Lirtte’Bustarv. CURSORES. OTIS. 338 
ground; and, upon alighting, runs off with great swiftness, 
by this mode generally eluding the pursuit. — 
It is a common inhabitant of the champaign and arid parts 
of Spain, Italy, and Turkey ; is tolerably abundant in the 
south of France, and very numerous on the coasts of Bar- 
bary. In Switzerland and Germany it is a rare bird.—Its 
flesh is excellent, and surpasses in flavour that of our most 
esteemed gallinaceous game. 
Puate 65. A male bird, in the young or winter plumage, 
and of the natural size. 
Length, when extended, one foot five inches and a half. General 
Breadth, along the extended wings, two feet ten inches poe ue 
and a half. Bull blackish-brown; the upper mandible 
emarginated. Inides saffron-yellow. Crown of the head 
and occiput cream-yellow, speckled and spotted with 
black. Chin and throat white. Neck cream-yellow ; 
the centres of the feathers, and a cross bar in them, 
black. Hind part of the neck destitute of feathers, and 
covered with grey down. The whole of the upper parts, 
scapulars, and lesser wing-coverts, beautifully barred 
and mottled with buff-orange, cream-yellow, and black. — 
Greater wing-coverts white, with two black bars. First 
four quills half white, half black ; fifth entirely white, 
except the tip, which is spotted with black; the next 
four white, with one black bar near their tips; those 
next to the body long, white, with three black bars. 
Breast and sides white, transversely barred with black. 
Middle of the belly, thighs, and vent, white. The roots 
or downy bases of the feathers of the under parts are 
flesh-red. Tail of eighteen feathers; the four middle 
ones cream-yellow, with four black bars; the rest white, 
barred and spotted with black. Legs yellowish-grey, 
reticulated; toes short. First quill-feather about half 
an inch shorter than the second and third, which are of 
equal length. 
