EEDWING 9 



winter be severe, they suffer equally with the Song- 

 Thrush." 



Eedwings were first observed in the Mersham district 

 on November 24, and they increased in numbers in 

 January, and remained in the woodsides about Bilsing- 

 ton and Euckinge up to the end of March, and appeared 

 then to be going north. It is also mentioned hi the 

 " Higham district" and the "Mailing valley" by the 

 Eev. C. H. Fielding. Mr. H. Lamb says : " It is 

 common in the Maidstone district," and he saw a flock 

 of about a dozen in December, 1878, in the Loose 

 valley, and they seem especially fond, he says, " of 

 poking about amongst dead leaves and in the open fields 

 in mild weather, and I have seen it near Maidstone as 

 late as the first week in April." 



Captain J. D. Cameron tells us that it visits the 

 Bethersden district. In the Birds of East Kent, Mr. 

 G. Dowker states that the Eedwing is "common," and 

 he says, " I have known of its breeding here," without 

 giving any reference or particulars on the subject. The 

 Eev. G. Pemberton Bartlett remarks that " Eedwings 

 generally arrive a short time before the Fieldfares in 

 Kent, but depart about the same time." According to 

 Lord Clifton, " Eedwings, in 1867-68, were tolerably 

 abundant at Cobham, Kent." It is included in Boys' 

 Birds of Sandwich, 1792. 



In the Orlestone and surrounding neighbourhood Mr. 

 E. T. Filmer states " that it is a common winter visitant." 

 Some specimens in the Maidstone Museum were shot 

 at Boxley, one of which is a pale, buff-coloured bird. 

 One that was picked up dead under the telegraph wires, 

 close to Ham Street, Kent, by Mr. E. G. Eogers, on 

 January 22, 1906, had no doubt struck the wires. In 



