GREAT BUSTARD. 117 



for the purpose of shooting it, or to approach it by stealing 

 upon its haunt. Its organs of scent and hearing are not 

 only less acute, but very deficient, for if a person can hide 

 himself in a ditch among long herbage or brambles, and 

 watch the arrival of a flock of these birds, he may pick his 

 bird at ease, provided he keeps out of sight. 



It is reported that the Bustard lives to a very great age, 

 and this is stated to be as much as half a century, or more. 

 How to ascertain the fact is very difficult ; but the rare 

 circumstance of an old male bird being shot, in consequence 

 of its great cunning, and, when such a capture happens, the 

 strength of the bones and coarseness of the flesh, prove in 

 favour of the report, and we are willing to give credit to the 

 possibility ; nevertheless, we must regret that the species has 

 either not been able to keep out of gun-shot of the British 

 sportsman, or has not lived long enough to give him the 

 opportunity of making his observations, now that Ornithology 

 is more studied than it used to be. 



The usual number of Bustards seen together in a field 

 is from five to ten ; but, where the birds are plentiful, in 

 some parts of the Continent, they will congregate and re- 

 main in flocks of more than a hundred individuals : this 

 chiefly happens in autumn and during the winter. 



The present species is very rarely kept alive in confine- 

 ment, for its obstinacy in refusing food and its great fear 

 of mankind make it exceedingly difficult to manage. 



The Bustard hardly utters any call-note, unless a cooing 

 noise in its throat is mistaken for it, which resembles that 

 of the pigeon. 



The food of the Great Bustard consists in vegetable 

 matter, such as green corn and seeds, rape seed in par- 

 ticular ; cabbages, and the leaves and stalks of many wild 

 plants, clover, and also insects : these latter are at all 

 times the food of the young birds, but only during the 



