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LARGE-BILLED REED-BUNTING (EMBERIZA 

 PYRRHUL0IDE8 PALUSTRI8) IN KENT. 



A NEW BKITISH BIRD. 



BY 



M. J. NICOLL, M.B.O.U. 



At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club, held 

 on June 17th last, I exhibited a male specimen of the 

 South European Large-billed Reed-Bunting (Emheriza 

 pyrrhulo'des palustris). 



This bird, which is new to the British fauna, was 

 obtained near Lydd, in Kent, on May 26th last. I was 

 away from home at the time it was shot, and was thus 

 unable to see it in the flesh, but I examined it shortly 

 after it was mounted. 



The occurrence of this Reed-Bunting in the British 

 Islands is of interest, not only on account of its being a 

 new British bird, but also because the commoner and 

 typical E. p. pyrrhuloides is the form one would expect 

 to occur in England, as it has done so on Heligoland. 



The example obtained in Kent agrees exactly with 

 specimens in the British Museum from South Italy, in 

 which country, as well as in Southern France and Spain, 

 the bird is resident. It may be distinguished at once 

 from the common Reed-Bunting by its large thick bill. 



The typical form of the Thick-billed Reed-Bunting 

 inhabits the coasts of the Caspian Sea from the foot of 

 the North Caucasus to the Volga, Transcaspia and 

 Turkestan, and has occurred once on Heligoland. In 

 coloration the former is very much paler, the broad white 

 edges to the feathers of the upperparts, and the pale 

 grey rump, give the bird an almost silver-grey appearance : 

 a great contrast to the more sober coloration of the 

 bird obtained in Kent. 



It is somewhat difficult to account for the appearance 

 of some South European birds in the British Islands. 

 The present species and all other stragglers which have 



