4724 Tue ZooLocGist—DEcEMBER, 1875. 
common occurrence? I have never met with it before—R. M. Christy; 
20, Bootham, York, November 2, 1875. 
The last native Great Bustard.—I have found an old note of my father’s, 
which, with his permission, I send you, as it refers to the last native great 
bustard killed in this country. So much interest rightly centres on this 
noble species that a note made from the last one while in the flesh may 
have an historical interest for your readers :—‘ May, 1838. Great Bustard. 
A specimen of this bird was lately killed at Lexham, near Swaffham. The 
person who brought it to Norwich said that there were several more female 
bustards in the neighbourhood, but no male. On dissection the stomach 
was found to contain a quantity of green substance resembling cloyer, and 
an egg was found in the ovarium (for it was a female), nearly the full size, 
but without a shell; and from the inflamed state of that organ it was 
supposed that some eggs had been laid already. The weight and dimensions 
of the bird were as follows, viz. :— 
Weight - - - : - 10 tbs. 10 oz. 
Length - - : - - 2ft. 941m. 
» from tip to tip - - - Dice males 
» of tibia - - : : a 
» of tarsus measured to the heel - Guy, 
“ The plumage was beautifully freckled on the back, but was much worn, 
so that the bird evidently had not moulted for some time. It was remarked 
that the down at the base of the breast-feathers was of a beautiful rose- 
colour."—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
The Roseate Down of Bustards.—For the information of Mr. Gunn, let 
me inform him that the above is not so unnoticed as he supposes. In the 
little bustard it has been alluded to before in the ‘ Zoologist’ (S. S. 1951), 
and I can add to that the case of one which was sent over from France, and 
skinned by me at Darlington in 1868, which had the roseate colour, and 
the tint does not seem to be a bit lost now. I remarked it to be strong in the 
houbaras which I got in Algeria, and it is also quite plainly visible in my 
specimens of Macqueen’s bustard and the great bustard. Probably the first 
writer who took cognizance of it was George Graves (Brit. Orn. iii.) —Jd. 
Pratincole (Glareola pratincola (Linn.)).—Mr. Duff, of Bishop's Auck- 
land (Zool. 8.8. 2771) communicates the occurrence of a collared pratincole 
at Bedlington (Northumberland). This bird is in my collection, and as 
there was a mistake about the locality, I think it right to point out that it 
was really shot at Bridlington (Yorkshire). Vide Hancock’s ‘ Catalogue of 
the Birds of Northumberland and Durham,’ p. 96, foot-note.—Id. 
Bloch’s Gurnard in Galloway.—I meant to have recorded ere this that 
the gurnards of two or three species were very unusually common during 
