260 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



and well sustained. On the 23rd 1 saw another about a 

 quarter of a mile from the same spot where I saw the 

 first. The white rump is very conspicuous when the 

 bird is on the wing. On the 24th, very early in the 

 morning, I shot this bird ; it was only winged, and when 

 I picked it up it bristled up like a game-cock, but this 

 was all show, no actual resistance. In a few minutes 

 I found another, which I did not shoot, but it was 

 obtained by a friend a few hours afterwards. Both birds 

 were females. None of the ova were larger than mustard 

 seed. The gizzards contained several caterpillars and 

 small beetles. Within a few years five others have 

 occurred here, besides several reports not so worthy of 

 implicit reliance." 



Mr. H. Whitely, in writing to the Zoologist, 1861, 

 says : " On May 14, 1861, I had a very fine Hoopoe 

 brought to me. It was shot on the morning of the 12th, 

 on Plumstead Common, Kent. Upon dissection it proved 

 to be a female ; some of the eggs were as large as No. 5 

 shot, and the stomach was full of the remains of beetles. 

 The bird was very fat, and in splendid plumage." 



In the Zoologist, 1862, Mr. J. Harding recorded " a 

 fine female Hoopoe, shot near Deal in August, 1862." 



Mr. J. Hunter records : " A Hoopoe was shot on April 

 21, 1870, at Lees Court, near Faversham ; it was in fine 

 plumage, but rather a small specimen." Another Hoopoe 

 is mentioned by Mr. W. J. 0. Hall, who says : " When 

 out shooting on September 25, 1876, I shot a very fine 

 Hoopoe near Faversham." Lord Clifton records one 

 from " Longfield, near Gravesend, on or about April 14, 

 1880." One is also mentioned in the Field of April 9, 

 1881, from Gravesend. In the Stourmouth district, Mr. 

 G. Dowker states that between 1885-87 the " Hoopoe 



