By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.S.A. 169 



field, no less than five-and-twenty bustards rise up all in a flock, 

 and fly over a hill called Southern Hill. He then set about pursuing 

 them, came within view, but when the noble birds rose again the 

 noise of their wings so frightened his horse that he bolted round, 

 threw the rider, and ran away. So he lost all chance, went home 

 disappointed and never had another opportunity : " but," he says, a I 

 believe such a number of bustards will never be again seen together 

 in England." Of that we may be sure enough, for such is the 

 propensity to kill that i£ any strange bird is reported to be seen, 

 every man and boy that can get a gun is off to destroy it. Perhaps 

 if the bustards could hear of the Wild Birds Protection Act they 

 might be tempted to return. For the present, that splendid bird, 

 the king of the Plain, has simply subsided into a mere curiosity, to 

 be found on the shelf of a museum in company with such relics of 

 bygone sporting days as Harry Good's bee-hive hat. 



J. E. J. 



Capture of a Noted Beer Stealer in Cranhome Chase by James 

 Barrett, Keeper of Cobley Walk, as related by himself. 

 James Barrett was one of the deer-keepers, under Moses Brixey, 

 who was head keeper to Lord Rivers in 1822, before the Chase was 

 disfranchised. He afterwards entered the service of John Hunger- 

 ford Penruddocke, Esq., and was with him and his successor, Charles 

 Penruddocke, as park and game-keeper for nearly fifty years. He 

 died 20th March, 1875, and is buried in the churchyard, Compton 

 Chamberlayne. 



The following account I wrote down as nearly as possible in the 

 language in which he gave it to me several years before his death. 

 The expressions he makes use of are so characteristic of the man 

 that I make no apology for reproducing them. 



Charles Penruddocke. 



Compton Park, 

 July Ihth, 1884. 



James Barrett's Story. 

 " Well, Sir, I was in the service of my Lord Rivers (and very 

 good he was to me, I will say that) and I had to look after Cobley 



