AVOCET 389 



of this bird was shot about four miles from Eye, by a 

 fisherman, a week or two since (end of March, 1849). 

 These birds are now very rare in this part, though 

 formerly they used to breed here. — Eye, April 17, 1849." 



Mr. H. Benson, writing April 29, 1849, says: "A pair 

 of Avocets were shot during the month of March, in the 

 marshes between Eamsgate and Sandwich. The man 

 who shot them told me that they had been seen in 

 nearly the same place for some weeks before. They 

 are very fine specimens ; and I do not doubt that, had 

 they remained undisturbed, they would have bred in 

 the marshes." 



Writing again on July 14, 1849, Mr. J. B. Ellman 

 states that "another fine specimen of this noiv scarce 

 bird occurred here last April. In the former occurrence 

 which I noticed there were five in a flock, but only one 

 was procured." 



Mr. J. 0. Harper, writing December 4, 1850, records 

 that "a specimen of the Avocet was shot at Sandwich 

 on April 22, 1849, by a gentleman formerly of Lowestoft." 



AVriting on January 26, 1857, the Eev. C. W. Shepherd, 

 of Trottescliffe, Kent, states that "an Avocet was shot 

 in the marshes, near Eochester, about five weeks ago ; 

 it is now in my possession." 



In 1858 Mr. J. Gardner records the occurrence of the 

 Avocet in Kent : "I have just preserved a fine specimen 

 of this bird for Mr. Gateridge, of Faversham, Kent, shot 

 close to the town. A few years since it was to be found 

 in numbers in this neighbourhood." 



Mr. W. Prentis, in his Birds of Bainham, writes that 

 " only upon one occasion, to my knowledge, has the 

 Avocet been met with at Eainham, which was on 

 September 23, 1887. One was seen flying along a creek 



