LITTLE BUSTARD. 



45 



In November, 1838, as I am informed by the Rev. 

 Thomas Fulcher, a fine female in his possession was 

 shot in a turnip-field, at Old Buckenham; and on the 

 21st of January, 1842, as I learn from Mr. Foster, of 

 Wisbech, another female (as ascertained by dissection) 

 was shot on one of the washes, near Welney, on the 

 extreme western limits of the county. This bird, the 

 one referred to by Mr. Lubbock as killed near Wisbech, 

 is now in the museum of that town. 



For the next ten years, I know of no other occur- 

 rence of this species either in Norfolk or Suffolk, but on 

 the 29th of December, 1853,* a male in winter plumage, 

 now in my possession, was shot during very severe 

 weather, in a turnip-field, by the road side between 

 Winterton and Yarmouth. This bird, which was 

 brought to me in the flesh, was in good condition, 

 the stomach literally crammed with vegetable matter, 

 apparently fragments of some large leaf with a rough 

 surface and a serrated edge. Several others were also 

 killed about the same time in different counties in 

 England, as recorded in the " Zoologist" for 1854. 



Again, on the 4th of March, 1858, a fine adult 

 female, which was purchased by Mr. J. H. Gurney, was 

 shot in the Southtown marshes, at Gorleston, near 

 Yarmouth. This bird was also in fine condition, the 

 stomach filled with various kinds of green food, by far 

 the larger portion consisting of a long fine grass, 

 apparently from the marshes, having a brackish odour, 

 and mixed with this, and matted together, was a species 

 of Conferva from the ditches. Two flowers of the 

 common daisy (Bellis perennis) were plainly discernable, 

 as also a narrow scolloped leaf, resembling cat's-ear 

 (Hypochoeris glabra), and besides these a small fragment 

 of the water-ranunculus (Ranunculus aquatilisj, were all 



* The same recorded by Morris (" British Birds," vol. iv., p. 8.) 



