OTIS AUS TRALA S IAN US, Gould.
Australian Bustard.
Otis Australasians, GtJuTd^in. Prt>c. of ZooL^jo^ Part VIII. p, 176.
Be-bil-ya, A.bopgmes-^^Ppstem Australia.
Turkey, Qologigt^f New South-'Wales.
Native Turkey, Colonists of Swan River.
It ^ a rpmarkable circumstance, that the vast collections of birds that have been transmitted from Australia
JJ/fpiEurope during the last fifty years should hot have comprised examples of so noble and interesting a bird
as the present, and that no achhuM. shoid^ (have reached» us respecting the existence of so fine a Bustard.
4 single?spec&ei^h,ah>^ * % u ^ ^ a ^ ^ ^ ^ formed parf of^thecollection of the Linnean Society, but
nothing whatever was laio^m. its 'history, and it was not until I personally visited the terra Australis
that I ascertained ^^^pthh present species was one o f the most abundant, and one of the most widely and
generally dispersed of the larger birds inhabiting that country. Extensive grassy plains and open wastes in
all countries of the Old World afford a suitable asylum for Bustards ; hence it might have been naturally
concluded think somewhat surprising
that other species ioflthlsfamilv have not been discovered,. Most probably, however, the interior, whenever
jj^^^^feiny eitfea ted^will afford additional examples.
In size this species exceeds, the European- Bustard (Otis Tarda), standing higher upon jtlflegs and having
a longer neck; and when seen at fke^dom|^^^^ stalking over its native plains, no Australian bird, except
the Emu, i^ sMuiaijesli*, or assumes in its carriage so great an air of independence. The male, whose weight
sixteen pounds, considerafelme ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ M ^ ^ ^ j|>M [^ from the greater length of
^ R p ^ M n ^ of the neck I -
opinion thatM| | iM i^ :elv-a summer visitant to all the southern parts of Australia, but to de-
termilocC iM point requires, a longer residence in ^ th^halm^of;mY visit permitted. Ifrer
quently encountered and killed it both on fhe plains of the Lower Namoi and also ir^South Australia, and
Mr. 'Gilbert met with it ;i^|^ste^n Australia. Specimens from Swan River present no material differences
fro'm those from the ea§b ,coa||^ Within the precincts of the colony of New South Wales, as might be
expected, a^l)^^|;§^l§fcg^a size is much persecuted, and has consequently become very shy, but it is still
abundant there: the two specimens from which my figures were taken were shot in/a paddock^^j^nmgfMr.
Coxen’s House at Yarrundi on the,-. Upper Hunter; I also m.etwith it upon several occasions on the downs
near Scone, the flats in the neighbburhoodlo£>Aberdeen. aqd other similar situations. On the plains of the;
interior, on the contrary, whene it is muehinore abundant, and, being free from the. assaults of civilized man,
much less' wary, I have .killed it with small shot fronIqgyf d o u b l e - b a r r e l l e d * m getting
snilcinntly near, however, it is necesary to bring, in the aid of a horse, and to approach in circles, gradually
rfosfiip lit upon it, before it takes winglp^hich i f readily does by running- qhfekly a few yards, thereby
gaining an impetus which enables it t o f i l ^ p l t flies heavily, with Im mig neck stretched out to the utmost;
hut it is capable^of for | considerable ils | I ic | r As an article o f foodcits flesh is delicate
and ^well-flavoured, and in every respect equals that of its welhknowm pcoto^pe/of Europe.
Its food consists pfseeds, vegetables;egrasses, insects, & c.
It breeds in the latter part of September; the situation chosep fpr the purpose being a clear spot in a
valley, or on the side of a grassy h ill: the eggs are usually deposited pn the bare grpund; occasionally,
however^ a few sticks are spread for tMj&to^lie, upon. They^arc' two in number* three inches long by two
inCheS'and two lines broadj and arc offm olive colour, stained with longitudinal dashes of brown.
repP lp iS o f the head a n (^H ^ iL b la ck ; vsides of thehead, the neejk andChreast greyish white, each feather
crossed by numerquiiflue zigzag hands o f brqwn,* giving thoseparts^a freckled appearance | wing-coverts
black, largely tipped with white; all the . .u ip e fw f c f wings and upper tail-coverts b fn% " y ^ y minutely
freckled with reddisli fp>yp| .sgme q f^ e feathers towards the hinder parts of the body tinged with g re y ;
tail grey, crossed near the centre by an interrupted ban^^pwhltfe^^mutely freckled with white, margined
with brown, and slightly tipped with white.;LJchest crossed, by an irregular h a ^ B black, beyond which the
under surface is white • under tail-coverts greyish black tipped with white; irides greenish white; eyelash
pale olive-yellow; bill straw-white, with olive and black culmen ; legs and feet straw-yellow. .
The figures are about half the naturalize.'**