10 THE BIRDS OF RAINHAM. 



OSPREY. 

 Pandion haliaetus (Linn.). 



I had the pleasure of meeting with an Osprey 

 sitting upon a post on the salting in the parish of 

 Upchurch, adjoining Rainham ; it had been feeding 

 upon a flounder and when shot at by myself and 

 friends it escaped, taking a direct course up the river ; 

 an Osprey was shot three days afterwards, according 

 to the " Zoologist," at Uxbridge in Middlesex. 



An Osprey was shot here by Mr. George Power 

 about the year 1878 in September the month when 

 the Grey Mullets are plentiful ; it was seen sitting on 

 the edge of a narrow piece of salting beside the marsh 

 wall, over which it was shot ; at the same time being 

 mobbed by a flock of Peewits. 



PEREGRINE FALCON. 

 Falco peregrinu s, J. F. Gmelin. 



There is seldom a year passes that one or more 

 Peregrines are not seen flying over the Medway, they 

 are chiefly young birds, a few adults are now and then 

 obtained ; according to my notes one of the latter to 

 five of the former ; it is a very interesting sight to 

 witness a Peregrine Falcon in pursuit of a flock of 

 Starlings, dashing amongst them in the air until one 

 is singled out for prey. 



