The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-02-28 00:00:00

THE GREAT BENTARD IN WILTSHIRE.

A great bustard has recently been killed on the old
haunt of that bird—Salisbury Plain. I notice that in
some of your contemporaries it is stated that no bird
of this kind has been seen in Wiltshire for fifty years.
I am in a position to state that this is incorrect.
In January, 1856. • male Bustard was woundA by
a shot from one of Lord Ailesbury's keepers, and two
days afterwards was, strange to say, captured by a
little boy of only seven years old. It WM subsequently
purchased by my late neighbour, the Rev. G. T.
Marsh, the vicar of Sutton Benger, Wilts, in whose
valuable ornithological collection I have very fre-
quently seen it. At Mr. Marsh's death, in 1842, it
became, I believe, the property of his brother, Mr.
Matthew Marsh, late M.P. for Salisbury.
The particulars of the capture of this Bastard are
so singular that I will relate them, as they may
interest some of your medlars. The keeper shot at
the bird whilst it was flying, not knowing what bird
it was, or ignorantly fancying, as it was suet a large
bird, that it most be an eagle. The distance was so
great, and as the bird flur on apparently unharmed,
the keeper thought no more of it. A few days after
it little farm boy aged seven. saw a bird laid down and
Watering in a turnip hell. The Isd, a brave littlo
caught it by Obl: win;, •thl dragged it (Ow hint wa,
weak with hunger and lois of blood), aorou the field
for • quarter of • mile' and took ii to a barn, where a
man broke its neck. The labourers in the barn had
just come in to dinner, and warded to pluck and dress
the bird for that meal. However, the lot stalked off
with his property to his back, and bold it for one
shilling. My friend Mr. Marsh was glad to give
twenty sovereigns, fee it a little time afterwards. I
have often looked at the bird with great interest, and
wandered how a little fellow dared to capture it, for
it measured from wing to wing more than six feet.
I knew two other gentlemen who had seen bustards
In Wiltshire. The late Bev. Robert Ash°, the rector
of Largley•Burrell, caught a young one, and tied its
legs with a pockethaudicerehief, and hid the bird in a
hole until ho had taken Divine service, but afterward,
found neither bird nor handkerelt• if. The late Mr.
William Lanfear, of Christian-Nl:Word, bad also seeii
more than one on the Plain, and one that was cap.
turod and kept for a few days by a cottager in a pig-
stye.
Indeed, It is • mistake to thick that no bustards
have been seen or killed of late years. One was shot
in Cornwall in 1813, and one near Stonehenge in 1849.
Reoently bustards have been seen, I believe, in York'
shire, as well as in Wilts. It seems strange that they
always are found in those counties in which they once
were common. Then, it is odd that now all the
country is divided into farms, and on farms labourers
are constantly working, yet, save now and then,
bustards, birds as big at turkeys, are not seen, flow
to explain this I know not, and that bustards could fly
over the sea is out of the question, and if they could
they would be seen in Kent or Swat Must it not
come to this—that a few birds, though under great dis•
advantages, still exist, and breed, and bring up ,a very
few young onesf—WlLYetueg Moron.

The Queen and Prinoess hnuise visited tho Duke and
Duchess of Argyle on Tuesday.
A "respectable trade,mann has been appreloudel in
Eiinburgh. In his house *ore found 140 stolun
watcbea.

A stormy meeting at Oltagow on Tuesday pissed
resolutions in favour of the repeal, of the ContAgious
Diseases Atm.

Mr. Cardwell paid an ofileial visit to Woolwich on
Tuesday to carry out the transfer of the Dockyard to
the War Department.

The Leeds papers report the death on Monday night
of a 'Baptist minister of some celebrity iu the North,
the Riv. Dr. Godwin. -

A boy named Picard, living at Wenkleigh, North
Devou,has been killed by the accidental discharge of a
pistol which he tied in his pocket.
At Cambridge Trinity sports on Thursday,the handle tp
stranger's mile rue, a cup value £l5. was won by the
Hon. Mr. Pelham, in 4 mini. 27 iPc.,wlth 85 yards start.
Major-General Beckworth, Colonel 4th Hussars an '
old Peninsular and Waterloo officer, died on Thursday
at Silksworth, Durham, in his 71st year.
A NIGHT Or tr.—Young wife (25. m. Dinner at the
. Albion! the Theatre! and supper and • rubber at the
club! Well, Henry, 1 wonder you did not go to all the
places of amusement in London, and (sobbing) not come
home all night!" Henry: My dear, all th'other plashes
shu`rup l'ustrk.
A Welsh load bosird—that if Llanvrechvia—has deter-
mined not to admit reporters to its meetings. The
Home liestreta7 was appealed to.hand his reply says
that thoush ' • reporter cannot claim as of right to be
present at the meetings of • loos' board, the advantages
of publicity are too obvious to require any official en-
forcemeat. from the Homo-office.'
INTIMIDATION FROSTRATID. —A few nights ago three
men with their faces disguised foroed an entrance into
the house of a farmer named Francis llart.gh, who
lives at • place called Clousheeran. neat Killashee,
county Longford, and endeavoured to force him on his
knees to swear an with respecting a farm in the neigh-
bourhood, which is held by another man from Martegh
and about the rent of which there is some disputat
Kathie% boldly declined to *amply with their behest
and threatened to shoot them if they persevered upon,
which they quietly withdrew.
AN ARTFUL DODGE. —On Monday a man named Wail
went to • carrier, who was going from Reeding to
Hatley Row, and gave him • pared addressed to
.Miss
Elisabeth Sharp. He raid it contained Nadl.
jo itiall for
also gave him • bottle which contained meei
Miss Sharp's pony. The man said there w
ghteen
pence to pay on the articles. The
nestrafeer paid the
re_di
he money,had
bLunt on h
cheated that
tit at
the
Hartleyparcelll:ow esiifiodu
to be
bet a
and the bottle dirty water. The man
to
drover from Wiltshire.
swellishly &Mull
ruAre, with a slight mous-
tache, gentleman, short In free lodging arid mulcted
Csirrion ro PURL:Cr:a
obtained some t.
busters
.lbeeerk.oughffehioateTlieveodf
sr.hotrotdlyd
witsheftohlanr:
flotohlrdleowor.i.f
t°ge.rmen"ooffptightehe College, an sumptuously
In payment he gave the landlordd
chequefive days.
odolaLondon bank, in • f:mide s hand
afwriting,
made payable to "Herbert," receiving rt odd
in change, and departing by an early train the next
morning. Need we say that on application in London
the °begun was dishonoured?
Buacii or Paostes.—Attthaen Wacetsitomnoreaglaaninsd
taristairre:
farmer, for breach of promise
jatisehn
Glir."ary
plilor. : afigeenlduebmroma
of marrjege. The plaintiff is now 21 years of age, the
defendant is nearly 40, and, for his station, is a wealthy
man. In 1869 the plaintiff elm sent with some millinery
to the housekeeper of the defendant. He b dug •
bachelor, commenced to pay attonuions to Mimi Rou.field
and continued to do so until last year, when he married
another lady. Her mother sent her daughter to Liver-
pool, but Mr. Grainger followed her there. The
defence was a denial of any promise' of marriage. He
also at the trial made an assertion as to the plaintiff's
morality, and called witnesses with the object of
supporting his italament. 'rhe iiuy retuned a nail
tor the plaiatiff, damages NCO.