‘thin the last eight or nine years: the first of these,
eather, on the 29th of December 1853, in a

Norfolk, three having been shot w
killed, during very severe W
rton to Yarmouth ;
fragments of some large leaf with a rough surface and

from time to time in
a male in my own collection, was
eld on the road leading from Winte

d with vegetable matter, apparently |
Several more specimens were killed about the same time in other counties, and were
Cc

‘Zoolovist? for 1854. On the 4th of March 1898, a fine adult female Was Sioa ae
near Yarmouth ; it is now in the possession of J. H. Gurney, Esq.
the stomach being filled with various kinds of green food. The wind |
days previously, was N.E., the weather intensely cold, with snow
at the time the male above mentioned was obtained. In the

it was in high condition, and had its stomach
turnip-fi
literally cramme
serrated edge.

recorded in the
South Town Marshes at Gorleston,
This bird was also in good condition,
at the time this bird was killed, and for some
on the ground—in fact, exactly such weather as
case of such an accidental visitant to our coast,
the herbs and grasses, portions of which formed the contents of the stomach of the specimen. By far the

larger part consisted of a long fine grass, with a brackish odour, apparently from the marshes, mixed and
matted with which was a species of Conferva from the ditches, two flowers of the common daisy (Bellis
perennis), and a narrow scolloped leaf resembling cat’s ear (Hypocheris glabra), fragments of a thistle, and
of the water-ranunculus (Ranunculus aquatilis). These were all that could be identified. The third and
last Norfolk example was procured at Blo Norton, near Thetford, on the 29th of November 1860. It
proved to be a female, and was killed in a turnip-field, which seems to be the favourite resort of the bird
when visiting this country; for Mr. Lubbock remarks that, in the three instances of its occurrence that
had come under his observation, it was found in fields of this kind of vegetable. This specimen appeared
during somewhat mild weather, which preceded only by a week or two the intensely severe frosts of the
following two months, during which two others occurred in the adjoining counties of Suffolk and Essex ;
it is evident, therefore, that the Little Bustard is merely a winter visitant to our coasts, its appearance
depending in a great measure upon the degree of severity im the weather.” In France, where the bird is
common, it arrives in April, and departs in September. It is said to be polygamous, the male assuming a
station, and attracting the females by his cries.

Captain Blakiston, R.A., informs me that, during his sojourn in the Crimea, ‘the Little Bustard was
occasionally shot in the Chersonese during the winter and in the spring, until near the end of April; and
he saw several on the plains between Sebastopol and the Alma at the end of May, but only two that were

it may not be uninteresting to enumerate as far as possible

in company.”

Mr. Yarrell states that ‘“ the nest is on the ground, among herbage which is sufficiently high to hide the
bird. The eggs, which are laid in June, vary in number, according to different authors, from three to five ;
the length two inches, the breadth one inch six lines ; the colour of one in my own collection uniform olive-
brown; but I have seen them slightly clouded with patches of darker brown.” ‘‘ Those eggs which I have
seen,” says Mr. Hewitson, “are all more or less suffused with colour. Any one who had pecucrele seen the
eges of ee Great Bustard would look for a similar character in those of the present species ; and he would
e Pee ee Aa ae 2 fach other, distinct as they are fron those of
The young follow the mother like those of cree - ~ ane Rates Seek 15 ale ee
selves by squatting among the herbage: they are ur i‘ . - “fl x : en of Senge! at ae

The Little need 1s Peer cct sais oie e es ae ee
deal with the London poulterers—Bailey of Mount “ty " = Ay eee...
ascertaining for themselves the quality of its flesh, w i. | _ . a eral Hest edie hae

» which, in my opinion, is preferable to that of the larger

species. Mr. Yarrell says j ar
i oF : ays it noe the appearance and flavour of that of a young hen Pheasant ; others say it
is dark-coloured, but of an exquisite flavour

ml $

That the O¢s tetrax bears confinement tolerably Ww
lived for many months at a time in the mena
the visitors as any of the other denizens
fine examples of their larger brethren.

The flight of the Little B . I 1 astes, upoO
t ustard IS very Ta nid. an 1 i e ] yi I
which it iS frequent] fi nd I 2 d 1t runs with equal cel rit over the sterile WwW t 2 p n

, and upon which i ‘ 1 1
| 1 it squats close to avoid detection on the appearance of danger.

a
The Plate represer
sents a male ale, i
Peon A fe ale and a female, in summer—the former of the natural size, the latter somewhat
io a small hgure of a male in the distance |

ell is evidenced by the circumstance of examples having
oer Re . 1 .
a gerie of the Zoological Society, and become as familiar with
or th I ; : :

€ aviaries, among which at this moment (April 1864) are several