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NATURE NOTES 
alternative attraction. These antics will last some fifteen 
minutes when he gradually assumes his normal appearance. 
There is a remarkably fine specimen of the great bustard 
mounted in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, 
and faithfully represented as “showing-off” to the females. 
At the present time, unfortunately, there are no living specimens 
in the Zoological Gardens, the male above referred to having 
died some time ago. The two females also died, one before last 
Christmas and the other since. One of the birds living in the 
Gardens in 1895 two eggs, but as far as is known, the 
great bustard has not reared any young birds in captivity. 
Representatives of the bustard group now living in the Gardens 
are the Caffre bustard, a very handsome species, and the 
Denham’s bustard, a much smaller bird. 
The Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society issued a 
circular in the autumn of last year, together with a letter from 
Lord Walsingham, to the effect that an attempt is being made 
to reintroduce the great bustard in what was formerly one of the 
favourite haunts of this fine bird on the borders of the Norfolk 
Fens. The effort is due to the public spirit of an English 
gentleman, resident abroad, whose love of natural history has 
induced him to incur considerable e.xpense and trouble in the 
matter. It is hoped that residents in Norfolk and Suffolk will 
agree to respect the birds which were at large at the time of the 
issue of the circular, and by preventing their destruction will 
secure the success of an experiment to which the re-introduction 
of the capercailyie into Scotland affords a parallel instance and 
an encouraging precedent. The Hon. Secretary of the above 
Society kindly informs me that it was decided to allow the 
bustards a run of 400 acres, to be increased to 800. Sixteen 
birds arrived quite safely, but their wings had been clipped, so 
that it would be some time before they could take long flights. 
The part of the country in which the birds are turned out is 
where the oldest inhabitants still remember the existence of a 
flock of from thirty to forty which used to breed there. It is 
understood that the gentleman who sent the birds over will send 
a few more each year for some years, so as to give the experi- 
ment a fair chance. 
It only remains for us to say again, that we sincerely trust 
this reintroduction will become a complete success, and that we 
may in years to come be able to include the great bustard in the 
British List as an almost indigenous species — though it has for 
so many years been absent, except for the occasional appearance 
of a few individuals. 
B.4S1L W. Martin, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 
