KINGFISHER 255 



1865, he saj^s : " I am afraid that Kingfishers are not 

 so common as they were even a few years ago. This 

 autumn (the season during which they are usuahy most 

 common about Rainham) I scarcely saw any, while in 

 1863, at the same time of year, I met with several daily ; 

 and even allowing that I saw the same bird more than 

 once in the course of the day, I am afraid it goes some 

 way to prove that they are gradually becoming more 

 rare. They used occasionally to breed in the banks of 

 a deep pit, at a little distance from the marshes ; but 

 I believe the spot has been deserted by them for some 

 years." 



The various localities in which the Kingfisher has been 

 obtained are : Loose Bridge, Farleigh and Tovil, on the 

 Medway, 1874, H. Lamb ; a female obtained at Mailing, 

 September, 1878, Mr. E. J. Balston, and another 

 December 30, 1887, on the Medway ; a female in the 

 Maidstone Museum, from Boughton Monchelsea, 

 November 15, 1883, from Mr. F. Smith; one female, 

 Medway, December 1, 1870, in the Maidstone Museum. 

 Mr. H. Payne ; Bethersden, Captain J. D. Cameron ; 

 female, Romney Marsh, September 3, Dr. R. B. Sharpe, 

 in the British Museum. 



The Kingfisher, Mr. G. Dowker (1889) says, "is 

 generally distributed along the banks of the Stour, and 

 too frequently killed for its beauty. In winter it will 

 come near dwellings, though generally a shy bird." Mr. 

 R. T. Filmer states that it is occasionally seen on the 

 Royal Military Canal and in the marshes. It has been 

 seen to visit some of the large ponds in the Orlestone 

 district, and adjoining parishes. 



In his Birds of North Kent, Mr. T. Hepburn remarks : 

 "It strikes one rather by surprise to see a Kingfisher 



