1G8 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



also a pair from the same locality procured on May 9, 

 1887, and presented by Mr. E. Bartlett to the same 

 Museum, and a female from Leeds in Kent, obtained 

 on March 4, 1890, and given by Mr. H. Elgar. 



In 1887, Mr. E. Bartlett was collecting particulars 

 respecting the Hawfinch in Kent, and his specimens are 

 now in the collection of the Honorable Walter Eothschild, 

 and the data of these are as follows : — 



Female, December 16, 1887, Tovil, Maidstone ; two 

 males. May 11, 1887, Boughton, Kent; male, May 20, 

 1887, Boughton, Kent ; one male and two females, May 

 25, 1887, Boughton, Kent ; male and female, young, 

 July 13, 1888, Boughton ; male, young, July 23, 1889, 

 Boughton ; female, January 0, 1888, Boughton ; male, 

 February 3, 1888, Boughton ; male and female, February 

 4, 1888, Boughton; male, February 21, 1888, Boughton; 

 ('?), March 26, 1888, Boughton; tw'o males and female, 

 April 3, 1888, Boughton. 



Most of the crops of the birds taken during the winter 

 contained the kernels of damson and cherry stones, but 

 in one of those taken in May the crop contained fifty 

 green caterpillers. 



Food of the Haw/inch. — " A favourite summer food of 

 the Hawfinch is green peas ; the quantity they will con- 

 sume is rather astonishing. In the autumn I found in 

 their stomachs the kernels of a small stone-fruit, which, 

 as the birds had been frequenting bullace trees, and the 

 odour of prussic acid was very strong, I have no doubt 

 they obtained from that fruit. A very favourite food 

 seems to be the fruit of the yew, and I have also found 

 what I have not the slightest doubt were the kernels of 

 the whitethorn. Both the kernels of the bullace and 

 whitethorn were divested of the hard shells." — T. South- 

 well {Zoologist, 1888, p. 117). 



