304 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



The following note is taken from the Baihj Chronicle, 

 August 13, 1906 : " A pair of Kestrels have built a nest 

 on the cliffs between Folkestone and Dover. A local 

 naturalist, who was watching the birds on Saturday, had 

 a trying experience. One of them suddenly flew up and 

 began to circle about him, and was shortly joined by its 

 mate. The Hawks got closer and closer, and their 

 attitude was so threatening that the naturalist made his 

 way to Lydden Spout coastguard station for shelter. 

 The coastguards say that the birds have given a similar 

 scare to several W'ho have shown too close an interest in 

 their nest." 



Mr. G. Dowker, in his Birds of East Kent, says: " As 

 an instance of the usefulness of this bird, I may relate 

 that my son was one day out Partridge shooting, and 

 saw hovering over a turnip field a Kestrel, which he 

 shot, when immediately a covey of Partridges arose. He 

 brought it home to me in proof of its destructive quali- 

 ties. I assured him it would not kill any bird so large 

 as a Partridge, and on opening it I found its crop filled 

 with caterpillars, and I found the same caterpillars in 

 abundance in the turnip field." 



LESSEE KESTEEL. 



TinniLnculus cenchris (Naumann). Vog. Deutscli., 

 i., p. 313 (1822). 



There is but one record at present of the occurrence 

 of the Lesser Kestrel in Kent, which is to be found in 

 the Zoologist, 1877, as follows : The late Mr. C. Gordon 

 (May 22, 1877) states that "Mr. E. P. Eobinson has 

 lately presented to the Dover Museum a specimen of the 



