NUTCRACKER 213 



Genus NUCIFRAGA, Brisson. 



NUTCEACKBE. 



Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linnaeus). H.N., i., 

 p. 157 (1766). 



The Nutcracker is an extremely rare and accidental 

 visitor to this county, and up to the present time only 

 four instances of its occurrence in Kent are on record. 



The first is that which Latham mentions in his 

 Synopsis, 1781, as " a mutilated skin of which is now in 

 the house of an acquaintance of mine." There is an 

 adult specimen in the British Museum, labelled Kent, 

 presented by Mr. William George. 



The following record is given of the third specimen 

 obtained : — 



Becent Occurrence of the Nutcracker in Kent. — " Your 

 readers will be interested to hear of the recent occurrence 

 in Kent of the Nutcracker {Nucifraga caryocatactes), a 

 bird sufficiently rare in this country to deserve notice. 

 The specimen referred to was shot by me on November 

 17 (1885), near Eddington. I saw this bird two days 

 before it was shot, and had good opportunity of observing 

 its movements, which appear to partake of those of the 

 Jackdaw and Magpie. It was flying from an elm tree to 

 the ground, and raking among the fallen leaves with a 

 sharp busy motion, quite undisturbed by the presence of 

 myself and a friend, whose attention I called to the 

 indifference which the bird displayed. Although I spoke 

 very loudly, to try the effect, no notice was taken, and it 

 was only the abrupt appearance of a fox-terrier on the 

 scene that caused the bird to take refuge in the tree 

 overhead. We were standing within 40 yards, and it 



