200 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



in colouring." In East Kent the males assume the fine 

 yellow plumage of those found in North Middlesex. 



In 1900 Mr. T. Hepburn found the Yellow Bunting on 

 May 10 and 14, "common and nesting in the furze 

 bushes on the beach at Dungeness." 



CIEL BUNTING. 



Emheriza cbius, Linnaeus. S.N.^ i., p. 311 (1766). 



From the few records of the occurrence of the Cirl 

 Bunting in Kent, it is evident that it is far from being 

 a permanent resident, and only occasionally found 

 breeding in the count3\ 



In his Ornitliological Notes on the Birds of Kent, 

 1844, the Rev. J. Pemberton Bartlett states that the 

 Cirl Bunting is " rare." In the spring of 1857, Mr. 

 R. J. Balston shot five of these birds on the Warren at 

 Boxley in Kent, and he noticed them again on March 19, 

 1859. In the Zoologist, 1872, Mr. D. T. Button, of 

 Gravesend, writing on February 21, says : " The Cirl 

 Bunting also occurs here (Gravesend) in flocks of from 

 four to twelve." 



In The Birds of Great Britain, 1873, Mr. J. Gould 

 says " it is by no means scarce in Kent," &c. 



In Mr. G. Dowker's Birds of East Kent, 1889, it is 

 considered a "common resident"; he also adds the 

 localities and authorities as follows : Dover, C. Gordon ; 

 Elmstone, Rev. B. Delmar; Kent, Dr. F. Plomley. 



Mr. 0. V. Aplin, in On the Distribution of the Cirl 

 Bunting {Zoologist, 1892), under the county of Kent, 

 states that "Mr. W. 0. Hammond, of St. Alban's Court, 

 Wingham, writes : ' I have never myself seen the Cirl 



