262 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



apparently more curious than angry. By the afternoon 

 all had settled down quietly together. As the visits of 

 this bird are now becoming rare, you may think this 

 worth recording." It has also been mentioned by the 

 late Mr. C. Gordon from Dover, and the Rev. W. B. 

 Delmar from Elmstone. 



Family CUCULID^. 



Genus CUCULUS, Linnaeus. 



CUCKOO. 



Cuculus canorus, Linnaeus. S.N., i., p. 1G8 

 (1766). 



Gowk. 



The well-known Cuckoo, which every lover of birds 

 listens for in the early spring, arrives at the beginning 

 of April if the season is open and moderately warm, and 

 may be seen or heard in all the woodlands and planta- 

 tions throughout the county. The dates of its arrival 

 vary considerably, which no doubt is to be attributed to 

 the atmospheric changes, and the direction of the wind 

 at the end of March and the early part of the month of 

 April. In the subjoined particulars the data will be 

 given in chronological order for easy reference. 



Writing from Chart's Edge, near Westerham, in 1846, 

 Mr. J. F. Streatfield says : " These birds have been very 

 numerous here throughout the summer ; their eggs were 

 found in several nests. In one nest (a Tit-Lark's) I 

 found one half-fledged, which I took, to bring up by 

 hand. It was very spiteful, spreading its wings and flying 

 at my finger when offered food. During a month it was 



