328 MR. T. SOUTIiWEI.L ON THE GREAT BUSTARD IN NORFOLK. 
Y. 
THE GREAT BUSTARD IN NORFOLK. 
By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S., Y.-P. 
Read 26th November , 1901. 
In the Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission, Duke of 
Portland’s MSS. vol. vi. (1901) page 164, is printed “ An account 
of a journey made through part of the Counties of Suffolk, 
Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire, in the month of September, 1732,” 
the original manuscript of which is in the hand-writing of 
Edward Harley, the second Earl of Oxford (1689-1741), and 
which contains the following passage under the date of September 
20th, 1732. 
Page 164. “From Narford we did intend to have gone by 
Swaffham, but we were advised to keep the middle way, which 
we did, and came to a place called Cley, five very long miles. 
The Duke of Montrose has a house here which he hires of 
Mr. Dashwood. The ground seems very poor, an open country. 
Before w r e came to Cley we saw on the right hand a herd of 
Bustards, about nine or ten. I never saw any alive in the fields, 
these large birds always delighting in champaign countries, because 
they are heavy and their wings hut short, that it is a long time 
before they can get upon the wing ; they run a long time before 
they mount, they are often catched with Greyhounds before they 
can get from the ground. If they were not in an open country 
they would soon be destroyed, having no way to avoid their 
enemies in enclosures, but where they are open, and upon their 
guard, but that does not save them. They are esteemed a rarity 
and must be had ; if all were of my taste they would be un- 
molested, and die natural deaths.” 
In addition to the casual interest which is attached to every 
mention of this grand bird as a native of Norfolk, there are some 
circumstances connected with the above record to which I should 
