A HISTORY OF KENT 



Immature specimens have been met with on 

 three occasions on the marshes near the river 

 Medway.' This bird has also been obtained 

 in the Sittingbourne district (Dowker). 



The favourite locality for this species is, 

 or rather w^as, the broad tract of stones, 

 relieved here and there by large ponds, known 

 as the Lydd beach. 



I have the following records from this 

 locality : One specimen in the Plomley 

 Museum ; two in Mr. Blacklock's house at 

 Lydd, preserved some years ago by Mr. Jell, 

 the local birdstufFer. On g May 1889 two 

 adult males were shot by two of the Souther- 

 den family. One of these is now in my 

 collection ; the other was sold to Mr. Gray 

 of Dover for £"]. In June 1890 a party of 

 five appeared, but to use the words of the 

 fishermen, ' We were too greedy, we wanted 

 the " blooming " lot, and ended by getting 

 none.' On 24 May 1891 an immature 

 bird was obtained. There is another still in 

 the possession of the Southerdens, shot some 

 twenty years ago. This specimen is a very 

 perfect one. The broad suffused rust-coloured 

 ring is remarkable for its intensity. On 12 

 June 1896 a single individual appeared near 

 the Midrips,* in company with five herons. 

 The above records will show that the visits 

 of the spoonbill have become fewer and farther 

 between of late years. I have observed this 

 species sometimes on the sands in company 

 with gulls. 



148. Flamingo. Phcenicopterus roseus, Pallas. 

 There is only one reliable record from 



Kent. On 12 August 1884, when Captain 

 G. E. Shelley, the well known ornithologist, 

 was waiting near New Romney for the even- 

 ing flights of curlews, an adult flamingo flew 

 past him, having been put up by his two 

 nephews, who got within about fifty yards of 

 it (Howard Saunders, Ma?i. Brit. Birds, 

 1898, p. 395). 



149. White-Fronted Goose. Anser albifrom 



(Scopoli) 

 Locally, Speckled-belly Goose. 

 A regular winter visitor. There are three 

 specimens from Lydd in the Maidstone 

 Museum, and another in the Folkestone 

 collection, taken on the Warren, Dover. 



150. Bean-Goose. Amer scgetum (J. F. 



Gmelin) 

 Locally, Gray Goose. 

 Comes to us in the winter, and next to the 



^ These are a series 01 shallow ponds on the 

 Lydd beach. 



brent goose is the most common of all the 

 geese, visiting the mouths of our rivers and 

 the ' petts ' in the marsh land. 



151. Pink-footed Goose. Anser hrachyrhyn- 



chus, Baillon. 

 Locally, Gray Goose. 

 An irregular winter visitant. There are 

 two specimens from Lydd in the Maidstone 

 Museum. Another example was obtained at 

 Preston in January 1887 (Dowker). 



152. Barnacle-Goose. Bernicla leucopsis^Be.c'h- 



stein) 

 I have no recorded occurrence of this goose. 

 There is a specimen in the Folkestone Museum 

 which was probably locally taken. Mr. George 

 Dowker says : ' This species is mostly found 

 at sea.' 



153. Brent Goose. Bernicla hrenta (Pallas) 

 Locally, Clattergoose. 



Abundant. In severe winters they come 

 to our creeks and mud-flats in large parties. 

 In March a migration southward may be 

 noticed, the birds travelling high overhead in 

 wedge-shaped batches, but seldom stopping 

 by the way. 



154. Whooper Swan. Cygnus musicus,V>i:z\\- 



stein. 

 Locally, Wild Swan. 

 Small batches of four to five birds occa- 

 sionally appear on the sands at low water 

 between Rye Harbour and Lydd during 

 the winter. It occurs also occasionally 

 inland. The last appearance I have on 

 record was in November 1896, when a party 

 of three appeared close to Rye Harbour. 

 Two of these were shot. It has been 

 obtained at Stourmouth (Dowker). 



155. Bewick's Swan. Cygnus hewicki,Y2Xx€^. 

 Locally, Tame Swan. 



An occasional visitor. It has been obtained 

 at Lydd (Plomley collection), at Wingham 

 (Oxenden Hammond), and at Rainham, 

 where a fine female example was killed on 

 22 January 1879 (Prentis). 



156. Common Sheld-Duck. Tadorna cornuta 



(S. G. Gmelin) 

 Locally, Bar-gander. 

 A fairly common winter visitor to our 

 creeks and brackish waters near the sea. 

 Owing to the drainage of our marshes it is 

 not so numerous as formerly. 



157. Ruddy Sheld-Duck. Tadorna casarca 



(Linn.) 

 A rare winter migrant. On 8 September 



290 



