96 
FAMILY RALLIDAl.—(page 113). 
We have occasionally met with the Spotted Crake, and the 
Baillon’s Crake, both rare birds. Water rails are tolerably abundant 
and excellent eating. 
FAMILY OTIDIDA.—(page 118). 
Both the Great Bustard and Little Bustard have been met with 
in few numbers and at rare intervals. The Great Bustard was last 
seen in this district in 1883, when two specimens were met with, the 
male at Rolvenden and the female near Wye, and were both sent to 
Mr. Gordon to stuff; one older specimen was in the Dover Museum 
from the Plomley collection, and another in the Canterbury Museum, 
which it is believed was shot at Whitstable. Specimens were 
obtained also, in 1850, from Lydd and New Romney. 
The Little Bustard—But few specimens of this rare bird are 
recorded from our district; one, now in the Rev. B. Austen’s 
collection, was killed some years ago, in St. Nicholas Marshes. 
Another specimen from the Plomley collection is in the Dover 
Museum. 
FAMILY (&DICNEMID.—(page 113). 
But one representative of this family exists in the British Isles, 
the Stone Curlew, or Thick Knee, a rare bird which I have known 
to have been recorded of late. A specimen of the Stone Curlew 
was shot at Ash; when last met with, it was found on that 
extraordinary accumulation of stones, known as the ‘‘ Lydd Beach.” 
This is not only the home of many rare birds, but is a perfect 
wilderness, while a fauna and flora is found no where else to be 
met with in the South Eastern Corner of England. The beach, 
which has been accumulating round Dungeness for many centuries, is 
upwards of three miles in width at its broader part, a stony desert 
relieved here and there by large ponds, and a sort of oasis, surrounded 
by swamp and tall bull rushes; the resort of numerous species 
of wild fowl and sea birds; the beach still preserves the ridges, 
marking the lines of the former recession of the sea, and crowned 
in the most ancient ridges with a stunted vegetation of brambles 
and briar bushes, while lichens and moss have consolidated the 
pebbles. Nearer the shore the loose beach, yielding to the steps of 
the explorer, makes the walking exceedingly laborious, and few, 
save the Coast guard men, cross it; and they make use of a sort of 
snow shoe, known by the local name of ‘“ baxters,” on which they 
skate along the beach. ‘lhis isolated and unfrequented spot is 
now however invaded by the Iron roads, the Railways, and the 
last retreat of the wild bird is thus threatened. 
