The bustard (according to Plutarch) was found in Libya, in the environs of Alexandria, in Syria, in Greece, in Spain, in France, in the plains of Poitou and Champagne; they are now and then seen in England, on the extensive downs of Salisbury Plain, in the heaths of Sussex and Cambridgeshire, the Dorsetshire uplands, and as far as East Lothian, in Scotland. In those extensive plains, where there are no woods to screen the sportsman, nor hedges to creep along, the bustards enjoy an indolent security. Their food

is composed of the berries that grow among the heath, and the large earthworms that appear in great quantities on the downs before sunrising in summer. They also eat green corn, the tops of turnips, and other vegetables; and have even been known to devour frogs, mice, and young birds. It is in vain that the fowler creeps forward to approach them; they have always sentinels placed at proper eminences, which are ever on the watch, and warn the flock of the smallest appearance of danger. All therefore that

is left the sportsman, is the comfortless view of their distant security. He may wish, but they are in safety.

It sometimes happens that these birds, though they are seldom shot by the gun, are run down by greyhounds. As they are voracious and greedy, they often sacrifice their safety to their appetite, and feed themselves so very fat, that they are unable to fly without great preparation. When the greyhound, therefore, comes within a certain distance, the bustard runs off, flapping its wings, and endeavoring to gather air enough under them to rise; in the mean time the enemy approaches nearer, till it is too late for the bird even to think of obtaining safety by flight; for just at the rise there is always time lost, and of this the bird is sensible; it continues, therefore, on the foot until it is taken.

As there are few places where they can at once find proper food and security, so they generally continue near their old haunts, seldom wandering above twenty or thirty miles from home. As their food is replete with moisture, it enables them to live upon these dry plains, where there are scarcely any springs of water, a long time without drinking. Besides this, nature has given the males an admirable magazine for their security against thirst. This is a pouch, the entrance of which lies immediately under the tongue, and capable of holding near seven quarts of water. This is probably filled upon proper occasions, to supply the hen when sitting, or the young before they can fly. The bustard also makes use of its reservoir to defend itself against birds of prey; which it effects by ejecting the water with such violence as often to arrest the progress of its enemy.

They form no nest, but only scrape a hole in the earth, and sometimes line it with a little long grass or straw. They lay two eggs only, almost of the size of a goose egg, of a pale olive brown, marked with spots of a darker color. They hatch for about thirty days, and the young ones run about as soon as they are out of the shell.

It is said that when the persecuted mother is apprehensive of the hunters, and is disturbed from her nest, she takes her eggs under her wing, and transports them to a place of safety. The fact is, however, that following the instinct of all other birds of this kind, they generally make their nests in the corn, where they are almost certain of remaining undisturbed.

The bustard is not known in America. Besides the delicacy of their flesh, the quills are valuable, as they make excellent pens, but they are still more esteemed by anglers, who use them as floats; for, as they are spotted with black, the notion is, that these black spots appear as flies to the fish, which they rather allure than drive away by their appearance.

THE LITTLE BUSTARDI

DIFFERS only from the preceding in being of a smaller size, being not larger than a pheasant, or about seventeen inches in length. This species is found in many parts of Europe. It is, however, by no means common in France, and has only been met with three or four times in England.

ORDER XIII.-GRALLATORES.

BIRDS of this order have the bill of various forms, but most frequently straight, in the form of an elongated cone, and compressed, more rarely depressed or flat; legs slender, long, more or less naked above the knee, three toes before and one behind, the posterior one jointed at the level of those before, or more elevated. These birds frequent the margin of the sea, or the banks of lakes and rivers, feeding on fish, worms, or insects. They are almost all semi-nocturnal.

THE LONG-LEGGED PLOVER.2

THIS singular bird, we might perhaps justly say, most singular of birds, inhabits the south of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, but very rarely visits England. Chance alone seems to drive it to that country. It has a slender, black bill, two inches and a half in length; the irides are red; the forehead, round the eye, and all the under parts, are white; the back, the crown of the head, and the wings, are glossy black; the hind part of the neck is marked with dusky spots; the rump is white; the tail the same, inclining to gray; the outer feathers are quite white, the legs red; and the outer and middle toes connected at the base.

1 Otis tetrax, LIN.

2 Himantopus melanopterus, MEYER. The genus Himantopus has the bill long, slender, cylindrical, flattened at the base, compressed at the point; mandibles laterally channelled to the half of their length; nostrils lateral, linear, long; legs very long and slender, with three toes before, of which the intermediate is united to the outer by a broad membrane, and to the inner by a rudimentary one; claws very small and flat; wings very long; the first feathers much longer than the others.

But the circumstance which makes this bird differ from all others, is the astonishing and seemingly preposterous length of its legs. Mr White has given a very pleasing description of this natural curiosity.

"These birds might with propriety be called the stilt plovers. My specimen, when drawn and stuffed with pepper, weighed only four ounces and a quarter, though the naked part of the thigh measured three inches and a half. Hence we may safely assert, that these birds exhibit weight for inches, and have incomparably the greatest length of legs of any known bird. The flamingo, for instance, is one of the most long-legged birds, and yet it bears no manner of proportion to the himantopus, as this bird is denominated by naturalists; for a cock flamingo weighs, at an average, about four pounds avoirdupois; and his legs and thighs measure usually about twenty inches. But four pounds are fifteen and a fraction times more than four ounces and a quarter; and if four ounces and a quarter have eight inches of legs, four pounds must have one hundred and twenty inches and a fraction of legs, or somewhat more than ten feet; such a monstrous disproportion as the world never saw. If we try the experiment in still larger birds, the disparity will increase.

"It must be matter of great curiosity to see the stilt plover move; to observe how it can wield such a length of lever with such feeble muscles as the thighs seem to be furnished with. At best, one would expect it to be a bad walker; but what adds to the wonder is, that it has no back toe."

THE GOLDEN PLOVER.1

THE golden, or green plover, is a well known bird, and is found in small flocks, in the winter time, on all our moors, heaths, &c., where it feeds chiefly on worms. It is remarkable for the whole of its plumage being elegantly variegated with a fine, yellowish green. From its spots somewhat resem. bling those of a leopard, the ancients called it pardalis. It may be enticed within gunshot, by a skilful imitator of their voice, and is esteemed as a delicacy. It is eleven inches in length, weighs nine ounces, and is found in France, Switzerland, Italy, and most parts of England.

1 Charadrius pluvialis, LIN. The genus Charadrius has the bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed; mandibles gibbous toward the tip; nostrils longitu dinally cleft in the large membrane which covers the nasal furrow; legs slender, with three toes before, the outer connected with the middle one by a short membrane, and the inner divided; tail slightly rounded or even; wings middle sized; the second quill feather longest.

The bill is shorter

Is about ten inches in length, and weighs four ounces. than that of the majority of this genus, being only an inch long. The head is black, spotted with white, and a white stroke runs over each eye, meeting behind. The upper parts of the plumage are grayish brown, margined with a dull, deep yellow. The breast is a dull orange, and across it is a streak of white, margined above with black. The colors of the female are less vivid. It is esteemed a very foolish bird; and was believed to mimic the actions of the fowler, to stretch out a wing when he stretched out an arm, &c., regardless of the net which was spreading for it. They appear in England in small flocks, from April to September.

THE RINGED PLOVER.2

THE ringed plover is seven inches and a half long, though it weighs but two ounces; the bill is half an inch long, and from it to the eyes runs a black line. The upper part of the neck is encircled with a white collar, the lower part with a black one. The back and wings are light brown, the breast and belly are white, the legs yellow. They frequent the shores of England in summer, and are sometimes known by the name of the sea lark. They are also common in America.

THE LAPWING.3

THE lapwing, or bastard plover, is about the size of a common pigeon, and is covered with very thick plumes, which are black at the roots, but of diffe

1 Charadrius morinellus, LIN.

Charadrius hiaticula, LIN.

3 Vanellus cristatus, MEYER. The genus Vanellus has the bill short, slender, straight, compressed, tip gibbous; nostrils lateral, longitudinally cleft; legs slender, with three toes before and one behind; the middle one connected with the outer by a short membrane, and the hinder one almost obliterated, or very short, not touching the ground; wings elongated.