GREAT BUSTARD. 39 



bustards, containing specimens, which, in all probability, 

 were killed in that county, but of their true history I 

 can leam nothing conclusive, althoug-h the late Lady 

 Middleton kindly interested herself in making enquiries 

 respecting them.* 



Besides the eggs already mentioned in the Westacre 

 and Congham collections, Mr. Alfred Newton possesses 

 one of the eggs (two pairs and a single one) laid by 

 three females on Massingham-heath, in the spring of 

 1833, as before stated. This egg, as is shown by an 

 inscription on it in Mr. Salmon's handwriting, was 

 presented by him to the late Mr. John Wolley, and 

 was by the latter left, with the rest of his magnificent 

 oological collection, to Mr. Newton. Another of this 

 same series of eggs, from Massingham, was also in Mr. 

 Salmon's collection, bequeathed by bim to the Linnean 

 Society, but this, with many other of the rarer speci- 

 mens, disappeared in a mysterious manner before the 

 Society had been able to take possession of their valuable 

 legacy. It formed the subject of the figure in the last 

 edition (1866, pi. Ixxiii., fig. 1) of Mr. Hewitson's well 

 known work, and should it still be in existence, would 

 probably be recognisable by its portrait. ^ 



A second egg in Mr. Alfred Newton's possession is 

 marked " Great Massingham, Norfolk, probably about 

 1835 or 1836." The egg was purchased by Mr. Newton 

 of Mr. H. B. Eodwell, of Brancaster, who had received 



* In a clever little work by the Rev. W. S. Symonds, entitled 

 " Old Bones," it is mentioned (p. 70, 2nd ed.) that the Worcester 

 Museum contains a pair of bustards " captured in Norfolk," and 

 presented by the present Lord Lyttleton. All the enquiries I have 

 been able to make have failed to furnish me with any further par- 

 ticulars respecting these specimens, except that they were stuffed 

 by "Weaver, of Birmingham, and given to the museum in 1849, 

 as I am informed by Mr. Eeece, the secretary and curator, who 

 believes that they were for some time in the late Lord Lyttleton's 

 possession. 



