118 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



They vary a good deal in the length and curvature of their 

 beaks, and in the length of the tarsus, as well as in the character 

 of the plumage, and the changes they undergo ; and they have been 

 divided into several genera. India possesses representatives of 

 three groups. 



Gen. Eupodotis, Lesson. 



Char. — Bill long, pointed, nearly straight ; legs long and strong ; 

 wings lengthened and very ample ; male provided with a pouch ; 

 sexes alike in plumage or nearly so, but the female about a third 

 smaller ; no spring moult. Of very large size. 



This genus contains some of the largest species in the family, and 

 is found in India, China, Africa and Australia. They frequent 

 bare open plains, as well as high grass and corn fields, and live 

 entirely, or nearly so, on insect food, chiefly large grasshoppers. 



38. Eupodotis Edwardsii, Gray. 



Otis, apud Gray — Hardwicke, 111. Ind. Zool. 1, pi. 59 — 

 Blyth, Cat. 1539 — 0. nigriceps, Vigors — Gould, Cent. Him. 

 Birds, pi. 72 — Sykes, Cat. 166 — jERD0N,Cat. 281 — 0. lucionensis, 

 Vieillot ? Tokdar, H. — Solum, and Gugunbher in the North- 

 western Provinces — Gurayin in Humana — Burra chirath in some 

 parts — Batt-meka, or Bat-myaka, Tel. 



The Indian Bustard. 



Descr. — Male, top of head with crest black ; face, nape, and 

 the whole neck, white, the feathers somewhat lengthened and 

 hackled in front ; the back and upper plumage, including the 

 shoulder of the wings and the inner wing-coverts, pale olive 

 brown, or buff, beautifully mottled and variegated with minute 

 lines of black ; outer wing-coverts black, white tipped ; greater 

 coverts slaty-grey, also tipped with white, as is the winglet ; 

 primaries dark slaty, more dusky on their outer edges, and while- 

 tipped ; tail as the back, with a dark sub-terminal band not always 

 very distinct on the central feathers ; a blackish brown band 

 across the breast ; lower parts, with the thigh-coverts, white ; the 

 Hanks dark olive brown ; vent and lower tail-coverts the same but 

 lighter. 



