ORDER grall;e. 4.51 



tard. Bewick also tells us, that the bird makes use of it as a 

 means of defence against birds of prey, on which it shoots 

 the water with considerable violence. Montague, in his 

 Ornithological Dictionary, also speaks of this receptacle, 

 and thinks that its principal use is to enable the male to 

 furnish water to the female when she is sitting, and to the 

 young, which would be unable to proceed in search of it to 

 any distance. 



These timid birds, whose course is rapid, remain habitually 

 in open and spacious plains. They are found in some depart- 

 ments of France, especially near Fere Champenoise, and 

 Sainte Menehould. Also in many parts of Italy, Germany, 

 and England, and, in fact, in most of the northern parts of 

 the Old Continent ; but not in America. 



Although the denomination of avis tarda, given by Pliny, 

 seems to indicate a slow and heavy walk, yet the general 

 opinion is, that the bustard nms with rapidity, and flies with 

 difficulty. M. Riocourt, on the contrary, thinks that it can 

 undertake long voyages. He quotes, in support of his 

 opinion of the aptitude of this bird for flight, its supposed 

 emigrations from the continent into this country ; while Mau- 

 duyt, on the other hand, believes, that this island contained 

 these birds before it was separated from the continent. Not 

 to enter into any formal discussion of this point, we may 

 remark, by the way, that such periodical migrations over a 

 considerable extent of sea, by birds which, in general, shun 

 water, are any thing but proved. It is, in fact, well known, 

 that these birds are becoming more and more rare in this 

 country. In Scotland, they are no longer found, and are 

 scarce enough in our northern and even midland counties, 

 where they were formerly abundant. The race, in fact, is so 

 much decreased in this island, that its total extinction may 

 be contemplated as neither improbable nor remote. The 

 best proof of this is, that both eggs and young birds for 



