93 
And lastly, we come to the fifth order, comprising the true water 
birds. 
Order. Tribe. Family. 
5. Swimmers 
(Natatores) 
f Ducks—Anatidse 
| Divers—Colymbidas 
<{ Auks—Alcadae 
| Cormorants—Pelecanidas 
Gulls—Laridas 
Salisbury being an inland city it has been thought desirable to 
exhibit land birds chiefly. The marshy districts in our valleys, 
however, claim to send representatives of the waders, whilst 
stormy weather on the coast drives occasional examples of the 
natatores into our neighbourhood, as noticed in the accompanying 
catalogue. When additional room can be spared, it is, however, 
contemplated to include the water birds in the collection, and 
perhaps to place before the visitors to the Museum a complete 
series of the British birds. 
The Bustard is a bird of so much local interest that it has been 
thought desirable to give a brief sketch of its habits, and a few 
notices of its more recent appearance in this neighbourhood. 
The Great Bustard (Otis tarda) is the largest of British land 
birds, and in former years, having had its favourite haunts in our 
own neighbourhood, gives it the stronger claim to our attention; a 
full-grown male, in good condition, will weigh from twenty-five to 
twenty-eight pounds, and will measure forty-five inches in length ; 
the female is not so large, seldom exceeding thirty-six inches in 
length. The adult male is distinguished from the female in being 
furnished with a tuft or plume of feathers, about seven inches 
long, growing laterally from the chin, passing backwards and 
downwards on each side; it is also said to possess a remarkable 
anatomical peculiarity, which is a gular pouch or bag, between the 
under side of the tongue and the lower mandible of the bill, capable 
of holding several pints of water, which was supposed to exist in 
order to supply the bird with drink in dry places when distant 
from water; more recent observations, however, tend to prove that 
this theory is not borne out by facts. The bustard usually lays 
two eggs, they are about the size of those of a turkey, of a pale 
olive brown colour, with spots of a darker hue ; it makes its nest 
on the ground by scratching a hole in the earth ; its food consists 
chiefly of herbage and grain, it is particularly fond of green rye 
and barley, and devours the stalks as well as the ears ; it feeds also 
on insects, as well as on reptiles and the smaller mammalia. It is 
a very shy bird and difficult to approach, so much so, that sports¬ 
men frequently had recourse to stratagem in order to get within 
gun-shot; it is nevertheless excedingly bold and pugnacious, and 
has been known to attack even man; it is polygamous, the males 
separate from the females at the^period of incubation, but they 
assemble in flocks as the autumn approaches, and during severe 
