BIRDS 



observed and shot near Rainham (Prentis), on 

 the Isle of Thanet (Dowker), near Maidstone 

 {Field, 15 September 1894). In May 1901 

 a fine adult male was shot on Bedgebury 

 lake near Cranbrook and preserved by Mr. 

 Springett, the taxidermist of that town. A 

 year previous to this occurrence another was 

 seen in the same locality. 



136. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo{h\nn.) 

 Locally, Isle of Wight Parson. 



A visitor to our coast line. It is found on 

 the Medway. A fine male example in full 

 breeding dress is in the Dover Museum, taken 

 near the Dover coal mine, 2 February 1898. 



137. Shag or Green Cormorant. Phala- 



crocorax graculus (Linn.) 

 Occurs at sea off our south coast, generally 

 young birds, during winter. 



138. Gannet or Solan-goose. Sula hassana 



(Linn.) 

 An occasional winter visitor. Storm-driven 

 individuals have occurred on the coast. 



139. Common Heron. Ardea cinerea, Linn. 

 A resident, though not so numerous as 



formerly. From May onwards young birds 

 come to the dykes and shallow pools in our 

 marsh land in search of eels, and in dry seasons 

 considerable migrations occur. In the spring 

 adult birds are sometimes obtained along run- 

 ning brooks inland. The majority of birds 

 leave us in late autumn, returning to the 

 heronries in February. There are two of 

 these in the county : one at Cobham near 

 Gravesend and the other at Chilham Castle — 

 a well known heronry which has been in 

 existence for over 120 years, and where the 

 nests are built in tall ash and beech trees. 

 The fine heronry in Penshurst Park was 

 abandoned by the herons, owing to the increase 

 of rooks and jackdaws about 1840. 



140. Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea, Linn. 

 A rare visitor. I have no recorded occur- 

 rence of late years. In September 1838 an 

 immature specimen was obtained in Romney 

 Marsh, and in the same locality a fine adult on 

 29 March 1847 which is now in the Dover 

 Museum (Plomley, Zool. 1847, P- I777)- I" 

 the Prentis collection there is an immature 

 specimen, shot near Ham Street in 1876.' 



141. Night-Heron. Nycticorax griseus{L\nr\.) 

 A rare visitor. In the Plomley collection, 



' There is a specimen of the buff-backed heron 

 {A. bubulcus) in the Maidstone Museum, but I 

 have been unable to trace its history. 



Dover Museum, there is a specimen obtained 

 many years ago from Lydd. 



142. Little Bittern. Ardetta minuta (Linn.) 

 Has been obtained occasionally, generally 



in autumn, but not of late years. It has 

 been shot at Elmstone (Delmar) and near 

 Ashford in 1877 (Prentis collection). 



143. Bittern. Botaurus stellaris (Linn.) 

 Comes to us occasionally during severe 



winters. Before the epoch of cultivation and 

 drainage it probably bred in our marshes. It 

 has been obtained at Rainham (Prentis), at 

 Stourmouth (Dowker), at Orpington (male, 

 January 1864, Zool. p. 8961), at Headcorn 

 (Maidston Museum), at Lydd (Plomley col- 

 lection), and in the Cranbrook district, where 

 on 23 December 1897, at Horsemonden, an 

 adult male was shot, and another male on 13 

 December 1899 in the Glassenbury woods. 



144. American Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus 



(Montagu) 

 A rare straggler. In 1854 an individual 

 was shot near Canterbury and is now in the 

 museum of that town. It was identified some 

 years afterwards by Mr. J, H. Gurney {Zool. 

 1866, p. 14s). 



145. White Stork. Ciconia alba, Bechstein. 

 A rare accidental visitor. There is a speci- 

 men in the Plomley collection in the Dover 

 Museum, and it was probably obtained at 

 Lydd. It has also occurred at Sandwich 

 (Boys' List, History of Sandwich). 



146. Black Stork. Ciconia nigra (Linn.) 



A rare accidental visitor. There are only 

 two satisfactory records — one from Romney 

 Marsh in 1844 (it is in the collection of Mr. 

 Thornhill of Riddlesworth) ; another near 

 Lydd 5 May, 1856 {Zool. 1856, p. 5160). 



147. Spoonbill. Platalea leucorodia, Linn. 

 Now only a rare visitor to the county, the 



occurrences of late years being less numerous 

 than formerly. Though there is no direct 

 evidence that this bird ever bred in Kent, yet 

 it is more than likely, since breeding stations 

 existed in the adjoining counties of Sussex 

 and Middlesex (Harting, vol. ii. 1877, p. 

 425 ; 1886, p. 81). In June 1850 a flock 

 of six spoonbills visited Sandwich Haven, 

 and about the same time three more were 

 seen in Pegwell Bay, while another individual 

 probably of the same flock was shot in the 

 Wingham marshes {Zool. 1850, p. 2853). 



Mr. Prentis writes : ' A fine female adult 

 spoonbill with a buff collar and pendant crest 

 was shot on the Isle of Elmley 12 April 1865. 



289 



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