THE 
WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE. 
‘“MULTORUM MANIBUS GRANDE LEVATUR ONUS.”—Ovid. 
Che Great Buastard. 
( Otis tarda.) 
In sealing the circumstances of the recent capture of a fine 
male specimen of this most noble bird, on the borders of Wiltshire, 
(of which the accompanying woodcut is a portrait,) I propose to 
preface that account with some particulars of the habits of the 
species, and enter into some enquiry as to its former abundance or 
scarcity, believing as I do, that every fact is valuable which relates 
_ to so exceedingly interesting a bird, now alas! for a long time 
extinct as a resident throughout the kingdom, and only rarely and 
after an interval of several years, seen as a straggler. And the 
evidence which I shall adduce will be derived, in the first place, 
from former writers on the subject, especially Yarrell’s most val- 
uable work, and an exceedingly interesting paper on the Great 
Bustard, which appeared in a recent number of Frazer’s Magazine, 
(September, 1854), supposed to be from the pen of the Rev. Charles 
Barham; and, in the second place, from facts which I have gleaned 
during several years, after diligent enquiries instituted by myself, 
and through others, of old shepherds, farmers, &c, who can recollect, 
when boys, seeing this bird in its wild state on our Downs, but — 
which eye-witnesses are daily becoming fewer, and their memories 
of things so long passed away, more and more confused. 
The Great Bustard (Otis tarda,) belongs to the Order of “Ground 
birds” (Rasores,) and to the Family Struthionide; and it is the 
largest of the British land birds: its bill is nearly straight, and 
with the point of the upper mandible curved; its legs long, and 
VOL. 11I.—NO. VIII. s 
