350 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



spring visitor, arriving in April, and moving south- 

 wards at the approach of winter ; but in Spain, 

 Sardinia, Sicily, and Tunis it may be found in 

 suitable localities throughout the year. 



The Little Bustard, though it loves the open, does 

 not, in our experience, frequent the absolutely flat 

 country of Spain in the breeding-season to the same 

 extent as the larger species, nor is it, at that time of 

 year, to be met with so frequently in the corn-lands. 

 Undulating pastures, where w^ater is near, are, in 

 Spain, the favourite spots for this bird in summer. 

 On one occasion in the month of June, whilst tra- 

 velling by railroad from Cordova to Madrid, I must 

 have seen quite a hundred Little Bustards rise, 

 singly or in couples, at the approach of our train, 

 from grass-lands such as those that I have just men- 

 tioned. 



The males, although they go through much the 

 same sort of " show " as the Great Bustard, and 

 appear to be at the commencement of the season 

 nearly as promiscuous in their amours, eventually 

 select a mate and remain in her close vicinity during 

 the time of incubation. The nests of this species are 

 generally placed in thick grass, and consist of a 

 scratching in the ground, with generally more bedding 

 of dried straw^s and stems than is found in those of 

 the Great Bustard. The eggs are usually of a very 

 dark olive-green, clouded with still darker stains and 

 blotches. I have seen specimens entirely uniform in 

 colour, without markings of any sort ; their number 

 is generally three or four, often only two. 



The Spaniards say that the ^'^ Sison" as they call 

 this species, generally produces two broods ; I am 

 unable to verify or deny this statement from personal 

 observation, but I know that in September old and 



