89 



THE RUFFED, OR MCQUEEN'S BUSTARD, 

 {OTIS MC QUEENII.) 



We have been induced to give a coloured plate of this very interesting 

 addition to the list of British birds, from there being, as far as we are aware, 

 no figure of it except in Gould's expensive work, which is not accessible to 

 many of our readers. The plate is taken from an admirable drawing made 

 from the bird itself by Miss Barker, a young lady who kindly painted the 

 bird for Mr. Graham, of York, to whom we are indebted for the loan of 

 the picture. 



The bird was shot at Kirton Lindsey, in Lincolnshire, on the 7th. of 

 October, 1 847, by Mr. G. Hansley, who parted with it to Mr. Alfred Roberts, 

 of Brigg, from whom it was purchased by E. T. Higgins, Esq., of York. 

 The bird is now in the Rudston collection of British Birds, in the Museum 

 of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. 



Description : — The bill is dark lead-colour, compressed at the tip, depressed 

 at the base; irides, yellow; the head and throat, rufous, mottled with black, 

 with long loose feathers of a slate-colour, hanging over the breast. Chin, 

 white; back of the neck, white, minutely mottled with brown; the sides of 

 the neck are ornamented with a range of feathers two inches long, about 

 two-thirds of the upper portion black, the lower part white. The back and 

 wing coverts, rufous, mottled with black, with zigzag bars of black across; 

 the quill feathers black, extending to the end of the tail when closed; under 

 parts, white; legs, lead-colour. Length, twenty-three inches; expanse of wings, 

 three feet eight inches; weight thirty-six ounces. 



Although this is the only specimen of this Bustard which is known to 

 have occurred in this country, yet its having evidently come as a voluntary 

 visitor to our shores, gives it a decided claim to a place in the British 

 list. The coloured figure which we now give, will enable any one readily 

 to recognise the bird, should it ever come under his notice. Let us hope 

 that if such an occurrence should take place, "The Naturalist" may be the 



medium of making the interesting fact known to the scientific world. 



B. R. M. 



NOTES ON THE ROOK, (COBVUS FRUGILJEGUS.) 



BY J. Mc'iNTOSH, ESQ. 



Thf, benefits that man derives from the labour of this bird, by destroying 

 his insect enemies, particularly the cockchaffer, {MeJoIoviha vulgaris,) and 

 the wire-worm, {Elater obscurus,) are immense; yet, however strange it may 

 appear, it is too true that there is not, with the exception of the House 

 Sparrow, (Passer domesticus,) any other bird in the whole list of British 

 Ornithology that he perseveres more determinedly in destroying. In the 

 olden time, there is no question that public opinion was entirely against them, 



VOL. II. N 



