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the old males ' Barbones ' and ' Moriscos,' asserting that they come over in spring from Morocco ; 

 but the word is merely a contraction of ' Mariscosos,' from the flavour of ' marisca,' or salt marsh, 

 which their flesh has at that time." 



In Savoy it occurs only accidentally ; Bailly writes that, during the severe winter of 1829-30, 

 some made their appearance in the neighbourhood of Chambery. Savi states that it is exceed- 

 ingly rare in Tuscany ; and Doderlein says the same respecting its occurrence in Parma, Modena, 

 &c. In Sicily it occurs but rarely, having principally been met with near Catania and Syracuse ; 

 Salvadori writes that he does not think it has ever been resident or bred in Italy, and it has not 

 occurred on the island of Sardinia. In Malta, Mr. C. A Wright states, it is " rare ; every two or 

 three years one or two are shot, chiefly in Gozo. It has also been obtained at Marfa (the north- 

 west extremity of Malta) and in the valley of Naxiar. Since 1857 I have known of the capture 

 of five individuals. In the autumn of 1862 I was forestalled in the purchase of a fine male in 

 the market by the Governor's purveyor, who had just secured it for Prince Alfred's dinner. 

 Captain Sperling, in his notes on the ornithology of the Mediterranean, states that it is plentiful, 

 occurring in large flocks on the south shore of the Gulf of Arta in the winter season ; and Lord 

 Lilford, referring to its occurrence in the Ionian Islands, says that " a Great Bustard flew over 

 my head one day in February 1858, as I was chasing Grebes in the Bay of Butrinto. This is 

 the only occasion on which I saw this species in these parts ; but I was shown some of the 

 feathers of one which had been killed in Acarnania in March 1857 ; and in the following winter 

 several were killed near Cape Papas, in the Morea, where they are not uncommon. Great 

 numbers were brought into Athens in January 1858. The Great Bustard breeds in the Morea, 

 in the vicinity of Tripolitza." Lindermayer and Baron von der Muhle record it as resident and 

 common in most parts of Greece; and as regards Southern Germany, it is stated to be met with 

 here and there in suitable localities. Fritsch writes that " it occasionally straggles to Bohemia 

 from Hungary ; and when in the latter country I often heard of it ; but, owing to my short sojourn 

 there, I never saw it in the wild state." In the plains of Wallachia, as I was told when in that 

 country, it is especially numerous in the neighbourhood of Bucharest; but I did not visit the 

 localities where it is most common. Messrs. Elwes and Buckley found it not uncommon in 

 many parts of Turkey, but most numerous in the Dobrudscha. In Russia it is, Mr. Sabanaeff 

 writes, " most essentially an inhabitant of Southern Russia, but during the last eighteen years it 

 has become common in many parts of Central Russia ; for instance, it is found in the districts of 

 Elatma and Ardatoff, it breeds in the Government of Riazan (Pronsk), and in the autumn ranges 

 as far as Lerpouchow (in the Government of Moscow)." According to Bogdanoff the Bustard 

 has also been killed in the district of Tetuschi and Swiajhsk, in the Government of Kazan. 

 Mr. Sabanaeff himself found it near Schadrinsk, and states that he believes it breeds there. 

 Mr. Goebel records it as a common migrant in Uman (South Russia), generally leaving for the 

 south in December. In the autumn flocks of several hundred individuals may be seen in the 

 corn-fields. Professor von Nordmann speaks of it as " extremely abundant in the northern 

 portion of the Crimea from Perekop to the commencement of the range of mountains which run 

 parallel to the south and south-east shores of the peninsula, but is absent from the southern 

 portion, as also from the broken ground of Abasia, Mingrelia, and Ghouriel. When the winter 

 is mild, a portion remain in the northern provinces of New Russia; but as soon as any heavy 



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