Birds, 



5987 



July 1. One specimen, quite fresh. 



August 12. One specimen, also quite newly laid. 



Those brought me on the 28th of April are smaller than any of the 

 rest, with the exception of that which was addled. The eggs in my 

 possession differ very considerably both in the ground-colour and in 

 the number and shade of the secondary markings, the spots on the 

 two brought to me in April being much deeper in hue and more 

 clearly developed than in any other specimens which I have ex- 

 amined. The finding of the eggs was in most instances, as it were, 

 accidental, for the parties in search of them were compelled to limit 

 their efforts to walking over the ground which they knew by experi- 

 ence was likely to reward them, and keeping a sharp look out for the 

 eggSj for in scarcely any instance is a nest formed, and this at most 

 consists of a little straw, or occasionally a few feathers, carelessly laid 

 together in a slight depression of the earth. On several occasions, 

 however, the object was gained by previously taking a careful survey, 

 with a good telescope, of the ground about to be tried : by this 

 means, more than once, the head and neck of the hen bird were ob- 

 served as she sat on her eggs ; and although, long before the party 

 could arrive at the spot thus discovered, the bird took the alarm and 

 escaped, yet the plan was found much better than could have been 

 expected. 



The great bustard is, in the district I have above mentioned, by no 

 means a scarce bird, although, from the few opportunities which occur 

 of getting a view of it, it is considered to be rarer than is really the 

 case. Had I been able last year to have aided in person in the 

 search, I have no doubt that the number of eggs obtained might have 

 been more than doubled : I heard of numerous specimens being taken 

 by persons who, like myself, are enthusiastic egg- collectors. 



The number of eggs laid is either one, two or three ; the second 

 number most usually, and one more frequently than three. 



The young are enabled to run with speed soon after their exclusion 

 from the egg, and it is at this time that persons desirous of obtaining 

 the birds for their aviaries or poultry yards endeavour to secure them. 

 If taken whilst chicks their domestication is a matter of very little 

 difficulty: they feed greedily on chopped meat, and become so tame 

 as to answer their owner's call and feed readily from his hand, — the 

 more singular from the fact of their being in the wild state the shyest 

 of all birds: the attempt to hatch and rear them from the egg is at 

 best a troublesome and disappointing undertaking, as scarcely one in 

 twelve is successfully brought up. 



