These combats occur chiefly at break of day while tall herbage yet remains soaked by nocturnal dews, and it occasionally happens that some luckless champion, damaged and bedraggled, and with plumage saturated through and through, when thus encountered, is found unable to fly and so captured. Several such instances came under our notice years ago and--rare though they may be--misled us in _Wild Spain_ to conclude that the incapacity arose from a spring-moult--similar to that of wild-geese and of some ducks. That, however, was an error. The loss of flight-power arises, as stated, from the damaged and dew-saturated state of the primaries, as is concisely set forth in a letter from our friend D. José Pan Elberto as follows:-- Many persons undoubtedly believe (owing to bustards being captured in spring unable to fly) that these birds moult all their quills at once. That is not the case; but since in spring, when the male-bustards engage in continuous fighting, the corn-growth is already quite tall, and in the early mornings all vegetation is saturated with night-dews, it occasionally happens that a bustard may be met with incapable by this cause of taking wing--that is, that some of the flight-feathers are lost or broken and all dew-soaked (_rociadas_). The bustard moults gradually and never loses the power of flight. [Illustration: Great Bustard "SHEWING-OFF"--FROM LIFE. FIRST ATTITUDE. SECOND ATTITUDE. THE SAME, BUT LOOKING UP AT A PASSING BIRD. FINAL POSITION.] [Illustration: TAIL-FEATHERS OF GREAT BUSTARD]