LITTLE BUSTARD, 121 



BASQUES. OTIS. 



PLATE CLX. 



LITTLE BUSTARD. 



OTIS TETRAX. 



The Little Bustard is only an occasional and infrequent 

 visitant in Great Britain ; and it is strange, that, although the 

 bird is an inhabitant of warmer regions than ours, the male 

 bird has never been killed here in its summer plumage. The 

 native residence of the Little Bustard is the south of Europe, 

 Asia, and the northern parts of Africa. It oecurs in the 

 southern parts of Siberia and Tartary ; in the southern pro- 

 vinces of Russia, Turkey, Greece, and Italy ; also in Spain 

 and the south of France. 



It is very remarkable that the Little Bustard breeds inva- 

 riably in the warmer climes, and yet one has scarcely evei 

 been killed in Britain but during the winter, or late in the 

 autumn. What inducement these birds could have had for 

 visiting us at so unfavourable a season for food and climate, is 

 not understood. It is possible that a continuance of strong- 

 winds from one quarter led the birds astray ; after which they 

 have been glad to alight, and thus, by accident, specimens 

 have been obtained. The favourite haunt of the Little 

 Bustard is open grounds, either corn-fields or sandy downs 

 and wastes. Like the great bustard, the present species 

 avoids mountainous and wooded country : any standing crop 

 of corn, potatos, turnips, &c, serve to hide the bird from 



K 



