On the Occurrence of the Great Bustard [Otis tarda, 



L.) AND OF THE RoUGH-LEGGED BuZZARD {ButeO 



lagoims, Gin.), near Chelmsford, during the 

 Winter of 1879. 



By R. M. CHRISTY. 



(Bead Fehmary 2Sth, 1880.; 



As Dr. Bree observed in the Field a few weeks ago, one hears 

 strange things this winter, and stranger, perhaps, than all 

 else have been the variations of the weather. A year of 

 almost unprecedented meteorological phenomena closed 

 with a month of still greater weather distm^bances, not the 

 least remarkable being the excessive frost on the night of 

 December 6th. An account of the meteorology of the year 

 1879, and its consequences, includes an account of many 

 of the catastrophes and events of that year. It is pro- 

 bably to the vagaries of the weather we must look for 

 an explanation of the unusual fact that during the month 

 of December last a Great Bustard was actually shot in our 

 county. 



The occurrence of so interesting a bird, and the fact 

 that no minute account of its appearance has hitherto been 

 made public, prompt me to present this note to the mem- 

 bers of our County Club, as it seems to me they are 

 the persons who should take most interest in the case. 

 Our rare and distinguished visitor was (of course) shot, so 

 that we cannot boast of having received it in a very 

 hospitable manner ; and the only reparation we can make 

 is to record the visit, and thus perpetuate its memory. 



The facts of the case are as follows : — On the morning 

 of Friday, the 5th of December last, soon after daybreak, 

 Mr. Albert Pertwee (of Woodham Ferrers) was laid up 

 close to Hull Bridge in that parish on the north side, and 



B 



