816 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Lines, (two), Glamorgan (one), and Ireland (two), or these may 

 have been genuine immigrants. Has occurred very rarely mainland 

 Scotland and once Orkneys (1886). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe from central Germany (formerly 

 France, Denmark and south Sweden) to Russia, Khirgiz Steppes 

 and W. Siberia, southwards to Spain and N. Marocco, Asia Minor ; 

 migrates to Persia. Exact limit eastwards uncertain, but in central 

 Asia (Turkestan) and eastern Asia, closely-allied forms replace 

 European race. Casual Belgium, Greece, Cyprus, Palestine. 



OTIS TETRAX 



474. Otis tetrax orientalis Hart. —THE EASTERN LITTLE 

 BUSTARD.* 



Otis tetrax orientalis Hartert, Nov. Zool., 1916, p. 339 (W. Siberia 

 to Germany, type Sarepta ; name ex Brehm nomen nudum 1866). 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Crown yellow-buff closely 

 and irregularly barred black, nape rather more streaked black ; 

 back of neck paler buff lightly speckled dusky ; mantle, scapulars, 

 back and upper -rump pale buff and yellow-buff with close and 

 irregular wavy black bars and varying number of feathers with 

 subterminal black blotches especially on mantle and scapulars ; 

 feathers of lower -rump as rest but ground-colour whiter ; upper 

 tail-coverts mostly white with a few broad black bars or spots, 

 under ones as lower -rump ; lores, over and under eyes, ear-coverts, 

 and sides of upper -neck and throat buff streaked black, centre of 

 throat with shorter, spot-like streaks ; lower-neck and throat with 

 narrow black bars rather widely spaced ; some feathers on sides of 

 breast buff with fine wavy black bars, chin, breast and belly white 

 with some buff tinge on chin and upper-breast ; lower flanks with 

 a few broad black bars or sjjots ; upper feathers of under tail- 

 coverts same, lower ones more barred and speckled ; tail : outer 

 feathers white with one to three widely spaced black bars, distal half 

 or more thickly vermiculated black but tip white, varying number 

 of inner feathers buff with more black bars and vermiculated nearly 

 to tip but white or whitish at base ; primaries : outer four dark 



* The only specimens of British taken Little Bustards that I have been 

 able so far to examine are three in the British Museum collection (2 Hamp- 

 shire, no date, 2 Plymouth, no date, Montagu coll., <$ Norfolk, no date) and 

 these are all of this form. It is quite possible that the Western Little Bustard, 

 Otis tetrax tetrax L. [Otis tetrax Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 154 (1758 — 

 " Europe, especially France," typical locality therefore France)] also occurs, 

 but until this is proved it cannot be admitted to the list. O. t. tetrax inhabits 

 Spain, Portugal, France to Marne, N.W. Africa (Marocco, Algeria, Tunisia), 

 casual Rhine, Belgium, Canary Is., Madeira. Both sexes in winter and summer 

 are like O. t. orientalis but the ground-colour of upper-parts and wing-coverts 

 is of a warmer, more sandy shade of buff, black vermiculationa are usually 

 rather finer and black marks usually less pronounced. Measurements are 

 rather smaller than O. t. orientalis, viz. o wing 237-248 mm., tail 90-100, 

 tarsus 65-70, bill 24-25 (7 measured). 2 wing 240-245.— H.F.W. 



