A HISTORY OF KENT 



but not on half such a big scale. In the 

 collection of Mr. Prentis there is a cream- 

 coloured variety. Such specimens, as well 

 as albinisms, occur occasionally. 



86. Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus 



(Linn.) 

 A visitor of rare occurrence. In the Maid- 

 stone Museum there is a specimen obtained 

 in the neighbourhood in 1863. In 1889 

 Mr. Hammond of St. Alban's Court obtained 

 a fine adult specimen near Godmersham ; it 

 is now in his collection. In the summer of 

 1889 another specimen was obtained at God- 

 mersham and examined in the flesh by Mr. 

 Gordon of the Dover Museum (Z«fl/. 1889, 

 p. 185). On 14 May 1901 an adult male 

 was shot near Appledore and is now in my 

 collection. In the collection of Mr. Prentis 

 there is a specimen obtained at Wye. 



87. Chough. Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linn.) 

 In his History of Sandwich Dr. Boys men- 

 tions the chough in his list of Kent birds. It 

 was many years ago a resident in Sussex, and 

 therefore it is not unlikely it was also found 

 in those days in Kent inhabiting probably the 

 Dover cliffs. It is a curious thing, but in the 

 arms of the see of Canterbury three choughs 

 are shown. When the late Archbishop 

 Benson came from Cornwall he said that he 

 had come from the home of the chough to 

 find the bird engraved on his coat-of-arms at 

 Canterbury. 



88. Nutcracker. Nucifragacaryocatactes (Linn.) 

 A visitor of rare occurrence. There are 



two records : one, Kent (Latham, Synopsis, i. 

 400, 1781); one near Eddington, Kent, 17 

 November 1885 {Zoo/. 1885, p. 480). 



89. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.) 



This bird is still plentiful throughout the 

 county, but not so abundant as it used to be, 

 for where game is preserved the woods are 

 searched by the keepers in a most systematic 

 manner, and as soon as the young are hatched 

 they and the parent birds are killed. Partial 

 migrations occur in autumn, and the number 

 of home-bred birds are augmented by 

 foreigners during the winter months. 



90. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli) 



A resident, less numerous than formerly. 

 The remarks on the jay apply equally to this 

 species. 



91. Jackdaw. Corvus monedula, Linn. 

 Locally, Daw. 



A resident, but locally distributed. It may 

 frequently be found nesting in holes in trees 



close to rookeries. The jackdaws return to 

 their nesting localities early in March, the 

 majority not remaining with us throughout 

 the winter. A remarkable instance of the 

 sagacity of this species occurred near Cran- 

 brook in 1895. A pair had a nest and the 

 eggs were taken. The birds deserted the 

 nest-hole and straightway took to another 

 tree about 500 yards distant. In this the 

 two remaining eggs were laid. These were 

 smeared all over with a thick coating of mud, 

 which made it difficult to detect them in the 

 nest. 



92. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 

 Seldom, if ever, met with now. 



93. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. 



A resident, but getting scarcer every year. 

 Owing to the more thorough system of farm- 

 ing nowadays, which restricts the food of this 

 species, and persecution by gamekeepers, it 

 seldom breeds now in our woods. In May 

 1894 I found a nest in the Bedgebury woods 

 near Cranbrook. 



94. Hooded Crow. Corvus cornix, Linn. 

 Locally, Dun Crow, Saddle-back. 



A regular winter visitor, arriving on our 

 shores towards the end of October, the 

 majority appearing later — in November. 

 These birds generally remain throughout the 

 winter about our marshes and the vicinity 

 of the coast, but if the weather is severe 

 and rough they pass further inland to more 

 sheltered situations. They roost at night in 

 the woods, and at first streak of dawn wend 

 their way to the marshes, where they remain 

 till dusk. They delight in ' sprat ' fields, 

 where they gorge themselves on the manure. 

 At the beginning of April the migration 

 northward is resumed. Small parties appear 

 occasionally in winter in the Weald, but not 

 often. Over the wooded districts they fly 

 high and seldom stop by the way. 



95. Rook. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. 



An abundant resident, increasing annually. 

 In the Cranbrook district the nests have over- 

 flowed into the woods greatly to the dismay 

 of the keepers. 



In August the rooks leave their nest-trees 

 and migrate with their young to the vicinity 

 of the sea-coast, a few returning again in 

 October, the majority at the end of January, 

 when the large rookeries present sometimes 

 wonderful spectacles of animation. The 

 following is from my diary: 'Feb. 10 

 1899. I saw a wonderful sight this evening. 

 While passing Hemstead, the group of trees 



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