and though there is reason to believe that in one form or another it is more or less common to several exotic species of the family Otididce, it would seem to be as inconstant in its occurrence as in its capacity. As might be expected, this remarkable feature has attracted a good deal of attention (Journ. fur Ornitli. 1861, p. 153 ; Ibis, 1862, p. 107; 1865, p! U3; Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 747; 1868, p. 741 ; 1869, p. 140 ; 1874, p. 471), and the researches of Professor Garrod, the latest investigator of the matter, shew that in an example of the Australian Bustard (Otis australis) examined by him there was, instead of a pouch or sack, simply a highly dilated oasophagus the distention of which, at the bird s will, produced much the same appearance and effect as that of the undoubted sack found
at times in the 0. tar da.The distribution of the Bustards is confined to the Old World the bird so called in the Fur-Countries of North America, and thus giving its name to a lake, river, and cape, being the Canada Goose (Bernida canadensis). In the Palrearctic Region we have the 0. tarda already men tioned, extending from Spain to Mesopotamia at least, and from Scania to Morocco, as well as a smaller species, 0. tetrax, which often occurs as a straggler in, but was never an inhabitant of, the British Islands. Two species, known indifferently by the name of Houbara (derived from the Arabic), frequent the more southern portions of the Region, and one of them, 0. macqueeni, though having the more eastern range and reaching India, has several times occurred in North-western Europe, and once even in England. In the east of Siberia the place of 0. tarda is taken by the nearly-allied, but apparently distinct, 0. dybovskii, which would seem to occur also in Northern China. Africa is the chief stronghold of the family, nearly a score of well-marked species being peculiar to that continent, all of which have been by later systematists separated from the genus Otis. India, too, has three peculiar species, the smaller of which are there known as Floricans, and, like some of their African and one of their European cousins, are remarkable for the ornamental plumage they assume at the breeding-season. Neither in Madagascar nor in the Malay Archipelago is there any form of this family, but Australia possesses one large species already named. From Xenophon s days (Anal), i, 5) to our own, the flesh of Bustards has been esteemed as of the highest flavour. The Bustard has long been protected by the game-laws in Great Britain, but, as will have been seen, to little purpose. A few attempts have been made to reinstate it as a denizen of this country, but none on any scale that would ensure success. Many of the older authors considered the Bustards allied to the Ostrich, a most mistaken view, their affinity pointing apparently towards the Cranes in one direction and the Plovers in another.
(a. n.)
BUSTO ARSIZIO, a town of Italy, in the province of Milan and district of Gallarate, about 19 miles N.W. of the city of Milan by rail. Its church of Santa Maria was planned by Bramante, and contains frescoes by Gaudenzio Ferrari ; and St John s is also a noble building. Cotton is manufactured in the town, and the vine is cultivated in the neighbourhood. Population in 1870, 12,909.
BUTADES, wrongly called Dibutades, a Greek modeller in clay, whom fable describes as the first who modelled the human face in that material. The story is that his daiighter, smitten with love for a youth at Corinth where they lived, drew upon the wall the outline of his shadow, and that upon this outline her father modelled a face of the youth in clay, and baked the model along with the clay tiles which it was his trade to make. This model was preserved in Corinth till Murnmius sacked that town. This incident led Butades to ornament the ends of roof-tiles with human faces, a practice which is attested by numerous existing examples. He was a native of Sicyon, and probably lived about 600 B.C., at which date Corinth seems to have been a flourishing centre of working in clay.
BUTCHER-BIRD, a name frequently given to the Shrike family of Birds (Laniadce), and particularly to the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor). See Shrike.
BUTE, County of, is composed of three groups of islands which lie in the Firth of Clyde, betwixt the coasts of Ayrshire on the east, and Argyllshire on the north and west, viz., Bute, from which the county takes its name, with Inchmarnoch, a mile to westward ; the two Cumbraes, less than a mile apart ; and Arran, with the Holy Isle and Pladda islet, separated from each other by about a mile ; the groups themselves being divided by channels from five to eight or ten miles in width. The area of the county is about 225 square miles. Before the application of steam to navigation and the introduction of the railway system, the voyage from Glasgow to Bute, Cumbrae, or Arran was always tedious and disagreeable, and sometimes fraught with peril, being performed in small and generally open sail-boats, often occupying days, and occasionally even weeks ; now, by rail and steamer, the several islands can be reached in an hour and a half or two hours from Glasgow. In consequence of those facilities, and their acknowledged salubrity of climate, beauty and sub limity of scenery, and scientific and historic interest, the chief islands of Buteshire have for years attracted increas ing numbers of tourists, artists, and men of science from all parts of the world. Buteshire, with the exception of some half-dozen small estates, is in the hands of four great proprietors. Arran, Holy Isle, and Pladda belong to the duke of Hamilton, and Bute and Inchmarnoch to the noble marquis who derives his title from the former. The Larger Cumbrae is the property of the earl of Glasgow and Lord Bute; and the Lesser Cumbrae, with its single farm, belongs to the earl of Eglinton. The proprietors of Bute and the Larger Cumbrae, whose residences are respectively Mount Stuart, a few miles from Rothesay, and the Garrison, a handsome marine villa in the heart of Mill- port, have given every encouragement to feuing and to all public improvements ; consequently the beautiful water ing-places in their vicinity have grown rapidly in population and importance. The census of 1871 gives the resident population of Buteshire at 16,977, 7623 males and 9354 females. Of these 10,094 were in Bute, 5259 in Arran, and 1624 in the Cumbraes. Since then the numbers are known to have largely increased, and in summer the popula tion must be vastly greater. The electoral roll, which grows of course with the growth of the better class of feuars and householders, numbers at present 1150 voters. Prior to 1832 Buteshire, alternately with Caithness-shire, sent a member to Parliament, Rothesay enjoying at the same time the privilege of sharing a representative with Ayr, Campbelton, Inveraray, and Irvine. On the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832, Rothesay was merged in the county, which since then has had a member to itself. Buteshire and Renfrewshire form one sheriffdom, with a sheriff-substitute resident in Rothesay, where are also situated the county buildings, including the court-house, prison, and public offices. The circuit courts are held at Inveraray.
Firth of Clyde which constitute the county of the same name, is situated about 18 miles west of Greenock, and 40 by water from Glasgow. It is about 15 miles in length, extending from the picturesque " Kyles " the narrow winding strait which separates the island on the north from the district of Cowal to the Sound of Bute, about 8 miles in width, which separates it on the south from Arran. In
breadth the island is unequal, from the deep indentations,