Natural History*in the Linglish Counties. 435 
time mentioned to be an early appearance, and always having observed tke 
first appearance to be on the river, I take the opportunity of noting it. — 
D. Brentford, Middlesex, April 13. 
KENT. 
Birds (some of them rare) shot and collected in the immediate Vicinity of 
Dartford, during the last Winter : — 
Strix O*tus, Long-eared Owl. Shot in Dec. Tantalus igneus, Ibis. A beautiful specimen, 
brachydtus, Short-eared Owl. Shot in Oct. shot in Blendon Hall Park, Bexley, on the 
Cérvus Cérnix, Hooded Crow. The only spe- banks of the fishpond. 
cimen I have seen in this locality. Hematopus ostralegus, Oyster-catcher. 
Léxia Coccothraiistes, Hawfinch. Rathernu- Larus marinus, Black-backed Gull. 
merous this winter and the last. ne*vius, the Wagel. 
Fringilla Montifringilla, Brambling. Several ridibtiindus, Black-headed Gull, 
came under my observation. cinerarius, Red-legged Gull. 
Motacilla alba, White Wagtail; and Mérgus Merganser, Goosander. Erith marshes. 
Boarula, Grey Wagtail. Both these remain Castor, Dun diver. Dartford marshes. 
all the winter with us. albéllus, Smew. Dartford marshes. 
Rubétra, Whinchat ; and Anas C¥gnus, Wild Swan. 
Rubicola, Stonechat. Both found on Dart- fisca. Velvet Duck. 
ford Heath every month in the year. nigra, Scoter, 
Charadrius pluvialis, Golden Plover. Male and Marilla, Scaup Duck. Male and female. 
female. Tadorna, Sheldrake. 
A’rdea major, Heron. A fine full-plumaged actita, Sea Pheasant. 
male. * The last all shot on Dartford marshes, 
stellaris, Bittern. Scarce with us, 
P.S. — Although I have personally, for the last three years, anxiously 
sought after, on Dartford Heath, Bexley Heath, and elsewhere in this neigh- 
bouring locality, the Motacilla provincialis, or Dartford warbler, it has been 
without success. The local cognomen of this little bird evidently resulted 
from chance, and the more indefatigable research of that eminent ornitho- 
logist and my late townsman Dr. Latham. On Saturday, April 3., I observed 
three swallows earlier than usual; and to-day heard the wryneck (Yanx 
Torquilla). — April 8. The Motacilla Luscinia (nightingale) enlivened us 
with its song for the first time, last evening, in serene moonlight; the 
Hfirindo riparia (sand marten) appeared to-day. — James C, Hurst. Dart- 
ford, April 8. 
Orobanche cerulea. —The account of the spontaneous appearance of the 
Epipactis latifolia in your Magazine (Vol. II. p.70.), leads me to send you a 
statement of a similar fact respecting what I suppose to be the Orobanche 
ceertlea, and which, in the year 1821, I found abundantly in some of the 
low pastures, and also some specimens in an elevated dry chalky situation, 
at Bishopsbourne, in Kent. I had for many years preceding been an assi- 
duous collector of plants in this and various parts of Kent, and never 
before saw it, nor have I since met with it again, although my attention has 
been directed to the fields in which I found it.— Anon. Bishopsbourne 
March 26. 1829. 
’ 
* I particularly enumerate this bird (which was run down by a boy, and 
captured in Bexley marshes), from discovering in his stomach a very large- 
sized mature male Mis amphibius Linn. (water rat). It had been lately 
swallowed, occupying, even to distension (with portions of partially digested 
fish), the ventriculus of the heron. The only injury apparent to the animal 
was, a puncture made by the beak of the bird in the frontal part of the skull, 
by which life was destroyed. On referring to the only works I have in my 
possession on ornithology, no mention is made in any of so large a creature 
as the rat constituting the food of the A’rdea genus. I think it appears evi- 
dent (as the bird was in good condition, and other food in the stomach), 
that, although the winter has been severe, yet necessity did not enforce such 
means to satisfy its hunger. The size of the esophagus would also elicit a 
contradiction to its capability of such distension, if the proof were not posi- 
tive. No evident cause of its easy capture existed, but the probable one 
of repletion.- 
