LITTLE BUSTARD 367 



information I obtained during the many years of my 

 residence in Eomney Marsh, I think the Great Bustard 

 was not uncommon formerly in that locahty. My 

 specimen is a female and in beautiful plumage. It 

 measures, from the crown of the head to the tip of the 

 tail, '2 feet C:^ inches ; across the breast, with the wings 

 closed, lOi inches ; from the extremity of one wing to 

 the other, when expanded, 5^ feet. The crop contained 

 a quantity of vegetable matter, principally sea-kale." 

 This specimen is now in the Dover Museum. 



In 1859 a young male was killed near Eomney, in 

 Kent, by Mr. Whittenden. This bird is now in the 

 Maidstone Museum ; it was presented by Mr. G. 

 Simmons. 



Mr. H. A. Dombrain, of Ashford, in writing to the 

 Zoologist, 1880, says : " I have to report three Great 

 Bustards recently obtained in Kent, viz. : The first 

 of these was shot in Romney Marsh towards the end 

 of December last (1879), the sex of which I have 

 not been able to ascertain. The second, an immature 

 female bird, weighing 8h lbs., was taken early in 

 January, 1880, at Great Chart, near Ashford. The 

 third, a full-grown male, weighing 16 lbs., was shot 

 near Wye, about the latter end of January, 1880. 

 This bird had been observed by the occupier of the 

 land it was on, and he was anxious that it should be 

 left unmolested, but a trespasser, much to his annoy- 

 ance, went in pursuit and shot it." 



LITTLE BUSTAED. 



Otis tetrax, Linnaeus. S.N., l, p. 264 (1766). 



Few instances are on record of the occurrence of the 

 Little Bustard in Kent. 



