62 THE BIRDS OF RAINHAM. 



AVOCET. 

 Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn. 



The Avocet is extremely rare ; only upon one 

 occasion, to my knowledge, having been met with, 

 which was on the 23rd September, 1887, one was 

 seen flying along a creek and 'shot ; a bird of the 

 second year ; another was observed soon afterwards, 

 which I believe escaped. 



BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 

 Limosa cegocephala (Linn.). 



In the month of January, 1881, several immature 

 Black-tailed Godwits were met with, flying along the 

 edge of our Medway saltings at the flow of the tide, 

 one of them was shot. October 2Oth, 1882. A 

 pair of adult Black-tailed Godwits, accompanied with 

 a pair of adult Spotted Redshanks, were together on 

 the border of one of our Medway creeks ; one of each 

 was shot. 



RUFF. 



Machetes pugnax (Linn.). 



Adult Ruffs on their migratory passage are 

 extremely rare ; immature birds in the autumn are 

 frequently obtained, they seem to prefer the marsh 

 ditches to the more open banks of the Medway. 



