By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 361 
they averaged in weight between 8lbs. and 9]bs., the heaviest scaling 
at 13lbs. and the lightest at 7lb. 10oz. 
So much for the pack—if pack it was—that, in an evil hour for 
themselves, came over to England. 
To come to our Wiltshire specimen, of which I am able to furnish 
reliable details, as they have been communicated to me at first hand 
by the obliging captor of the bird. It appears that on February 
5th last (not on the 4th, as I at first erroneously stated) Mr. Wood 
and his brother, of Langley Green, near Chippenham, being tempted 
by the hard weather to go out in search of Wild Geese, of which they 
had heard tidings, found themselves at 10.a.m., in Alington Mead, 
on the banks of the Avon, behind Kelloways Mills, and about three 
miles from Chippenham; the wind blowing from the north-east. 
Here they presently saw a large bird, which at first they supposed 
to be a Wild Goose, flying towards them, down the wind, when both 
brothers fired: the bird however, though evidently hard hit, did not 
at once drop, but continued its flight : then they perceived it was no 
goose, and on picking it up a little farther on found it to be a Great 
Bustard, in excellent plumage, and, beyond a broken leg, very little 
injured by the shot. Mr. Wood at once sent the bird for preservation 
to Foot, the taxidermist, of Bath, in whose house it was seen in the 
flesh by many persons, and who preserved the sternum. In reply to 
my many enquiries Mr. Foot very courteously supplied me with all 
the information he had as to the capture, and forwarded me a portion 
of the contents of the crop, which appeared to consist of the leaves 
of grass and other plants. Desiring, however, to obtain accurate 
information on this point, I forwarded a small portion of the un- 
digested leaves to Mr. Harting (Natural History Editor of the 
Field), to Professor Newton, of Cambridge, and several other 
authorities, not forgetting our own Wiltshire botanist, the Rev. 
T. A. Preston. Professor Newton at once forwarded his portion to 
Mr. Southwell, the well-known ornithologist, of Norfolk, who is at 
énce a botanist, and has no little acquaintance with the habits of the 
Great Bustard. Mr. Southwell conferred on the matter with a 
botanical friend of some eminence, Mr. H. D. Geldart, and the 
result of their examination was given as follows: “The leaves sent 
