A HISTORY OF KENT 



In spring, migrants arrive on the south coast ; some to stay, others to 

 pass over the county on their w^ay northward to breed. In autumn the 

 return migration begins, and the birds, which have bred in the north, 

 make their way to the south-east portion of the county, about Dungeness, 

 where the crossing to the continent is shortest. About the same time 

 a migrational movement from the south-west to this same point also 

 takes place. The immigrations of the birds to the county from northern 

 Europe and the continent during autumn and winter are few. Kent lies 

 too far south to catch the movement that extends at those seasons across 

 the North Sea to our east coasts. 



The local museums are the Folkestone, Margate, Canterbury, Maid- 

 stone and Dover collections. Those of the first three places are in poor 

 condition and records are for the most part lost. 



In the last named there is the Plomley collection, containing many 

 species obtained by Dr. Plomley from Lydd and Romney Marsh. The 

 private collections I have referred to in my ' History of Kent Birds ' 

 are those of the late Mr. Walter Prentis (now at Rochester) of Mr. 

 Oxenden Hammond of St. Alban's Court, Nonington ; and of the 

 Rev. Benjamin Austen of Walmer. These contain many rare species, 

 principally obtained from the northern portions of the county. Lastly, 

 my own collection, consisting chiefly of birds from the Weald and the 

 south coast. 



In this article I have only given records which I have been able to 

 authenticate. I have omitted a few, elsewhere recorded, which are not 

 in my opinion satisfactory. My best thanks are due to Mr. Meade- 

 Waldo for his assistance in correcting my proofs. I have referred to 

 the following works : — 



Yairell's History of British Birds (ed. 4, 1885 Newton & Saunders) 



Manual of British Birds, Howard Saunders (1898) 



Handbook of British Birds, Harting (1901) 



Boys' History of Sandwich (List) 



List of Folkestone Birds (Henry UUyett) 



77;!^ Zoologist, 1 840-1 90 1 



The Birds of Rainham, Walter Prentis (i 894) 



The author's own notes, 1 887-1 900 



The author's articles in The Kentish Express, August 1899, to June 1 900 



I. Missel-Thrush. Turdus viscivorus, Linn. tember a migration southward may be noticed 



Locally, Missel-bird, Screech. ^.'"^''S '"^"f °{ °"^. home-bred birds, but 



these partial migrations depend to a great 



The missel - thrush is well distributed extent upon the supply of food. Should the 



throughout the wooded portions of the yews in October yield a good store of berries, 



county and among our orchards. In the numbers of birds will remain in the locality to 



breeding season the number of nests in one devour them. During a severe winter large 



locality is sometimes considerable, as many batches of foreigners appear in the county, to 



as five or six being found close together. leave again however in the following spring. 



This plentiful distribution invariably occurs In the severe winter of 1890 a great influx took 



after a mild winter, when no severe weather place, and these foreigners were invariably the 



has come to decimate the ranks of our home- first to succumb to the cold weather. Owing 



bred birds. About the end of July migra- probably to severe privations the plumage of 



tion commences, the flocks consisting mainly these birds was paler in colour than that of 



of young birds. Towards the end of Sep- our residents. 



270 



