while on their flight southwards. 

 They were, of course, brought home uninjured ; and on looking 

 into the mouth of the smaller one, the opening into the pouch 

 was at once detected from its striking resemblance to the woodcut 

 in Mr. Newton's article. The larger one was then inspected, 

 and, to our great satisfaction, this was also found to possess the 

 well-marked opening under the tongue. This opening is large 

 enough to admit readily the little finger, and is surrounded by 

 what has all the appearance of a sphincter-muscle. A careful 

 dissection, the day after, while the birds (as there was a severe 

 frost) were quite fresh, showed that the pouch extended as far 



