NOTES. 205 



crippled, having evidently fallen a victim to the heavy gale 

 which had raged during the night. It proved to be a temale 

 in summer plumage, the tips of not more than five or six 

 grey feathers showing among the chestnut of the lower breast. 

 I find only two previous occurrences recorded from this 

 county of this species in summer plumage. 



Amyas W. Champernowne. 



NESTING OF THE COMMON SNIPE IN KENT. 



In 1896 my brother and I found a single pair of Snipe nesting 

 in Kent (c/. Zoologist, 1897, p. 271), but since then I have 

 no certain record of any having bred. However, on April 

 21st of this year, I was walking with a friend along one of the 

 many " levels " which connect up with Romney Marsh, and 

 he told me that there had been several Snipe there for some 

 time, and on that day we saw three or four pairs flying round 

 and uttering their summer note, but we did not hear them 

 " drumming." I had no time on that day to search for a 

 nest. On June 16th I was again in the same spot, and saw 

 at least two pairs flying round and " drumming," and from 

 their behaviour they evidently had young about, but the 

 state of the grass made a search for them impossible. My 

 friend told me that the Snipe were " drumming " nearly every 

 day between my two visits, so that I do not think that there 

 can be any doubt that they had bred there. The " levels " 

 were unusually wet all through the summer, which probably 

 accounted for Snipe breeding there this year, and I have 

 noticed before that these birds are particularly influenced 

 by the state of a prospective breeding ground, a place which 

 is wet and marshy one year and holding several pairs, will be 

 perhaps too dry another year and the birds will be absent ; 

 the obvious inference being that under one condition the 

 food supply will suffice, and under the other it will not. 



C. B. TlCEHURST. 



PECTORAL SANDPIPER AND BARTRAM'S 

 SANDPIPER IN KENT. 



A Pectoral Sandpiper {Tringa maculata) frequented a piece 

 of marshy ground in Kent for several days during July, 1908. 

 This bird was first noticed by the Duchess of Bedford and 

 myself on July 14th. It was very shy, but by careful stalking 

 I obtained a very good view of it through binoculars at about 

 twenty yards' distance. Owing to the somewhat worn 

 appearance of the plumage I take it to have been an adult 

 bird. Its flight was some\\'hat peculiar, and reminded one 



