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On the morning of the 25th, Mr. Upclier failed to see the bustard 
owing to a thick fog, but though absent from home for the next few 
days, the bird was reported as seen continuously, and he believes 
never quitted the field of coleseed, for a whole day, up to the 24th 
of February. Between the 2nd and 9th of February it was “ in- 
terviewed” by several ornithological friends kindly informed of its 
whereabouts by Mr. Upcher, who in the meantime having commu- 
nicated the interesting fact to Lord Lilford, of Lilford Hall, 
Northamptonshire, his lordship at once offered to send over a tame 
hen bustard from his own aviary to be turned off in the fen, in the 
hope that an alliance might thus be formed conducive to the ac- 
climatization of the noble stranger. This liberal offer was of course 
accepted, and on the 9th Lord Lilford’s keeper arrived from Oundle 
with his charge in a hamper ; and the lady, having safely accom- 
plished the journey, was duly fed and housed in a loose box for 
the night. 
Of the proceedings on the following, the wedding morning, I should 
fail to give a correct impression without quoting at length from Mr. 
Upcher’ s graphic account as published at the time in the ‘Field.’ 
“Feb. 10. Quite a warm spring morning. No better day could 
have been selected for making the experiment which we had in 
view. After breakfast the hen was taken up, placed in a large 
hamper well padded, and conveyed in a pony cart to the fen, while 
I collected the * marriage guests.’ These were Professor Newton, 
Mr. Edward Newton, Mr. 0. Salvin, Messrs. F. and E. Newcome, and 
Mr. J. E. Harting.” * * * “As we approached the spot where the bird 
was supposed to be, all glasses were brought- into requisition, and 
after an anxious search we at length made it out, about four hun- 
dred yards away, standing perfectly still, with its back towards us, 
the sun shining brightly at the time. We decreased the distance 
by another hundred yards or so, and had another peep through the 
glass. We could see his fine yellow neck looking all the yellower 
in the sunlight, and watched him for some time as he walked slowly 
away from us, flirting and spreading his tail, which he carried 
higher than his back. As soon as we had all satisfied our curiosity, 
preparations were made for turning out the hen. With the assis- 
tance of the keeper I carried the hamper across the fen, in the 
direction of the wild bird, as near as I dared go without alarming 
him, whilst my friends remained behind on the ‘drove.’ Suddenly 
