101 



LITTLE BUSTAED. 



Otis tetrax, ..... LiNNiEus. 



Otis minor, ..... Eat. 



Outarde Canepetiere, .... Tesiminck. 



Otis — A Bustard, from Om — an ear, on account of its quick hearing. Tetrax. (Quaare,) Teter — Dark. 



This very handsome bird, which is a very rare occasional visitor to this country, has 

 generally been obtained in the late autumn and winter months. Although occurring very 

 rarely, it has been obtained in many widely-separated counties; thus it has occurred in 

 Cambridgeshire, and in Cornwall, several times. Mr. E. H. Eodd, of Penzance, thus records 

 in the "Zoologist," the occurrence of two recent specimens in the latter county : — "A female 

 bird in excellent condition, of this interesting species, was brought to me for my inspection 

 about a fortnight since, and which had been brought in by a farmer from the Land's 

 End district, with some other birds; its value as a rare British bird was of course un- 

 known, and it was only accidentally observed hanging in the lobby of one of our hotels 

 with other game, and supposed to be 'a sort of mottled pheasant:' weight, one pound 

 and three-quarters. Previous to its capture we had a tremendous gale from the south, 

 which, no doubt, drove the bird from the part of the continent where it is known to 

 exist plentifully. — November 22nd., 1853. 



Another specimen of the Little Bustard I observed to-day hanging up in a poulterer's 

 shop in this place, (Penzance,) and purchased it for half-a-crown. I was told at the time 

 that another had been offered last evening, and four or five killed in the neighbourhood. 

 The wind has been from south-east to south for some days, and the bird has been shot 

 for some days. — December 22nd., 1853." 



In Devonshire, four times, the last on November 15th., 1839; in Essex, three times; 

 in Hampshire, once at Heron Court; in Kent, at Chatham, in January, 1834; in 

 Norfolk many times; in Northumberland, twice; in Oxfordshire, on Denton Common in 

 December, 1833; in Suffolk; in Warwickshire, two near Birmingham in October, 1839; 

 in Yorkshire, on Sledmere Wold, early in 1839; and again on the 19th. of January of the 

 present year, (1854,) a female was shot by the Rev. W. Blow, of Goodmanham, near 

 Market Weighton, and was mounted by Mr. D. Graham, of York. 



