INTRODUCTION. 7 



salt marshes is another trade for the purpose of 

 making cement ; barges sail to and from London 

 and elsewhere loaded with bricks, coal, clay, hay, 

 straw, and most other kinds of produce and manure ; 

 the latter is a great benefit to the parish in every way 

 rendering the soil more productive. Cultivation is 

 going on as well as it can be done, almost everything 

 that is either sown or planted grows as a rule to an 

 average perfection. 



Rainham possesses 2000 acres of land containing 

 a population of 3000 inhabitants, swarms with chil- 

 dren, 700 of whom attend school ; this must be con- 

 sidered a thriving parish and cannot be said to stand 

 last upon the list towards national prosperity. Were 

 the people evenly distributed they would occupy 

 every acre, fortunately for the naturalist they prefer 

 not the woods on one side of the parish or the 

 marshes on the other ; they flock for the most part 

 into the principal village on the high road in the 

 centre of the parish, where the shops, school, church, 

 and various other places of resort are situate ; em- 

 ployment is provided for all who are disposed to 

 work, either in field or factory, high, low, rich and 

 poor alike. 



I now come to the subject of my text Notes on 

 the Birds of Rainham including the district between 

 Chatham and Sittingbourne. 



That extremely wet summer of 1860 is my excuse, 

 or rather my pleasure, for making birds a study. 

 Generally at home on my farm in the country my 

 opportunities have not been slight for bird observa- 

 tion, at the same time being fond of my gun with a 



