MR. E. J. H. ELDRED ON THE GREAT BUSTARD. 729 
on out entering the run without some dainty they expect, 
they will often vent their displeasure by pecking our clothing. 
They were really quite tame when received showing that great 
cate must have been bestowed in bringing them up. One 
cannot help feeling regret and surprise that no systematic 
eftoit seems to have been made, in the countries where they 
are still plentiful, to domesticate them, at anv rate I am not 
aware of any such effort on record. 
1 he birds being young, hatched the preceding spring, we 
could not with certainty discriminate the sexes but judged 
them to be male and two females, which surmise proved correct 
the larger bird showing the moustachial plumes towards the 
close of the year and by the end of January they had grow n 
to a length of about il inches ; these he lost about the middle 
of June and the new ones were just perceptible towards the 
end of November. 
1 he wings of all had been clipped very close, but the cut 
feathers were replaced about the end of May, the tail feathers 
mere much abraided, but new feathers with white tips began 
to replace these in the spring, the crown of the head began to 
show some chestnut colour in June ; moulting continued quite 
into the summer and to the end of August quantities of small 
feathers were cast. 
I have not noticed any very marked change in the general 
plumage except the tail, but I fear I am not a good observer 
in the matter. Unfortunately owing to some defect or injury, 
I think in the carpal joint, the male bird does not up to the 
present retain the large primary feathers of the left wing, 
these fall and show signs of weakness in the shaft, but it does 
not, I am glad to say, apparently affect his general health. 
Bustards are silent birds, but on occasion emit a sort of 
hoarse grunt and hiss when offended, or to show their dis- 
pleasure. they make a low whining or plaintive mew when 
alarmed or unsettled, more particularly at nightfall, sometimes 
towards evening they are very restless, pacing up and down 
their enclosures, and seem inclined to rise in flight, but 
compose themselves when shut up in their house for the night. 
They take little or no notice of Rooks. Wood Pigeons or 
