440 STRUTHIONID^J. 



" I have now told you all I know about the Great 

 Bustard in Spain. I wish I had more to say about it. I 

 was told that the Spanish name was Abutarda, which is, 

 I should imagine, connected in some way with the specific 

 name ' tarda,' for the bird can hardly be called 'slow,' but 

 I do not know who gave it its scientific appellation. On 

 the occasion I have referred to, a Spaniard on board the 

 steamer told me that two or three months earlier in the 

 year was the time for shooting the bird, and that then they 

 were not difficult to approach with the assistance of cattle 

 or carts, if I remember right. This would of course be in 

 the breeding season." 



My next communication was received from John Brit- 

 ton, Esq., so favourably known for the great extent of his 

 interesting labours. It is copied from a letter in his pos- 

 session, with permission to use it, and refers to Salisbury 

 Plain : 



" A man, about 4 o'clock of a fine morning in June, 

 1801, was coming on horseback from Tinhead to Tilshead. 

 While at, or near, an enclosure called Asking's Penning, 

 one mile from the village of Tilshead, he saw over his 

 head, about sixty yards high, as near as he could estimate, 

 a large bird, which afterwards proved to be a Bustard. 

 The bird alighted on the ground immediately before the 

 horse, which it indicated a disposition to attack, and in 

 fact very soon began the onset. The man alighted, and 

 getting hold of the bird endeavoured to secure it ; and after 

 struggling with it nearly an hour he succeeded, and brought 

 it to Mr. J. Bartley, of Tilshead, to whose house he was 

 going. Not knowing the value of such a bird, he offered 

 it to Mr. Bartley as a present ; but Mr. Bartley declined 

 to accept it as such, though he much wished to have it, 

 and after repeated solicitations prevailed on the man to 

 receive for it a small sum, with which he was perfectly 



