A HISTORY OF KENT 



species. On 20 February 1882 an adult 

 and an immature bird were killed near 

 Rochester. There are two specimens in the 

 Plomley collection from Lydd, and an adult 

 female killed on 12 December 1898 at 

 Broomhill farm, Lydd, is now in my collec- 

 tion. 



248. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Stercorarlus 



crepidatus (J. F. Gmelin) 

 A regular migrant along our coast in 

 autumn. It is generally observed at sea, 

 whenever the fishing smacks are out. It 

 often attacks the gulls and common terns in 

 order to rob them of their prey. I have seen 

 handsome specimens varying from a dark 

 chocolate to a pale brown. 



249. Long-tailed or Buffon's Skua, Sterco- 



rarlus parasiticus (Linn.) 

 Next to the great skua this is the rarest of 

 the skuas that visits our coast line. There 

 are two specimens, locally taken, in the Dover 

 Museum. 



250. Razorbill. Aka tarda, Linn. 



Found off the coast, and after severe gales it 

 is now and again blown inland. In the win- 

 ter of 1893 a specimen was picked up in a 

 hop garden at Hartley near Cranbrook. It 

 has been obtained in the Thames at Sheerness 

 (Maidstone Museum). 



251. Guillemot. Vria troile (Linn.) 

 Locally, Willock, Willy. 



Has bred on the inaccessible portions of the 

 cliffs between St. Margaret's Bay and Dover. 

 In October it is found in large parties at sea 

 off Rye, following the fishing smacks. 



252. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.) 

 An uncommon winter visitor. It has been 



obtained after severe storms far inland : one 

 example at Dover, November 1870 (Gordon); 

 one at Boxley (Maidstone Museum) ; one 

 at Goudhurst (near Cranbrook), male, 7 Jan- 

 uary 1895 ; one at Sissinghurst, picked up 

 exhausted, 20 November 1900. 



253. Puffin. Fratercula arctica (Linn.) 



I have seen this species off the Rye coast 

 in September. Mr. Prentis writes : ' A storm- 

 driven puffin was picked up dead on our 

 marsh after the November gale of 1893. 



254. Great Northern Diver. Colymhus glaci- 



alis, Linn. 

 Locally, Herring-bar. 

 I have had no acquaintance with this bird. 

 Mr. Prentis writes : ' Young, immature great 

 northern divers are sometimes met with and 



shot on the Medway.' It is met with off 

 Whitstable and in the river Stour (Dowker). 

 In the Maidstone Museum there is a fine 

 example, obtained at Boxley by Major Best. 



255. Black-throated Diver. Colymhus arcticus, 



Linn. 

 Locally, Herring-bar. 

 Rare. Immature birds are sometimes met 

 with. On II February 1871 an adult 

 female was obtained at Folkestone (Charles 

 Gordon). 



256. Red-throated Diver. Colymhus septen- 



trionalis, Linn. 

 Locally, Spratt Loon, Herring-bar. 

 Common about our estuaries in winter and 

 spring. Examples with red throats are seldom 

 obtained. 



257. Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatus 



(Linn.) 

 An uncommon migrant, making its appear- 

 ance sometimes in winter about our creeks 

 and rivers. They are nearly always immature 

 birds. On 24 September 1899 an adult was 

 shot at Littlestone and preserved by Mr. 

 Bristow of St. Leonards. 



258. Red-necked Grebe. Podicipes griseigena 



(Boddaert) 

 A rare winter migrant. I have an adult 

 in winter plumage, obtained on the lake at 

 Bedgebury, Cranbrook, on 31 December 

 1895. 



259. Slavonian Grebe. Podicipes auritus 



(Linn.) 

 A winter visitor. I have seen specimens 

 obtained near Lydd by the Southerden 

 brothers. 



260. Eared Grebe. Podicipes nigricollis{Brehm.) 

 A rare visitor. The recorded occurrences 



are all immature birds ; two at Rainham, 

 September 1 88 1 (Prentis) ; one at Stour- 

 mouth, February 1875 (Dowker). 



261. Little Grebe or Dabchick. Podicipes 



fuviatilis (Tunstall) 

 Locally, Spider Diver or Dab-chick. 

 A resident, breeding in our marsh ditches 

 and ponds, but of late years its numbers have 

 decidedly decreased owing to increased drain- 

 age and the droughts of the last few summers. 



262. Storm-Petrel. Procellaria pelagica, Linn. 

 Locally, Storm Finch. 



During stormy weather in autumn and 

 winter this bird is occasionally driven inland. 



JOO 



