In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 127 
instance of this custom I may say that not long ago a fine Roller 
was found nailed up in this fashion, having been thus gibbeted, 
inasmuch as it was looked upon, from its bright colours, as being 
more or less of the Jay tribe. When this specimen was found the 
breast feathers against the board had entirely rotted off, though the 
back fortunately was just able to be preserved. Without doubt, in 
this, and other ways, many a rare bird pays us a visit, which escapes 
notice, or which, if noticed, and even killed, yet remains unrecorded. 
For it must be remembered that not only very few people, as a rule, 
take a practical interest in ornithology, but that it requires a very 
practical knowledge indeed of birds themselves to be able to tell for 
a certainty, on some hasty glimpse of a bird as it passes on the wing, 
or flits from branch to branch, (or whose note perchance is heard, 
without the bird itself being seen,) the exact nature of the supposed 
straggler to our shores. But though at times the wish may be 
father to the thought, and some occurrence may be recorded on 
insufficient grounds; yet on the other hand without doubt, many is 
the real occurrence that is seen without being noticed, and many 
the rarity actually killed, without its falling into the hands of any 
one interested in the matter. And I can only hope that this and 
similar papers, which if they do nothing else, declare that there are 
some who do take a true interest in the matter, may induce any who 
come across bird-news to communicate it at once to some of those 
who would heartily thank them for the intelligence. 
Aecollections of the Bustard on Salisbury Plain. 
YE-WITNESSES of the Bustard (in the days when it roamed, 
wild and free, the noblest bird which frequented our grand 
unbroken downs), are now so few in number, that every authentic 
instance of its occurrence deserves to be recorded, and therefore I 
