ORDER GRALL^. 301 



gallinaceous birds, the neck and legs longish, the 

 bill moderate, the upper mandible slightly arched 

 and vaulted, which, together with the slight webs 

 between the toes, assimilates them to that order ; 

 but the nakedness of the bottom of their legs, 

 their whole anatomy, and even the taste of their 

 flesh agree in connecting them with the grallae; 

 and as they are without a thumb, their smallest spe- 

 cies is nearly approximated to the plovers. Their 

 tarsus is reticulated ; the wings are short ; they fly 

 but little, using their wings more commonly, like 

 the ostrich, to assist them in running. They feed 

 on grains, herbs, worms, and insects. 



The Great Bustard, Lath. Otis Tarda, Lin. Enl. 

 245, 



Has the plumage on the back of a bright yellow, 

 traversed by a great number of black bars, the rest 

 is greyish. The male, which is the largest bird in 

 Europe, has the wing-feathers elongated, forming on 

 each side a sort of large mustachios. This species, 

 which is one of our best game, frequents open coun- 

 tries, and builds its nest in the corn on the ground. 



Little Bustard. Otis Tetrax, Lin. Enl. 25 and 10, 



Is more than one half less than the last, and is much 

 less extensively spread. It is brown, dotted with 



