Ciafs II. BUSTARD. ^j^ 



The female is about half the fize of the male : 

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

 verfed with black lines ; the reft of the head is 

 brown. The lower part of the forefide of the neck 

 is afli-colored : in other refpeds it refembles the 

 male, only the colors of the back and wings are far 

 more dull. 



Thefe birds inhabit mod of the open countries 

 of the fouth and eaft parts of this ifland, from 

 Dorfetjhirej as far as Merch and Lothian in Scotland *. 

 They are exceeding fliy, and difficult to be fhot j 

 run very fad, and when on the wing can fly, 

 though fiowly, many miles without refting. It 

 is faid that they take flight with difficulty, and 

 are fometimes run down with grehounds. They 

 keep near their old haunts, feldom wandering 

 above twenty or thirty miles. Their food is corn 

 and other vegetables, and thofe large earth-worms 

 that appear in great quantities on the Downs^ before 

 fun-rifing in the fummer. Thefe are replete with 

 moifture, anfwer the purpofe of liquids, and enable 

 them to live long without drinking on thofe exten- 

 five and dry t'rafts. Befides this, nature hath given 

 the males an admirable magazine for their fecurity 

 againft drought, being a pouch -f-, whofe entrance 

 lies immediately under the tongue, and which is ca- 

 pable of holding near feven quarts ; and this they 

 probably fill with water, to fupply the hen when 



* Sih.Scot. 1 6. 



t The world is obliged to the late Dr. Douglas for this dif- 

 covery j and to Mr, Edwards for communicatirg it. 



fitting 



