16 WANTON DESTRUCTION OF 



that I was assured by " a sober hind *' at work in 

 this neighbourhood, that his companion had been 

 warned of his approaching death, in consequence 

 of a raven having always croaked when it flew 

 over his head. Like the Bustard,* its existence 

 in this country is nearly at an end, but in places 

 where they are still to be found it is to be hoped 

 that some pains may be taken to preserve them 

 from destruction. Ravens, indeed, must have been 

 much more numerous a few years ago, than they 

 are at present. Mr. White mentions his having 

 seen forty of them in 1778 playing over the 

 hanger at Selborne at one time. 



The Kite, alo, has become nearly an extinct 

 bird in this country, from a foolish apprehension, 

 entertained both by gentlemen and their keepers, 

 that they destroy the game. On examining a nest 

 of one of these birds, it will be found that frogs, 



* The last bustard that was killed near Thetford in Norfolk 

 (the bustard-country) was in the year 1831. We were intimately 

 acquainted with a Norfolk gentleman (Mr. Whittington) a great 

 sportsman, who assured us that he once had a pack of bus- 

 tards rise before his gun ; he suddenly came upon them in a 

 gravel pit. Mr. Southey and Sir Richard Hoare have both men- 

 tioned the curious fact, that the bustard has been known to attack 

 men on horseback at night. 



Mr. Yarrell informs me that the last bustard known to be 

 killed in England was shot, in the spring of 1843, in Cornwall. 

 It was a female, and had been seen in a turnip field for several 

 days. This is the first instance of the bustard being found in 

 Cornwall. 



