138 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



trees and larger woods prevent the ordinary observer 

 from seeing the beauties of the bird. 



In Yarrell's British Birds, 1871-74, Professor Newton 

 remarks " that it is impossible to fix the precise time 

 of this bird's visitation, as Latham, for instance, states 

 that one was killed at Eltham in the winter of 1781, 

 without indicating whether it was in the winter of 1780- 

 81, or that of 1781-82 " ; no doubt it was obtained in 

 1781, whether at the commencement of the year or at 

 the end is of minor importance. 



An adult skin of the Waxwing from Kent is in the 

 British Museum ; it was presented by Colonel Montagu. 



The Kev. J. Pemberton Bartlett, in his Ornithology of 

 Kent {Zoologist, 1844), states that ''several specimens 

 of this beautiful bird have been taken in Kent. In the 

 autumn of 1840 I was attracted by the strange note of a 

 bird in an Acacia in the garden, which proved to be a 

 Waxwing. I speedily got my gun and shot at it, and 

 it fell in a fir plantation near, but from the high grass 

 and not being certain of the exact spot in w^hich it fell 

 I was unable to find it, although I made a long and keen 

 search." 



Mr. Walter W. Reeves wrote saying that " a Wax- 

 wing was shot at Brenchley, near Tunbridge Wells, on 

 January 6, 1850." 



On January 16, 1860, Dr. F. Plomley wrote stating that 

 " several Waxwings had been shot in different parts of 

 the county." 



On January '22, 1850, Mr. Edward Newman in the 

 Zoologist says : " I have notices of this bird having been 

 killed last week in many localities round London, viz.^ 

 Eltham and Rainham, &c." 



" In the last week of January, 1850, a Waxwing was 



