mmi 



( 42 ) 



ORD. V. GENUS IV. BUSTARD. 



Bill, a little convex. 



Nostrils, open, oblong. 



Tongue, Hoping on each fide near the end, and pointed. 



Legs, long, and naked above the knees. 



Toes, only three; no back toe. 



SPECIES I. GREAT BUSTARD. 



PL 140. 



Otis tarda. Lin. Syfi. I. p. 264. 

 L'Outarde. Brif. Orn. V. p. 1 8. 



This bird is the largeft of our land fowl, being four feet in length, nearly 

 nine in extent of wing, and frequently weighing twenty-five pounds. In the 

 male the head is afh coloured : the upper part of the neck the fame ; the low- 

 er, ruft coloured : a tuft of feathers about five inches long fprings from each 

 fide of the mandible: the back and fhoulders are barred with black and bright 

 ruft colour alternately : the belly is white : the quills black : the greater wing 

 coverts afh colour : the tail barred red and black : the legs dufky. In the 

 fore part of the neck is a dilatable bag, capable of containing feven quarts of 

 liquid, and having an entrance immediately under the tongue. In this recep- 

 tacle the male is faid to bring water to the female while fitting. 



The female is fcarcely more than half the fize of the male. In her the 

 crown is orange croffed with lines of black : the reft of the head brown : the 

 lower part of the neck before afh coloured: in other markings fhe refembles 

 the male, except that they are more dull. 



Thefe are fhy birds, frequenting only the wide open plains, more efpecially 

 that of Salifbury in Wiltfhire, where they are feen in flocks, and run exceeding- 

 ly faft. The female makes no neft, but lays her eggs in a hollow in the 

 ground, generally two in number: fee PI. XXXII. Fig. 1. 



