278 BRITISH LAND BIRDS. 



where it is very numerous, the sportsmen find 

 it is so difficult to approach that they use as 

 many devices to get within rifle-shot of it as 

 are employed by the Highlanders when stalking 

 red-deer. In Holland it is a rare bird. It may 

 interest the reader to close this account of the 

 bustard with an extract of a letter from our 

 " Camp before Sebastopol," dated Dec. 21st, 

 1855. 



" Winter is now come upon us in reality, and 

 we have had, of late, some very cold weather ; on 

 the night of the 18th the thermometer went down 

 to eight degrees below zero. . . . For the last few 

 days we have had immense flocks of bustards 

 flying from the eastward. Hundreds of sportsmen 

 have been on the look-out for them, and several 

 have been killed. They are very large. Some of 

 those killed, I am told, weigh as much as fifteen or 

 sixteen pounds. There is also snipe and wild fowl 

 shooting to be had on the Tchernaya ; but it is at 

 the risk of one's life this sport is to be enjoyed, as 

 the Russians are within shot, and generally take 

 advantage of it." 



