Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/492

 486 BUSTARD BUTCHER BIRD quenting the barren heaths of Brittany and those singular tracts known as the landes. The flesh of the bustards, of both species, is excel- lent, superior, it is said, to that of the turkey ; Little Bustard (Otis tetrax). and it is singular that no attempt seems to have been made to domesticate them. They are mentioned by Xenophon in his Anabasis as abundant on the sage plains of Mesopotamia, and are regular autumnal visitants of northern Greece, where they are confounded with the wild turkey. There are four other species of bustards which are less known. The black- headed bustard (0. nigriceps), an Asiatic spe- cies, inhabits the highlands of the Himalaya, and also the open Mahratta country, where it lives in large flocks, and is regarded as one of Australian Bustard (Otis Australasiana). the greatest delicacies as an article of food. It is nearly 70 inches long, and its colors above are pale bay undulated with rufous brown. Its head, as its name indicates, is black; its neck, belly, and under parts white, with the exception of a black patch on the breast. The O, ctxrulescens of Africa was discovered by Le Vaillant in the interior of the Caftre country, S. Africa, and in some parts of Cape Colony. It appears to have no name in the vernacular. Its coloring, like that of the other species, its con- geners, is reddish brown above, with the under parts of a pale bluish gray. The kori bustard, discovered by Burchell on the banks of the Orange river, is about 5 ft. in height, and but 7 in extent from wing to wing, while its plu- mage is said to be so thick as to be proof against anything short of a rifle ball. Little is known of its character or habits. The 0. Denhami, discovered by Major Denham in central Africa, is another large species, not less than 3 ft. 9 in. in height. It is found in the grassy districts immediately south of the great desert, in the re- gions of Lake Tchad. It is not numerous, and is always found in company with gazelles, like which it is famous for the brilliancy of its eyes. The Australian bustard (0. Australasiana) is larger than the European, higher on the legs, and with longer neck ; the male weighs 13 to 16 Ibs., and is a majestic-looking bird. It has a large pouch on the front of the neck, which may be inflated so as nearly to touch the ground. This development is peculiar to the breeding season, and is connected with the vocal organs, then abnormally exercised. The colors and habits are as in other bustards. BUTCHER BIRD, a name applied to the great shrike, belonging to the order passeres, tribe dentirostres, and family laniida. The best known genus of the family is lanius (Linn.), characterized by a moderately long and strong bill, with the culmen curved and tip hooked and emarginate ; tarsus short and strong ; toes long and robust, the outer the longest; hind toe long and broadly padded ; claws curved and sharp. There are more than 30 species de- scribed in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, of which the butcher bird (L. [collyrio] liorealis, Baird), or great American shrike, is a celebra- ted one. The length of this bird is 10| inches, the extent of wings 14, of the bill along the back three fourths of an inch. The plumage is soft and blended ; long bristles at the base of the bill ; wings of ordinary length, 4th quill the longest ; tail long, straight, graduated, of 12 rounded feathers ; loral space, behind the eye, wings and tail, brownish black; iris hazel; upper parts light ash-gray, tinged with pale blue; a white streak over eye; lower parts grayish white, tinged with brown on the fore part of breast, and with faint, undulating, dusky bars; base of the primaries white, the secondaries and their coverts tipped with the same ; in the female the head and hind neck are tinged with brown, and the lower part hao more numerous bars. It is common in the middle and northern states for the greater part of the year, retiring northward to breed ; ac- cording to Andubon, it is not found along the coast of the southern states, C. Ludovicianuz