36 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



which we have been able to obtain proves that the 

 species is an irregular visitor to the county of Kent. 



In his OniitJioIogij of Kent (Zoologist, 1844), the Eev. 

 J. Pemberton Bartlett says it is " very rare." The only 

 notice we find in Newton's Yarrell (1871-74) of this bird 

 is — " to the eastward it is less common, but it has occurred 

 many times in Sussex, and more or less often in Kent, 

 Suffolk and Norfolk." 



In the Zoologist, 1883, Mr. W. Oxenden Hammond states 

 that " on May 9, having been fishing in some preserved 

 water in this neighbourhood (Wingham), I saw a Black 

 Eedstart. I was in a waggonette at the time on my w^ay 

 home, and my keeper w^as with me and saw the bird as 

 well very clearly. The bird was an old male, as I inferred 

 from the plumage being perfect. It was close to the 

 road and very near to me when I first observed it ; and 

 after settling twice on the ground, just before my 

 waggonette, it flew into a large group of ash and syca- 

 more, and settled against the trunk of a tree near the 

 ground, running up the bark for a few feet in a diagonal 

 position, apparently with ease. It then flew off the 

 trunk into the foliage, and I lost sight of it. 



" The bird that I saw on May 9, has appeared there- 

 fore at an exceptional season ; and since France and 

 Belgium are mentioned as its breeding places there 

 seems to be no reason why it should not breed here, and 

 possibly there may be a pair in the locality where I saw 

 the male." There are specimens in the Canterbury 

 Museum from Dover, and others in the Dover Museum 

 in the collection formed by Dr. F. Plomley. 



In the Birds of East Kent, Mr. G. Dowker says 

 the " Black Eedstart is rare, but more frequent than 

 formerly ; this is not merely my opinion, but is shared in 



