mac queen's bustard. 819 



Breeding-habits. — A bird of the grassy steppes. Nest. — Slight, of 

 grasses, etc., in hollow on ground among rank grass or weeds. 

 Eggs. — 3-4, occasionally 5, normally brownish-olive, but ranging 

 from pale bluish -green to reddish-brown, with high gloss. Average 

 of 58 eggs, 51.74x38.48. Max. : 57.7x35.2 and 51.1 X 41.6. Min. : 

 46.5 X 35.8 and 57.7 X 35.2 mm. Breeding-season. — From beginning 

 of May onward. Incubation. — By female. Period (observed in 

 confinement 20-21 days in Western race). 



Food. — Mainly vegetable matter : in England turnip-tops, clover, 

 grass and various plants (hawkweed, dandelion, lungwort, etc.) ; 

 also insects, including coleoptera (Melolontha vulgaris, Pterostichus 

 niger, Otiorhynchus notatus, Carabus, etc.), also orthoptera (grass- 

 hoppers and earwigs). Naumann says that worms, snails, small 

 frogs, and mice are also eaten. 



Distribution. — England. — Occurrences fairly numerous Yorks., 

 Norfolk and Suffolk, also Cornwall, but less so southern counties 

 England, and only very occasional elsewhere. Scotland. — Five. 

 Forfar, Fife, Elgin (two) and Kincardine. Ireland. — Nine. Kerry, 

 Cork (two), Wicklow (two), Longford, Mayo (two), Clare. Usually 

 in winter, occasionallv spring, e.g. Suffolk, May 3, 1898, Derby, 

 May 14, 1901. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — W. Siberia, Turkestan, Afghanistan, 

 Russian Steppes, Rumania and Danube valley to Austria, and 

 apparently Poland and E. Germany, to W. Prussia and Thuringia, 

 Northern birds migratory, wintering Mesopotamia, Syria, N.W. 

 India, Asia Minor, Cyprus, Egypt, casual Baltic Republics, Scan- 

 dinavia, Finland, Denmark, western Germany. 



Genus CHLAMYDOTIS Less.* 



Chlamydotis Lesson, Rev. Zool., 1839, p. 47 (Monotype : " Otis houbara" 

 = Chfamydoti8 undulata). 



Differs at first glance from other Bustards in its long pendant 

 crest of narrow feathers and long frill or ruff along sides of neck, 

 in both sexes. Sexes not obviously different except in size. Only 

 one species in three distinct subspecies, inhabiting great desert belt 

 from Fuertaventura to Indian desert. 



CHLAMYDOTIS UNDULATA 



475- Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii (Gray & Hardw.) — MAC- 

 QUEEN'S BUSTARD. 



Otis Macqueenii Gray and. Hardwicke, Illustr. Ind. Zool., n, pi. 47 



(1834— India). 



Otis macqueeni J. E. Gray, Yarrell, nr, p. 221 ; Saunders, p. 527. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Fore-head and sides of crown 

 sandy-buff finely vermiculated black ; centre of crown white, 



* Houbara Bonaparte, 1832, is a nomen nudum and cannot be used, 



