THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

371

 

s the largest land bird in England.

It is larger than the turkey. This

bird was once very numerous there,

but at present it is very rarely found.

One reason, perhaps, why there are so few
of them seen now, is owing to the delicacy
of their flesh. They are very highly val-
ued on this account. Their usual custom
is to confine themselves within the circuit
of an extensive barren plain. This they
do to avoid the hunter. Having sentinels
continually looking out for danger, the
moment an enemy is discovered, notice is
given to the company, and they instantly
take to flight. It is in vain that the cun-
ning hunter creeps cautiously and stealth-
ily along toward them without making
any noise. They are too wide awake to
allow the enemy ‘to approach near enough

 

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The Bustard |

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to hit them with the contents of a fowl-
ing-piece. They are sometimes run down
by greyhounds, however. When , they
have been eating too much, so that they
cannot move as rapidly as they otherwise
could, the greyhound succeeds in tiring
them out and capturing them. The bus-
tard runs off when he sees the dog, and
flaps his wings, so as to gather air enough
under them to enable him to rise. In
the mean time, the enemy approaches
nearer and nearer, till it is too late for the
bird to think of obtaining safety by flight;
for, just as he begins to rise in the air, as
the bird himself very well ‘knows, there
is always a loss of time. “He'is obliged
to continue on foot, and so he is taken.
Bustards are not as numerous in England.

_as they formerly were.