a THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Mr. R. T. Filmer says it is " common and breeds there." 

 In South, West and North Kent it appears to be just as 

 abundant as in East Kent. 



Writing about the birds of the Cranbrook district, 

 Captain Boyd Alexander says : " The severe drought (189(j) 

 has at length abated ; while it lasted things looked dis- 

 tressed. The dark foliage of copse and hedgerow stood 

 out in bold relief against the brown of the parched-up 

 pasture-lands, cropped close, and in places to the very 

 roots, by grazing sheep and cattle. In bird-life the 

 scarcity of food became also felt. It was quite a painful 

 sight to witness Thrushes and Blackbirds on the parched- 

 up fields, engaged in their spasmodic ramblings after 

 worms which they could not get. Premature migration 

 became general with Missel- and Song-Thrashes, and 

 also with Blackbirds, when the currants and raspberries 

 in our gardens no longer afforded them subsistence." 



KEDWING. 



T Urdus iliacus, Linnaeus. S.N., i., p. 292 (176G). 



It is well known among naturalists that Eedwings 

 are only winter visitors to this country. 



The following notes respecting its arrival in this 

 county have been given. Mr. G. W. Hulke, in his 

 list of the arrivals of winter visitors at Deal, gives 

 October 14. In the Eainham marshes Mr. F. D. Power 

 says : "First seen on October 9. On the morning of the 

 21st a considerable migration of these birds took place 

 in a south-westerly direction." 



Mr. W. Prentis writes : " They come in autumn, the 

 latter end of October, in small numbers. Should the 



