tone of plumage, this bird resembles the Great Bustard ; 

 but it is a more strictly southern species, and is less 

 exclusively addicted to absolutely level stretches of 

 country than that bird during the summer months ; 

 at that season undulating pasture-lands, or fields of 

 growing corn, especially in the neighbourhood of water, 

 are its favourite abode, and in Spain, wherever such 

 combination of circumstance is met with to the south of 

 the central mountain-ranges, the Little Bustard is pretty 

 certain to be found from April to August in pairs or 

 small family-parties. On the approach of winter these 

 birds congregate in large flocks, and I think that in 

 Spain a very considerable local migration to the south- 

 ward takes place from the high central plateaux to the 

 sunny plains of Andalucia. At all events very large 

 numbers of this species are to be found flocked on these 

 plains during the colder months, frequenting the fallows, 

 stubbles, and drier marsh-lands. In the courting- 

 season, April and early May, the male often betrays his 

 presence by a very peculiar cry, that Colonel Irby aptly 

 describes as easily imitable " by pouting out and pressing 

 the lips tightly together and then blowing through 

 them ; " he adds, " the birds when thus calling seem to 

 be close to you, but are often in reality half a mile off." 

 This exactly agrees with my own experience. At the 

 season to which I am referring, the male constantly 

 springs two or three feet from the ground, with dilated 

 throat, and wings partially extended, and, in fact, goes 

 through a sort of " show " more or less common amongst 

 birds of this Order. 



In the winter I have found this species very wary and 



