THE GEEAT BUSTARD. 
767 
excepting when very hard sat upon; in which case the 
all-powerful feeling of dawning maternal affection pre¬ 
vents such a catastrophe. If the first brood is destroyed, 
another attempt is made to rear a family, but if the 
season be too far advanced the pair remain childless 
for a time. The woolly chicks, speckled with brownish 
black, leave the nest after they have been dried and 
warmed by the mother for some little time, but remain 
very helpless for the first few days, after which they 
soon gather strength, and manage to run pretty well. 
The affection of the mother for her young is tender in 
the extreme, and she, usually so shy and wary, is now 
ready to risk her life, if necessary, in the defence of her 
beloved offspring. Like the Partridge, or the Peewit, she 
will feign lameness, so as to lure the intruder from the 
neighbourhood of the young ones, which latter, if the 
ruse be successful, soon manage to find a safe hiding- 
place for themselves. Further and further flutters the 
mother, when all of a sudden she takes wing, returning 
after a time to her young, who, thanks to their colour, 
have managed to elude the sharp glance of the enemy. 
After the young have been hatched about a fortnight, the 
male undertakes the leadership of the family, which is 
now doubly cared for. At first the chicks feed almost 
exclusively on insects, such as small beetles, grass¬ 
hoppers, larvae, &c. The mother seeks out the food for 
them, and may sometimes be seen scratching in search 
of the same. Ants’ eggs also form an important item in 
the menu. After a short time the young learn to feed 
themselves, and then they soon begin to graze like the 
old birds. They soon lose their coat of down: at the 
third week feathers begin to appear, and by the fourth 
they are able to fly, or at least to flutter; as soon as this 
