112 THE SPECIES. 



Otis. Plate xx^r. OT/DWyE. 



288. tetrax, i6 in. Little Bustard. No crest ; chest striped with 



white and black bands. 



289. macqueeni, 29 in. Macqueen's Bustard. Head with a crest ; 



chest pale grey. 

 2S7. tarda, 36 in. Great Bustard. No crest ; chest chestnut and 



grey. 

 The Little Bustard— Dimensions, Ne ; Eggs, Oq— is an occasional straggler, generally 

 appearing in the winter months. The female has black blotches on the back, 



A Macqueen's Bustard— Dimensions. Sf ; Eggs, Qr— was shot in Lincolnshire, in 1847, the 

 first and last appearance of what is really an Indian species. 



The Great Bustard— Dimensions, Tc ; Eggs, Rs — was once a resident, but is now one -^f 

 the rarest of stragglers. 



Otocorys. Plate x. ALAUDINM (Passeridas). 



137. alpestris, 7 in. Shore Lark. Erectile black crest on each side of 



head ; a black band across upper breast. 

 The Shore Lark — Dimensions, Fk ; Eggs, Fp — was first recorded in 1830, and occasionally 

 appears during the winter months on the east coast. 



Pagophila. Plate xxxi. LARIDM. 



368. eburnea, 17 in. IvoRY Gull. All wliite ; bill greenish yellow ; 



legs black. 

 The Ivory Gull — Dimensions, Ns ; Eggs, Pq — appears on the north coasts when severe 

 winters have driven it south from Spitzbergen and thereabouts. 



Pandion, Plate xvi. FALCONID^. 



19S. lialiaUus, 23 in. OsPREY. Purplish brown above;' white below; 



crown and nape white, streaked with brown ; legs 



and feet blue, reticulate, and prickly below. 



The 0>prey — Dime:isions, Qn ; Eggs, Pr — still breeds here, but to nothing like the extent 



It used to do, and it is best known as an autumnal visitor. There is only one species in the 



world of this bird. Its contour feathers ha.ve no aftershaft and are small and short, and 



hence its legs have no breeches. It flies with its legs out straight, and its flight is a hovering 



and gliding one with little wing work. Its wings look very long as they are stretched out 



apparently motionless. The Osprey feeds on fish, and catches it with a sudden swoop, 



bearing it away in its claws. The call is "kai, kai, kai ; " the alarm a scream. The female 



i'; browner on the breast than the male, and larger. The nest is a big one of iwigs and turf, 



lined with moss, and situate on a tree-top or some lofty ledge. There are from two to four 



cffgs._ The Osprey is often placed between the Owls and birds ol prey in the sub-orde 



Pandiones. 



Panunis. Plate iv. PANURIN^ (Passeridre). 



49. biarmicus, 6 in. Bearded Tit. Crown grey ; long black mous- 

 tache ; back orange tawny ; tail fawn coloured 

 and over three inches long. 

 The Bearded Tit— Dimensions, De ; Eggs. Bl— is resident but rare. It has a varied 

 undulating flight, with many glides and pauses. Its note is "ping, ping," its call is 

 "chirrrr,' and its alarm '*hear, hear." The female has no black feathers on her neck or in 

 her under tail cove-ts. The male's beak is orange ; the female's is yellow. The nest is 

 V always near water, but is never hung from reeds. It consists of dry leaves of reed and grass, 

 and is lined with reed flowers. There are from four to seven eggs. 



PARINM (Passeridaa). 



Continental Coal Tit. Nape with white patch ; 

 back greyish blue ; two white bars on wing. 

 British Coal Tit. Nape with white patch ; back 

 olive brown ; two white bars on wing. 

 Crested Tit. Black and white crest. 

 Blue Tit. Crown light blue edged with white. 

 Marsh Tit. Nape greyish black without a white 

 patch ; back greyish brown ; no bars on wings. 

 52. major, 6 in. Great Tit. Black apron from ciiin to vent. 



