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FAMILY CHARADRIIDA!.—-(page 113). 
The Cream Coloured Courser.—This very rare bird was 
obtained by Mr. William Hammond in 1785, the particulars of 
which are recorded in the second edition of Yarrell’s British Birds. 
It is a native of Africa, and therefore only an accidental visitor to 
the British Isles. The Dotterel is now rarely met with, and is a 
summer visitor, 
The Ringed Plover is frequently called the Dotterel, in Kent, 
frequenting the Sandy shores of Kent in shoals. The Kentish 
Plover should be found in greater abundance, but like many of our 
wading birds it is annually diminishing in number, chiefly I believe 
from being disturbed in its breeding places. The Golden Plover is 
only a winter visitor in Kent, and is the commonest species next to 
the Lap Wing. 
FAMILY SCOLOPACIDA.—(page 114). 
This numerous family is well represented along our coasts and 
marshes, but many are visitors, seeking breeding places elsewhere. 
The Avocet is now a very rare bird, and nearly extinct as far as Kent 
is concerned ; all the recorded specimens having been obtained many 
years ago. The Grey Phalarope is also very rare. I have only one 
record of the Red Necked Phalarope, and the same may be said of 
Temmick’s Stint. A specimen of the Black Winged Stint was in 
the Canterbury Museum, obtained some years ago from this 
neighbourhood, but I have no other record of it. 
The Common Redshank still breeds in the Stour Marshes, but 
the Greenshank does not breed with us, unless it still haunts 
Romney Marsh. The Knot has been obtained from Lydd Beach in 
the summer time. 
The Ruff appears of late to be very rare in Kent. 
The Sandy flats of Sandwich Bay and Muddy shore near the 
mouth of the Stour (which now finds an exit for its waters in 
Pegwell Bay) is the Winter resort of most of the Scolopacide, and 
deserves more than a passing notice. From this place most of the 
rare birds recorded by Mr. Boys were obtained; the spot is so 
frequently resorted to by the cockney sportsmen, who visit 
Ramsgate, that the birds have become very wary and few venture 
within gun shot, though they alight in spots surrounded by the sea 
at high water, and may be seen in flocks at such places. The 
Sandwich bay is flanked by a large expanse of sand hills, the mouth 
of the Stour, by mud flats at places covered with bushy masses of 
the Sea Purslane, Atriplex portulacoides, and Suda Marina. 
An island, formed by the river, would prove a safe shelter for the 
birds, were it not frequented by wild fowlers in boats, but it is not 
