MK.MOIK OF TllF LATE JOHN SCALES. 
113 
impossible to ascertain tlie precise year in which the bird came into my 
possession. It must have been between 1815 and 1818, as I became 
acquainted with the Rev. II. Hamond about 181G or 1817, and I had 
obtained it before that time. Possibly Mr. R. Sanders might recollect the 
precise year he was on a visit to Narbro’. lie is a sfdicitor in London and 
his chambers are at No. 1 New Inn, Strand, ilr. Ilamond had a female and 
young one in his possession when I became acquainted with him, which he 
told me wore killed (at least the female) some years previous, and form part 
of the group in his case. I also recollect his having shewn me two or three 
eggs at the same time. They were found in a field of green rye either at 
^lassingham or tValton field, which adjoins Massingham and tVestacre — 
We.stacro Iligh House being the then residence of Mr. Ilamond. I believe 
ho obtained one or two eggs subsequently ... as he gave one to me , 
and neither his nor mine have any marks or date upon them — not supposing 
this noble species . . . would become e.xtinct so soon. . . . M’ith 
respect to the other two birds in ilr. llatuoud’s ca.se . . . the noble and 
magnificent male and the other female . . . and also the female in the 
(!ase I sold to Mr. Gurney, which you .state to be now in the Norwich 
^Museum, I fear I cannot give you a correct date as to the precise year in 
which the)' were killed. I be(;ame acquainted with Mr. Ilamond in 1817. 
In 1820 I accompanied a relation of his to the Continent. In 1822 
Mr. Ilamond, ^Ir. Caldwell of llillborough and myself went to the 
Continent together, and in 1823 1 went to Germany and Switzerland on a 
visit to a friend — so that those three birds must have been killed during one 
of those intervals ; because I not only assisted in preserving them but 
assisted Mr. Ilamond in sotting up the male and female, having previously 
taught him the art of skinning, preserving and setting up birds— and from 
circumstances which have Just come to my recollection I am certain they 
were killed in 1818 or 1819.* ... I will describe as well as I can 
recollect how they were respectively killed, although I am aware it may 
bo a repetition of what I wrote to Mr. Salmon.f The females were caught 
by rabbit-traps amongst white turnips in a large field in Westacrel parish. 
* A memorandum in ilr. Haniond's handwriting on a plate of these 
specimens seen by Mr. Stevenson (B. Norf. ii. p. 31, note) fixes the 
year as 1820. — A.N. 
t Mr. Salmon sent me this letter written in the preceding June. Not 
only is the account therein given not so full on the whole as that which I 
quote here, but from Jlr. Scales having had more time to consider the subject 
I think his later version the more trustworthy, though in no case are the 
discrepancies of any importance. A very few points mentioned in the 
earlier version have been omitted in the later. These I here insert in the 
notes. — A. N. 
“I set about 4 dozen rabbit-traps amongst the Turnips in Westacre field, 
and we drove them [the Bustards] there.” — Scales to Salmon ut supra. — A.N. 
VOL. IV. I 
