THE GREAT BUSTARD. 



813 



and inner feathers with most of inner webs blackish-grey ; greater 

 coverts white, outer ones with blackish-grey mark at tip, innermost 

 tinged ash-grey ; median coverts and outermost lesser pale ash- 

 grey tipped white, innermost median and rest of lesser like upper- 

 parts but upper series of lesser more dusky (less jet-black) with 

 cinnamon tips ; downy bases of feathers and down pink. This 

 plumage is acquired by complete moult in late summer and early 

 autumn.* Summer. — A moult of the body -feathers takes place in 

 early spring (March). Like winter but chin and upper-throat 



The Great Bustard {Otis t. tarda). Male adult. Summer. 



whitish, shading from rufous-buff to chestnut (often with some ash- 

 grey) on upper-breast, feathers of which are long and of somewhat 

 loose structure and more or less spotted black at tips, moustachial 

 feathers white, much longer (120-150 mm.) than in winter and more 

 numerous, stiff and with rami widely separated. 



Adult female. Winter. — Like male but feathers of centre of 

 crown shorter and good many feathers of crown barred rufous and 

 black, moustachial feathers only very slightly elongated and rami 

 not widely separated ; primary-coverts considerably darker ; and 

 greater coverts marked (sometimes barred or mottled) greyish- 

 black ; inner secondaries more barred and mottled black, greyish - 

 black and cinnamon ; median coverts with considerable (but vary- 

 ing) amount of cinnamon and black-brown markings. Summer. — 

 Like winter but crown uniform ash-grey, moustachial feathers 

 rather longer, fore-neck tinged cinnamon-buff and often with a 

 little rufous. 



* The primaries sometimes appear to moult differently in each wing, but 

 I see no evidence for a number being dropped together as has been stated. — 

 H.F.W. 



