Remorseful thief returns egg 43 years later

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The bustard's egg returned to Overbeck's Museum 43 years after it was stolen

A rare bird's egg stolen from a museum by a teenager 43 years ago has been returned - by the now middle-aged remorseful thief.

Staff at Overbeck's Museum, Salcombe, South Devon, were astonished when they received an old cigar tin containing a bustard's egg - and an anonymous letter wrapped around the tin.

The letter containing a guilt-racked confession read: "The enclosed tin contains the egg of a little bustard that I stole from your museum when I was on a hitchhiking trip through the West Country in my early teens in 1963.

"I was with a friend who stole a guillemot's egg at the same time. I have not seen him in decades and have no idea if that egg survived.

"However as the little bustard's was by far the rarer I am sure you'll be pleased to have it returned."

The letter adds: "I do apologise profusely: we do things as kids that we would never dream of doing as adults.

"I would have returned this very much earlier only it has just resurfaced following the death of a parent."

The small grey-brown, which was carefully packed in bubble wrap will return to the National Trust museum's egg display in the winter.

Such exhibitions are now behind glass - so people cannot be tempted to take home a memento.

Sarah Freeman, house manager at Overbeck's Museum, said: "We were very pleased to see the return of this little egg to our small Britsh birds' eggs collection.

"The eggs belonged to the last owner of Overbeck's, Otto Overbeck, who was a great collector of natural history specimens.

"Now of course we are strongly opposed to the collecting of eggs - these Victorian/Edwardian collections were fashionable at the time - but today we can study birds without having a negative impact on our wildlife population."

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