608 birds of india. 



The Indian Bustard. 



JDescr. — Male, top of head with crest black ; face, nape, and 

 the whole neck, white, the feathers somewhat lengthened and 

 hackled in front ; the back and upper plumage, including the 

 shoulder of the wings and the inner wing-coverts, pale olive 

 brown, or buff, beautifully mottled and variegated with minute 

 lines of black ; outer wing-coverts black, white tipped ; greater 

 coverts slaty-grey, also tipped with white, as is the winglet ; 

 primaries dark slaty, more dusky on their outer edges, and white- 

 tipped ; tail as the back, with a dark sub-terminal band not always 

 very distinct on the central feathers ; a blackish brown band 

 across the breast ; lower parts, with the thigh-coverts, white ; the 

 flanks dark olive brown ; vent and lower tail-coverts the same but 

 lighter. 



Bill dusky above, yellowish beneath ; irides pale yellow with 

 some brownish specks ; legs and feet dingy pale yellow. Length 

 4^ to 5 feet ; extent 8 feet ; wing 30 inches ; tail 13 ; bill at 

 front 2 ; tarsus 8|. "Weight 26 to 28 lbs. 



The female is one-third less at least, the white of the neck is less 

 pure, generally, indeed, mottled with olive-brown, and with some 

 rufous about the face and eyes ; the pectoral band is incomplete, 

 and consists of broken spots ; the abdomen is less pure white 

 and the flanks paler brown and more spotted. Length 3^- 

 feet. Young males resemble the females, and it is only the 

 largest old males that have the neck pure white, as described 

 above ; in most there being a few brown specks on the neck. 

 In the old male, too, the neck appears very thick, the feathers 

 being well puffed out and full. A fully grown adult male stands 

 very high, above 4 feet. The gular sac is stated to be able to 

 hold about three quarts of water. 



This noble bird is found throughout considerable part of India, 

 most common in the West, and not known in Bengal or Behar, nor 

 in the Malabar Coast. It is found occasionally in the Carnatic and 

 Mysore, tolerably common in the Deccan and in the Southern 

 Mahratta country, extending through Central India as far East at 

 all events as Saugor andliewah, and abundant in Rajpootana. I have 

 not heard of its occurring anywhere in the valley of the Ganges. 



