526 LITTLE BUSTARD. 
chiefly a winter-visitor to Germany ; but it has greatly increased of 
late years on the undulating plains which stretch across France from 
Marne to La Vendée, arriving about the end of March or early in 
April, and leaving in September. In the Spanish Peninsula it is very 
common on broken or rolling ground ; but to the north of Italy it is 
only a visitor, though resident in the south as well as Sicily and 
Sardinia ; while it is tolerably plentiful along the valley of the Danube, 
as well as in the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, Greece, and Southern 
Russia. Eastward it extends to Turkestan, and on migration it is 
known to cross the lofty Pamir plateau on the way to its winter- 
quarters in North-western India. In Africa north of the Sahara it 
is abundant, being well known in Algeria and Tunisia by the name 
of “ Poule de Carthage” ; it is, however, rare in Egypt. 
The male assumes his breeding-plumage in April, at which time 
he selects a spot about three feet in diameter, on which he passes 
several hours each day, with head and neck thrown back, wings 
somewhat extended, and tail erect, pouring forth his peculiar cry of 
prut, prut (whence the French name Canepetiére), jumping up at 
the conclusion of each call, and striking the ground in a peculiar 
manner on his descent. At this season Mr. Abel Chapman found 
that the throat became much dilated. Conflicts take place for the 
females, but instead of uniting in flocks whilst the latter are in- 
cubating, each male is to be found in the vicinity of a hen. The 
nest, slightly made of dry grass, is placed on the ground, among 
herbage sufficiently high to conceal the bird; the eggs, 3-4 in 
number, are of a very glossy olive-brown or pale green, clouded 
with darker patches, and often beautifully zoned with rufous: 
measurements 1°95 by 1°5 in. The first clutch is laid about the end 
of May, a second being frequently produced in the latter part of 
July. The food consists of herbs, grain, insects, slugs, small snails, 
frogs, field-mice &c. The male rises with a loud clatter of his 
wings, but the female sits remarkably close. In autumn the birds 
form large packs, which afterwards break up into smaller parties. 
The male in spring has the cheeks and throat dark grey enclosed 
by a white loop, below which is a broad collar of black, followed by 
a band of white and then another of black; crown and general 
upper plumage sandy-brown, vermiculated with black; wing-coverts 
and under surface white. Length 17 in.; wing 9'5 in. In winter 
the feathers of the neck and breast are sandy-brown streaked with 
black, as in the female. The latter differs chiefly in having the 
upper parts blotched—rather than vermiculated—with black. The 
young are like the hen, but rather more barred on the flanks. 
