LITTLE BUSTARD. 589 



they show more white when flying than the Great Bustard does. In many 

 respects their flight resembles that of a butterfly or of a Snow-Bunting. 

 We never saw two males together during the breeding-season. The nest 

 can only be found by accident. We were driving rather quickly across 

 the steppe, anxious to reach Kalarash before dark, when suddenly a female 

 Little Bustard rose within ten feet of the waggon, and was speedily dropped 

 by our Jager, who was sitting gun in hand by the driver. We jumped 

 out of the carriage, and in a quarter of a minute found the nest, containing 

 four eggs. The hollow was deeper than that of the nest of the Great 

 Bustard, and there was a distinct nest of dry grass and weeds, though 

 very slight ; it was about seven inches across, and well concealed by tufts 

 of a kind of lucerne. 



The eggs of the Little Bustard are usually four in number, but three 

 are often found, and it is said sometimes five. They vary in ground- 

 colour from huffish brown to dark olive-brown and olive-green, indistinctly 

 mottled and spotted with pale reddish brown. Most of the markings are 

 congregated on the large end of the egg, sometimes on the small end, and 

 form an indistinct confluent mass. The surface is very highly polished, 

 rather smooth, and the pits or pores are not very conspicuous. They vary 

 in length from 2'15 to 1*93 inch, and in breadth from 1-6 to 1-5 inch. 

 The eggs of the Little Bustard cannot easily be confused with those of 

 any other European bird. 



The Little Bustard is said to be more insectivorous than the Great 

 Bustard, though it also eats vegetables and seeds. 



The Little Bustard is about the size of a Grouse, and diflers little in 

 colour from the Great Bustard, except that the ground-colour of the 

 plumage is less chestnut and the black markings finer. The top of the 

 head and all the tail-feathers are coloured like the back. The male has 

 no moustachial plumes, but the nuptial plumage is very pronounced. The 

 nape is ornamented with a black crest ; the chin, ear-coverts, and upper 

 throat are pale slate-grey, below which is a gorget of white, followed by a 

 second gorget of black, a third of white, and a fourth of black. Bill 

 brown; legs, feet, and claws brownish yellow; irides yellow. In the 

 female the head and neck are coloured somewhat like the back, and similar 

 markings are more or less conspicuous on the breast and flanks. The 

 markings on the back are much coarser than in the male. After the 

 autumn moult the male loses all the white and black gorgets on the throat, 

 and nearly resembles the female ; but it is not known whether they are 

 assumed again in spring by a partial moult or by a change in the colour 

 of the feather. Young in first plumage are said to resemble females ; and 

 males of the year probably retain the coarse markings on the back which are 

 supposed to be characteristic of the adult female, though ornithologists do 

 not agree on these points. Dresser says that " the young male has the 



