GREAT BUSTARD. 119 



venture upon a battle with it, the latter chiefly in hope of 

 carrying off a young bird, which is, however, always strongly 

 protected by the mother. The fox and weasel are very 

 formidable enemies to the eggs and young. 



It requires large shot or a bullet to kill this bird, for the 

 feathering of the Bustard is very strong, and the bones large 

 and hard. 



The Great Bustard is the largest of British birds, weighing 

 as much as thirty pounds. 



The bill is dusky horn-colour ; the legs bluish horn-colour ; 

 iris hazel ; head and neck ash-coloured ; the upper parts of 

 the feathering yellow ochre and rust-colour, barred with black 

 as represented in the Plate ; greater wing-coverts pale ash- 

 colour. The primary quill-feathers are black, the secon- 

 daries and spurious winglet are white, the tertials rufous, 

 barred with black ; the feathers of the tail are ochre-yellow, 

 edged and tipped with white, with a broad black bar near the 

 end. The tail is frequently carried erect, like that of the 

 turkey, with the feathers spread out like a fan. The legs are 

 reticulated, the upper part of the toes scaled. The sides of 

 the face, in the male, are ornamented with fringed, hairy 

 feathers, that stand out like the whiskers of a cat. 



The female nearly resembles the male in the colours of her 

 plumage, but is not whiskered. 



The young birds in nestling plumage are mottled with 

 reddish-white and dusky. 



The egg figured 159 is that of the Great Bustard. 



