16 
Mr. J. D. D. La Touche on the 
ribis, 
or twice settle in its vicinity—as a rule, within easy range 
of the men's guns. The guns used are single-barrelled, and 
as the occupants of the pit are two in number one or 
two birds remain as the result of a successful shot. These 
are instantly deprived of the flight- and sometimes even of 
the tail-feathers, which are made up into bundles for sale 
to feather merchants, and the mutilated body is sent to 
market. The Chinwangtao market is stocked with Bustards 
in spring and autumn, and in winter many birds are brought 
from inland. The price varies according to size from $0.50 
to $4.00, the latter price being asked for birds which 
have perfect wings and tail ; otherwise a large mutilated 
bird may be had for a couple of dollars. Young birds are 
not bad eating, but old males are very rank in flavour. 
The Eastern Great Bustard takes at least three or 
perhaps four years to develop to its full size and plumage. 
Young males of the year have the head, neck, and breast 
of a somewhat darkish grey, the primaries are spotted at 
their extremity, Ihe side-rectrices are double-barred, and 
the weight varies from 6 to 10 lbs. In the following 
spring a short beard is assumed, but no other change takes 
place beyond the moulting of the primaries and secondaries. 
In the second spring (third year of the bird) the bird has 
a clear grey crown with an inconspicuous central dark 
stripe, a fair-sized beard, the neck and breast remain as 
in autumn (clear pale grey with a trace of lengthening 
and disintegrating of the fore-neck feathers). The wing- 
coverts have some of the immature markings, but the outer 
rectrices have the single subterminal black bar of the adult 
plumage. The male evidently assumes in the second 
autumn the clearer grey head, neck, and breast of the 
adult bird. 
The male when three or more years old has in spring the 
head, nape, and upper hind-neck of a very pale grey ; the 
dark coronal stripe has almost disappeared ; the chin, throat, 
and upper lower neck are white, tinged with buff on the 
neck. The beard is four or more inches long, and the 
feathers of the fore-neck are disintegrated and almost as 
