300 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



the county in the spring for its more northern breeding 

 haunts. In Kent it is called the " Blue Hawk," from 

 the slate-grey colour of its plumage. 



In Mr. W. H. Power's Birds Observed at Rainham, 

 Kent, he says : While walking on the marshes one day in 

 September (1865) last, I heard some Eedshanks in a 

 creek making a great noise, evidently being in a state of 

 great alarm ; presently a single Kedshank appeared, 

 shooting along within a few feet of the surface of the 

 mud, and shrieking with fear ; close behind him came a 

 Merlin in hot pursuit. The Kedshank, in his terror, flew 

 up a blmd creek, and finding no outlet, settled on the 

 mud, where he remained, while the Merlin wheeled 

 over, without, however, attempting to strike him ; but 

 at length, catching sight of me, he went off, leaving 

 the Redshank still on the mud, from which he did not 

 attempt to move until I started him. The wonderful 

 speed and activity of the Merlin were here well displayed 

 by the manner in which he followed, in all its doublings, 

 a bird of such rapid and irregular flight as a Kedshank, 

 and I fully believe the latter would hardly have escaped 

 had not I appeared upon the scene." 



Mr. J. Hunter records a male Merlin that was shot 

 at Faversham on November 3, 1868. According to Mr. 

 F. D. Power, of Kainham, the " first Merlin observed 

 was on October 12, 1868 ; but is a rare species here, 

 although a pair used to frequent a particular wood every 

 winter for some years ; they first failed in 1867, and had 

 not appeared this year at the end of October." There is 

 a specimen in the Maidstone Museum obtained at Tovil, 

 by Mr. H. Kennard. Lord Clifton says it was seen during 

 the winter, and again in the spring of 1871. As usual, 

 in November and December (1876), the gamekeepers here 



