BIRDS 



and Hemsted. Wild birds have correspond- 

 ingly increased. In many places the woods 

 are so well stocked that little or no rearing 

 will be found necessary in the near future. 

 The typical P. cokhicus is rare. The exist- 

 ing race are descendants from the introduction 

 of the Chinese ring-necked P. torquatus and 

 the Japanese P. versicolor. Hybrids between 

 the latter and Reeve's pheasant have been 

 obtained at Bedgebury, Cranbrook. 



182. Common Partridge. Perdix cinerea, 



Latham. 

 Well distributed both inland and down to 

 the sea coast. It has of late years much in- 

 creased owing to the increase of young planta- 

 tions and the practice of ' driving,' which 

 considerably reduces the number of old cock 

 birds. On all the large estates ' driving ' takes 

 place in December and January. This sport 

 is producing a wilder and more restless trait 

 in the nature of the species. 



183. Red-legged Partridge. Caccabis rufa 



(Linn.) 

 Since ' driving ' was introduced this bird, 

 sometimes known as the ' French partridge,' 

 has decreased. Owing to the habit it has of 

 detaching itself from a covey when being 

 driven, it generally falls a victim to the gun. 

 Its numbers vary yearly, but locally it is com- 



184. Quail. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. 

 A summer migrant, but seldom met with. 



In September 1893 ^^ individual was ob- 

 tained near Benenden. This bird used 

 formerly to breed on several farms in the 

 Weald. 



185. Corn-Crake or Land-Rail. Crex pra- 



tensis, Bechstein. 

 A summer migrant, breeding sparingly in 

 the county. The bird has been met with as 

 late as December (Prentis). By the end of 

 September the majority have left. 



186. Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta 



(Leach) 

 An irregular spring and autumn migrant. 

 Before the drainage of our marshes it bred 

 in the county in the neighbourhood of the 

 Thames. There are two specimens in the 

 Maidstone Museum from Hythe. 



187. Baillon's Crake. Porzana bailloni [V\e.\\- 



lot) 

 A rare spring and autumn migrant. The 

 late Charles Gordon of the Dover Museum 

 identified a specimen obtained on the Hythe 

 canal in October 1870. 



188. Water-Rail. Ra //us aqua ticus, Linn. 

 There is no evidence of this species having 



bred in Kent. I have never observed it 

 during the summer ; but in winter, especially 

 severe ones, it is frequently met with in 

 December and January. 



189. Moor-hen. Ga //inula chi/oropus (Linn.) 

 Locally, Water-hen. 



A common resident, its numbers in winter 

 being augmented by migrants, especially if 

 the winter is severe, when our sheltered 

 brooks and ponds become favourite havens. 



190. Coot. Fu/ica atra, Linn. 



A resident, but of local distribution. Owing 

 to the drainage of our marshes its breeding 

 localities are now restricted. It breeds on 

 the Hoppen Petts near Romney Marsh, also 

 near Leeds Castle, and on the lake at East- 

 well Park, Ashford. It is rare at Rainham, 

 but it has bred there (Prentis). 



191. Great Bustard. Otis tarda, Linn. 



A rare visitor, and has not occurred of late 

 years. In the Plomley collection there is an 

 adult female, obtained at Lydd on 4 January 

 1850. In December 1879 one was shot in 

 Romney Marsh {Zoo/. i88o, p. no). In Janu- 

 ary 1880 an adult male was obtained near 

 Wye and an immature female at Great Chart. 

 Both these latter specimens are in the col- 

 lection of the late Mr. Prentis, who kindly 

 allowed me to examine them. In the 

 Maidstone Museum there is a specimen from 

 Romney Marsh (Simmons). In the Canter- 

 bury Museum there is a specimen, probably 

 taken locally. Writing to the Zoologist in 

 1850 (p. 2700) Dr. Plomley says that, from 

 information obtained during many years of 

 residence in Romney Marsh, the great 

 bustard was formerly not uncommon in that 

 locality. 



192. Little Bustard. Otis tetrax, Linn. 



A rare wanderer, and has occurred less 

 frequently than the last named species. 

 In the Plomley collection there is a pair of 

 little bustards taken many years ago at Lydd, 

 and Mr. Dowker mentions one in the Rev. 

 B. Austen's collection, killed in St. Nicholas 

 marshes. 



193. Stone - Curlew. CEdicnemus scolopax 



(S. G. Gmelin) 



Locally, Night Curlew. 



Decreasing annually as a breeding species. 



Individuals are obtained on passage in autumn 



and again in March. In i886 a specimen 



was obtained at Rainham as late as 23 Decem- 



293 



