lU 
MEMOIR OF THE LATE JOHN SCALES. 
The one in Mr. Hamond’s ease was caught first, the second female caught 
was the one in my case ; but I will not be positive they were both caught 
the same day, although it ia my impression they were — at any rate it must 
have been within a day or two ; the traps belonged to my father, and neither 
they nor the warrener to attend them could be spared longer. There were 
from fifteen to twenty [birds] in the flock, and they became very shy and 
would not then alight amongst the turnips; but when disturbed from 
Marham Smee, adjoining our warren, flew across to Massingham heath. 
In so doing we observed they generally passed over a long narrow belt of 
gorse in Narford field, flying low. Therefore Mr. Hamond determined to 
conceal himself in it, and try to shoot the male bird which he was so anxious 
to procure. I think the first one he shot was the splendid female I have in 
my collection at present* , He then succeeded in bringing down the noble 
fellow, which I think was on the following morning early; but as this 
occurred thirty-five or thirty-six years ago, I cannot charge my memory 
with positive accurac 3 ^ I assure you he was delighted enough. At any rate 
they were all killed within a week or ten days of each other, and although I 
cannot state the precise month, it must have been the latter end of 1818 — 
say October or November, or January or February in 1819 — although I am 
inclined to think it was the latter, as I have an indistinct recollection that it 
was during the busy season of rabbit-killing. You will therefore please to 
bear in mind that the first female and young onef in Mr. Hamond’s case 
were killed at Massingham before 1815, the second female at Westaore in 
1818 or 1819, and the male bird at the [same] period but in the parish of 
Narford. 
The male bird former!}' in my collection and now in the Norwich Museum 
was found on our Beachamwell Warren between 1814 and 1817 ; the female 
in the same case was trapped in a turnip-field in Westacre parish . . . 
with Mr. Hamond’s (1818 or 1819) and the female I now possess was shot in 
the parish of Narford at the same period as Mr. Ilamond’s male. I 
really am very sorry I cannot furnish you with data more correct or 
satisfactory. 
Prior to (say) 1 812 Bustard? bred annually in the large fields or “ brecks ” 
in the parishes of Massingham, Walton, Westaore, Narford and Narborough 
which adjoined each other, amongst the green rye, which, at that time being 
sown broadcast, there was nothing likely to occur to molest the birds ; but 
when the improved system of drill-husbandry came into operation, and 
consequently the rye, wheat or oats [were] hoed between the drills, the birds 
became disturbed, and we may reasonably suppose the eggs were taken. 
Therefore the birds have progressively retired from the district and, being of 
such great size, became objects of great attraction and ambition to the 
* Since burnt with the rest of the collection (supra p. 9G). — A. N. 
t Miss Sarah Hamond, however, told me in 1856 that this young bird had 
l)een hatched out under a common hen, and had died. — A.N. 
