366 BUSTARD. 



back, wings, and tail, mottled and barred with a net work of the 

 finest lines of black and brown, in the manner of the last species : 

 greater wing coverts white; on the hindhead four pairs of capillary, 

 black feathers, each pair of different lengths, and dilating at the 

 ends into a lance-shaped tuft ; the longest pair four inches, the 

 shortest scarcely rising in sight ; tail rounded at the end ; legs strong, 

 pale yellow ; toes divided to their origin. 



The female is nineteen inches in length ; head and neck cream- 

 colour; sides of the head nearly plain; crown marked with brown 

 streaks; the rest of the neck marbled, and streaked with brown; 

 back beautifully marbled with clay-colour and brown ; the feathers 

 margined with pale cream-colour ; and as they fall over each other, 

 appear chequered, or lozenge-shaped; wing coverts black; scapulars, 

 and part of the greater ones, white ; belly and legs black ; tail as in 

 the male, but paler. 



Inhabits India, called Leek, or Chulla Churj. In some drawings 

 I observe the white on the ears to be less conspicuous; tail crossed 

 with four or five bars of black ; the wings at the inner bend, and 

 scapulars, mixed with much white, the rest of the coverts dusky 

 black ; quills mottled clay-colour, barred with black. 



It appears from an account sent to Lady Clive, that it is called 

 Nehla Nemalia, and that it lives in the Circah Jungle; is the Ground 

 Peacock of the Gentoos, and feeds on insects ; by some called 

 the Passarage Plover.* In some parts of India known by the name 

 of Oorail, and by some of the English, Flercher : is greatly esteemed 

 for the table, and much sought after: the flesh of the breast is partly 

 white, partly brown, and is accounted a great delicacy. It is not 

 uncommon, but being a shy bird, very few are taken. 



Among General Hardwicke's drawings is the figure of one as 

 large as life, and measuring in length eighteen inches. This had 

 the head greatly blotched with black ; ears buff-colour; neck wholly 



* Lady Impey. 



