﻿Female. 



BUSTARD. 797 



afh-coloui'ed : the back tranfverfely barred with black and bright 

 ruft-colour : quills black: belly white : tail barred with red and 

 black, and coniifts of twenty feathers : the legs dufky. 



The female is about half the fize of the male : the crown of a 

 deep orange, crofled with tranfverfe black lines ; the reft of the 

 head brown : the lower part of the neck before afh-coloured ; in 

 other refpefts like the male ; but the colour of the back and; 

 wings is more dull. 



The male differs alfo from the female, in having a tuft of fea- 

 thers, about five inches long, on each fide of the lower mandible ;. 

 befides which, it is furnifhed with apouch capable of containing 

 near feven quarts of water, fituated on the fore part of the neck, 

 the entrance being immediately under the tongue. This is of ufe- 

 while the female is fitting, which is generally at a diftance from 

 water j or for the young, till they can move from the neft. A fur- 

 ther ufe of it has alfo been obferved at Morocco, where they fly 

 the Hawk at the Buftard; for on the attack of the Hawk, it has 

 been known that the Buftard has made ufe of this refervoir of wai- 

 ter to fpirt out againft the afTailant, who, not uncommonly, is by 

 this means baffled in the purfuit *. 



The Buftard is, I believe, confined to the old continent. We Place and 

 do not hear of it farther to the fouth than Greece or Syria ; and to Manners, 

 the north, Sweden and Ruffia. In fome of the intermediate places 

 in great plenty, in others exceedingly fcarce,. efpecially in parts 

 well inhabited ; this bird, from timidity, avoiding all commerce 

 with mankind ; and more fo, fince the moft defpicable dog 

 will drive whole herds of them away. In England they are now 



* Barring. Mifc. p. 553. 



and 



