A HISTORY OF KENT on their way to the coast. The appearance of these parties is however irregular. On 30 August 1896 a small flock of six birds (the first since 1893) appeared in a fallow field near Cranbrook. They caught their prey after the manner of flycatchers, being very busy just at dusk in obtaining it, retiring for the night to a neighbouring turnip field. All these birds were young males with their conspicuous white shoulder patches ; a fact which I have found to be the case on several former occasions, thereby indicating that the males keep separate from the females on migration. The whinchat breeds locally in the county. Two nests have been sent to me from the neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells, while in the neighbourhood of Edenbridge the bird is common about the rough railway embankments. Mr. Walter Prentis of Rain- ham writes : ' A pair frequented a narrow coppice on my farm in 1886. On mowing clover and making hay in the field adjoining, a nest was discovered containing four blue eggs, built on the ground after the manner of the sky-lark's.' 9, Stonechat. Pratincola riibicola (Linn.) Locally, Furze Chat. Although a resident, this species is more uncommon than the whinchat, since the nature of the county is unsuitable. It is more often observed in winter than summer, usually about our marshland. 10. Redstart. Ruticilla phcenicurus (Linn.) Locally, Fire-tail. The redstart is sparingly distributed during the summer and breeds in suitable localities, appearing in April and leaving again in Sep- tember. Like the nightingale it is generally to be found breeding in colonies, and the same locality will often be resorted to year after year. It is however a shy bird, and if per- secuted will constantly change its breeding haunts. This accounts for their disappearing from districts where they used to be numerous. It is found in the Rainham (Prentis) and Stour- mouth districts (Dowker). Wherever there are fir woods it is generally to be found. Near Cranbrook it breeds annually in the Bedgebury woods, where in May 1896 I observed no fewer than five pairs in a single morning, and found several nests, two of which were on ledges of sandstone in an old disused pit: nest- ing sites the redstart appears to be particularly fond of. In the same month, on 12 May, I discovered another nest in a very curious situation. It was placed inside a disused pheasant's coop, and side by side was another nest belonging to a marsh-tit. On my ap- proach the owners flew away, showing eggs in both nests. 11. Black Redstart. Ruticilla //Vy^ (Scopoli) A scarce winter visitor to Kent. I have observed individuals on the hills about Dover and Folkestone. No authenticated instance of the bird breeding in England has yet been recorded. Mr. Oxenden Hammond observed an old male bird near Wingham on 9 May 1883, which looks suspiciously as if a pair were breeding in the locality, yet the nest was not discovered. This redstart is by no means com- mon in the county, although it is said to be increasing in other counties. A reason for this may be looked for in the fact that this species generally affects high ground near the sea on its arrival. The only high coast that Kent can show is in the vicinity of Folke- stone, Dover and St. Margaret's Bay, and there specimens of the black redstart have occasionally been obtained. 12. Red-spotted Bluethroat. Cyanecula suecica (Linn.) A very rare visitor in spring and autumn. Kent lies too far south for us to receive many stragglers of this species.' To my knowledge three specimens have been ob- ained in Kent. One in Sheppey in 1844 (George Dowker). On 16 May 1845 a fine old male bird was taken in a nightingale trap and was kept alive for several months, and during that time examined by the well known ornithologist, the late Mr. John Han- cock. The third instance occurred in Septem- ber 1 88 1, when a specimen was obtained in the marshes near Dartford. Mr. Grey, the curator of the Dover Museum, writes as fol- lows : ' I once saw a beautiful specimen of the bluethroat in the meadow behind the Castle and followed it for some time. It kept flying from a hedge to a turnip field, but only having a butterfly-net with me I stood no chance of getting it.' 1 3. Redbreast. Erlthacus rubecula (Linn.) A common resident. In September a mi- gration southward may be observed. When 1 During the autumn migration individuals are obtained almost annually on the Norfolk coast between Wells and Cromer {F.C.H. Norfolk, i. 228). This portion of the English coast might be described as a halting or resting place in the movement of migration of those birds that breed in northern Europe, for a northerly wind sends these migrants to this prominent piece of coast-line, whence after a short stay they cross the sea on their way southward. 272
