326 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Morris says : " In the year 1848 many were seen and 

 not a few killed in Kent, near Gravesend." There is 

 a specimen in Dyke Koad Museum which was shot in 

 Romuey Marsh in Kent, during the winter of 1859-60. 



Mr. H. J. Harding, of Deal, writing to the Zoologist, 

 1871, says: "During the late frost about nine Swans 

 visited the Marshes near Deal ; three were shot, but 

 they were in very poor condition, weighing about 15 lbs. ; 

 one was a Black Swan." This latter bird had escaped 

 from confinement. 



" The following are the dimensions of a Wild Swan 

 {Cygniis ferns) shot by me while cruising in the yacht 

 ' Scout,' on the Medway, on February 15, 1879. From 

 tip to tip of wings, 7 feet 5 inches ; from point of beak 

 to point of tail feathers, 4 feet 5 inches ; weight, 161- lbs. 

 The bird flew across the bow of my boat, and was killed 

 by the first barrel of an 8-bore breech-loader. The 

 yellow on the upper part of the beak (the distinguishing 

 mark of a Whooper, or Wild Swan) was of a deep orange 

 colour, showing him to be an old bird." — W. S. N., 

 Morning Telegraph, March 1, 1879. 



Dr. F. Plomley found it in Eomney Marsh, Mr. C. 

 Gordon at Dover, and Mr. G. Dowker at Stourmouth. 



About 1860 Mr. E. J. Balston shot one (immature) 

 on the Medway near New Hythe, below Aylesford. 



BEWICK'S SAVAN. 



Gijgnus bewicJcii, Yarrell. Trans. Linn. Soc, xvi., 

 p. 445 (1833). 



Bewick's Swan is a winter visitor, and has been 

 obtained in Kent on several occasions, but it is not so 

 numerous a species in the county as it sometimes is in 

 the North. 



