356 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



boat of this place (Deal) saw a covey of Partridges 

 coming towards them (as if from France) ; one, more ex- 

 hausted than the rest, fell into the boat ; the rest reached 

 the shore in safety." Many varieties of the Partridge 

 are obtained during a season, some being pure white, 

 some having white wings, or mottled with white. Lord 

 Clifton mentions a buff-coloured bird obtained at Cobham, 

 Kent. 



On May 15, 1906, a Partridge took to laying eggs in 

 a wooden moveable fowl-house, placed in a field in 

 Romney Marsh, and in the same house a wild Eabbit 

 reared a litter of young ones. 



Grenus COTURNIX, Bonnaterre. 



QUAIL. 



Coturnix coturnix (Linnasus). S.N., i., p. 278 

 (1766). 



The Quail appears to be an irregular visitor to Kent,. 

 at the same time it has been found to breed on the 

 more open hills and rough, sandy places in the county. 



Boys includes it in the Birds of Sanchvich, 1792, and 

 the Rev. J. Pemberton Bartlett, in 1844, says it is. 

 " not common in Kent." 



This species was seen by Mr. E. J. Balston at Thurn- 

 ham, in Kent, on Sir G. Hampson's property, who in- 

 formed him that a bevy was generally to be found there. 

 Four occurred on Major Best's property at Boxley, twa 

 of which were shot, September, 1871, and one he found 

 in some swedes on Tyland Farm (Lord Aylesford's land), 

 September, 1871. In August, 1873, he used to hear 

 them calling in the evening and supposed they must 



