370 
Mr. W. H. Simpson’s Fortnight 
!*Jo 
su 
perhaps a few stray Terns and Gulls, on their way to the marshes. 
Often too the Ruddy Shelduck may be seen, watching its op¬ 
portunity for popping unnoticed into its hole in a mound or 
tumulus. Presently some Bustards are descried on the opposite 
slopes, and away we gallop towards them. It may so happen 
that they take the alarm and fly before we are within a quarter 
of a mile. The Great Bustard almost invariably does; but the 
Little Bustard, besides being more plentiful, is less wary, and 
often takes no notice of the araba. Arrived within 200 yards, 
we commence tc great circle sailing,” gradually shortening the 
distance, though, to the flock, we seem ever going away from 
them. The pace is now a good trot, and the great thing is to 
pull up dead when about 40 yards off, firing the instant the 
birds rise, which they are pretty sure to do as soon as the ma¬ 
chine stops. We found by experience that 40 yards was about 
as close “ shaving” as the birds would stand; and at that distance 
it was not always a kill, especially if the horses were not per¬ 
fectly quiet. If a bird was hit, but not brought down, we gal¬ 
loped after him at full speed, when, finding he could not get 
away from us, he would often crouch, and under these circum¬ 
stances it was very difficult to find him. We used to get down 
from the araba and almost walk over them before they would 
get up. They are slow risers generally, but when once fairly 
on the wing, go at a slashing pace. On getting up, the Little 
Bustard makes an odd rattling noise, very similar to that pro¬ 
duced by a bird-scarer, such as is used in gardens. In this 
description of sport only one person can shoot at a time; but, 
in fact, there is as much fun to be had, aud more skill to be dis¬ 
played, in managing the horses so as to place the araba in a 
favourable position, than in shooting the game. Our best bag 
in one day was seven brace, of which number eleven birds were 
males in splendid plumage. The flesh is dark, and at this sea¬ 
son rather strong, but in a hungry country like the Dobrudscha 
one is not apt to be particular. 
Those portions of the country towards the west which are 
skirted by the Danube are most abundant in species, and in 
birds usually accounted rare, that is to say, but seldom met with 
in Western Europe. The same treeless character prevails here 
