Pallas's sandgrouse
Category
Natural History / Taxidermy
Date
Unknown
Materials
Display case with taxidermy pallas sandgrouse
Measurements
1' x 2' (case)
Order this imageCollection
Felbrigg, Norfolk
NT 1400285
Caption
Sand grouse normally live in the deserts of Central Asia, but in 1863 and again in 1888, many hundreds of them arrived in Britain (and very few since). Some even nested here. Ornithological collectors all wanted a pair of these unusual birds (look at their feet for example) as a memento of the ‘irruptions’ and a high proportion ended up in glass cases. No respectable collection would be without one, imported from abroad if necessary. Other typical examples can be seen at Calke (287895) and Sheringham (801108), the latter probably set up by Ellis of Swaffam (or possibly Sayer of Norwich).
Summary
Display case containing a pair of stuffed Pallas Sandgrouse. Case 6.
Provenance
Part of the Windham Collection. The hall and contents were bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969 by Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer (1906-1969)