is entirely absent in the Konkan, below the Sahyadri Range,
and is scarcely ever seen within fifty miles to the east of the
Ghats. The further east one travels, the more Bustard are
seen, but they are very rare in both these zillas. During three
years spent in the eastern sub-divisions of Satara (Khatao,
Tasgaon, Khanapur) and the Jath State, I only saw five
Bustards. In Poona, in the Bhimthadi and Indapur subdivisions,
there are two or three localities in which Bustard are
found year after year.
" T h e name Maldok is applied in Poona and Satara, and
I believe throughout the Maratha country. In Satara, however,
it is frequently misapplied by natives, who have never seen
Bustard, to the white-necked Stork, Dissura episcopa."
Mr. Davidson writes :—" Although, from all accounts, in
greatly diminished numbers, the Great Indian Bustard is still
found throughout the British Deccan ; I have personally noticed
it in the Nagar, Poona, Sholapur and Satara Collectorates. It
is perhaps commoner in the south of the Poona district
than in any of the others, but it is even here yearly becoming
scarcer. In the western districts of Satara, it is already extremely
rare, and I only saw three there altogether, all at one time,
in the cold weather. In Poona and Sholapur, it is certainly
a permanent resident, that is to say, that at all seasons a few
may be found in parts of the Collectorate. I think, however,
that more breed in the district than are to be found there in
February or March, and that birds come in, in the beginning of
the rains, to breed and leave when their young are able to fly.
I have very seldom noticed Bustard in the black-soil villages,
and have found them almost entirely confined to high unculturable
land covered with short grass (and in the summer
nearly baked into the consistency of a rock), or among the
high grass preserves."
Mr. J. E. James says that this Bustard is a common and
permanent resident of Khandesh and Nasik, but is rarer in
Guzerat.
" It is chiefly found on high lying sterile plateaux, where
there is not too much cultivation. It lives chiefly on insects.
Frequently an old cock is to be seen, and that from a very long
distance, stalking majestically about alone. In the rains, he
usually has a harem of five to six hens with him, and solitary
hens are not often met with. Once I counted more than 30 in
a flock.
" Its name, ' Hum,' used throughout the districts above
referred to, is supposed to be derived from its booming cry.
When winged, it will defend itself vigorously, uttering the loud
and deep cry alluded to.
" The best way I know of shooting them is by stalking them
behind a country cart, which should be driven past them. They
take loose B B. shot or wire cartridges of the same, but I
have seen them driven overhead with success. The largest bag
I ever knew of was made near Mdlegaon, in the Nasik district,
when an officer came on a flock feeding in a field of Jowari,
which was above their heads. He walked them up and shot
eight of them as they rose, like so many Partridges."
From Sind, Mr. S. Doig writes :—
" The only district where I know personally of the occurrence
of this bird is the Thar and Parkar, where it is tolerably plentiful.
It is a permanent resident, and breeds in the " Thar " or
desert portion.
" It wanders occasionally in the cold weather to the plains
along the edge of the desert, sometimes going even as far as the
Indus.
" Its home, however, with us is the desert, among the sand hills.
When its food there gets scarce in the cold weather, especially
in a year when no rain has fallen, it visits the 'Jamba'
(oil-seed) fields, on the plains, coming down to them to feed in
the evenings, and returning to the sand hills in the morning.
When disturbed, it utters a peculiar sharp trumpeting note,
something between a hoot and a whistle.
" Besides stalking them (of which I need only say that, as the
birds generally choose some open plain in the sand hills, or out
in the flat, it is rarely possible to work within gnn-^aoY of them),
I have bagged them both by lying in wait for them and having
them driven. Of each method I may give an instance.
" I happened one day to discover a ' Jamba ' field in the middle
of an open plain, which was frequented by some Bustard. I
noticed that they always came there about three in the afternoon.
So one day I started off about two o'clock with a rug and a
book, and concealed myself in the field on the side by which
they usually approached.
". In the course of time, I observed the birds stalking down
the side of the sand hills, some half mile away. They approached
with extreme caution, trumpeting every now and then
to one another. When they were within a couple of hundred
yards, I stopped watching them, and laid myself flat on the
ground, holding the gun ready cocked in front. Soon they got to
the ' Jamba,' and I conclude began to feed, as I heard no more
noise, until suddenly I heard the sharp note of one close to me,
evidently having discovered me, so I jumped up and fortunately
secured a right and left. I cannot call this sport, but it was
interesting to watch the actions of the bird, and as one does not
always succeed, it is more or less exciting.
" One morning, while on the march, I spotted thirty-four
Bustard in one ' Jamba ' field, near the foot of the sand hills.
I looked round, fixed on the place in which to conceal myself,
hurriedly explained to the camel driver what to do, and,
as the camel passed my proposed hiding place, I dropped
off (without stopping the camel), and threw myself flat among