Class II. GREAT BUSTARD. 377 



mandible. Its head and neck are ash colored ; 

 the back is barred transversely with black and 

 bright rust color ; the greater quil feathers are 

 black ; the belly white ; the tail is marked with 

 broad red and black bars, and consists of twen- 

 ty feathers ; the legs are dusky. 



The female is about half the size of the male: Female, 

 the crown of the head is of a deep orange, tra- 

 versed with black lines ; the rest of the head is 

 brown ; the lower part of the fore-side of the 

 neck is ash-colored : in other respects it resem- 

 bles the male, only the colors of the back and 

 wings are far more dull. 



These birds inhabit most of the open coun- Place. 

 tries of the south and east parts of this island, 

 from Dorsetshire, as far as the J Voids in York- 

 shire* They are exceedingly shy, and difficult 

 to be shot; run very fast, and when on the 

 wing can fly, though slowly, many miles with- 

 out resting. It is said that they take flight with 

 difficulty, and are sometimes run down with 

 gre-hounds. They keep near their old haunts, 

 seldom wandering above twenty or thirty miles. 

 Their food is corn and other vegetables, and 



* In Sir Robert Sibbuld's time they were found in the Mers, 

 but I believe that they are now extinct in Scotland. 



The breed is now nearly extirpated, except on the downs of 

 Wiltshire, where it is also very scarce. En. 



V 



