62



until about the end of February, the} 7 are slowly increasing in

length. The pectoral bands do not appear with the young feathers

after the autumn moult, but are put on in the spring.


The extraordinary “play” of the male, as the breeding

season approaches, commences with a slight inflation of the

throat, and a partial reversal of the tail-feathers over the back.

But it is not until he is in the height of the breeding “ orge ”

(op^rj) that he assumes the, to us, supremely ridiculous attitude

which has been so well reproduced by Wolf and other artists.


At this season tame Bustards become most impudent. At

one time I had two fine old males, who used to rush at an intruder;

and I have often, to protect my legs from the furious digs of their

beaks, walked across the enclosure holding one in each hand by

the neck ; the birds angrily protesting with their gruff barking

grunts, but not exhibiting the least fear, and ready to resume

the attack the instant they were released.


In order to take a portrait of a male in the height of his

play, I had to take the photograph through a wire netting, so

as to keep the bird at the required distance.


But, tame though the birds may be with those whom they

know, they are very easily thrown into a paroxysm of terror by

a strange dog, or even by the too abrupt approach of a visitor

with whom they are not familiar.


When alarmed like this, Bustards will dash themselves

against the fence of their enclosure ; and, as their bones are

extremely frail and brittle, in proportion to the weight of the

bird, they may suffer serious damage. It is better to pinion the

birds; tying up the arteries previously, by passing a double

thread between the two bones of the wing, and bringing the two

ends of each thread together with a firm knot.


I was formerly afraid to perform this operation ; but as the

flight feathers are a long while coming down, the unpinioned

birds require catching several times during the moult, which is

very undesirable.


The food, which my birds get, is chiefly barley-meal, made

into a crumbly ball with Spratt’s game - meal and crissel,

cabbage-heads, bread and potatoes. Some of my birds have

eaten chopped rabbit readily, also mice. Those which I have

now will seldom touch any of these. But they should, especially

in winter, have as much animal food as they will take. The main

requisites for keeping Bustards healthy, are :—ist, a good space

to roam in, where they can find a good deal of natural insect

food and clean grass; 2nd, shelter from strong winds in the



