A HISTORY OF KENT turned to till the following morning. The starling in the meantime fills the newly- drilled hole with straw and takes possession of the nest-site. 105. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dencho- copus major (Linn.) Locally, Magpie Galley-bird, Galley-Magpie, French Magpie. Found in the wooded districts, but sparingly distributed. Certain woods in the Cranbrook district are never without a pair. Partial migrations occur in October, the birds bred in a district not remaining throughout the winter, but returning in March to their old haunts, where I have taken nests several years in succession. 1 06. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- copus minor (Linn.) A resident, but sparingly distributed. In spring its peculiar drilling tap against the trees is occasionally heard. It is a difficult bird to observe, and this is the only time of the year its distribution can be arrived at. Owing to its shy habits this woodpecker is more common in some districts than it appears to be. 107. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. A resident, distributed along our trout streams and rivers. A few years ago it was getting scarce, but its numbers have since rallied. In severe winters our resident birds are augmented by migrants, and I am sorry to say numbers are killed. Every December Mr. Springett, the taxidermist of Cranbrook, has sent him quite a number of these birds by the local farmers. In summer, during severe droughts, and in autumn, partial migrations occur to our marsh land in the vicinity of the sea-coast. I have found its nest on several occasions near Cranbrook. 108. Roller. Coracias garrulusy hinn. A rare migrant in spring and autumn. A roller was taken alive on the Rainham marshes on 8 November 1888. I have examined this specimen, which is in the collection of Mr. Prentis. 109. Bee-eater. Merops apiaster, Linn. A rare summer visitor. There is a speci- men in the Plomley collection from Lydd in 1844. 1 10. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. An irregular migrant, generally noticed in spring, but sometimes in autumn and even in winter. The individuals which appear on our coasts are invariably shot, otherwise there is not a doubt tiiey would breed in the county. I have no direct evidence of this species having nested in Kent, although it has done so in Sussex. On 12 May 186 1 an adult female was taken on Plumstead Common with ovaries fully developed. 111. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus, Linn. A well distributed summer migrant, its numbers var}'ing however in different years according to the abundance of insect life. In his ' Notes on the birds observed at Rainham,' Zoologist, March 1865, Mr. Power writes: 'In this district, the number of cuckoos varies with the presence or absence of a caterpillar that feeds upon the gooseberry leaves. In some seasons, these caterpillars infest the bushes in myriads, and at such times the cuckoos abound in the plantations. About the beginning of July, the cuckoos collect in the plantations near the river Medway, and often take long flights out over the marshes, on which they sometimes settle to feed upon a species of caterpillar at this time to be found on the marsh plants.' At the end of July the cuckoos commence to leave the county, the old birds departing first, 112. White or Barn Owl. Strix fammea, Linn. A common resident. The numbers of our home birds are augmented in late autumn by migrants. Numbers are caught at this time of the year and sent to the local bird stuflFers. 113. Long-eared Owl. Asia otus {L'mn.) Very locally distributed in the wooded districts. More an autumn migrant than a resident. 114. Short - eared Owl. Asio accipitrinus (Pallas) An autumn migrant. Frequently observed on our marsh lands. I have had specimens from the low-lying ground near Ashford. It has bred near Rainham {Birds of Rainham, Prentis, p. 16). 115. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco {h'mn.) Locally distributed in our woods, but by no means common. All the specimens I have seen from Kent are the ash-grey variety. In some localities it has greatly increased, the red and brown phases being the commonest by far. 116. Tentjmalm's Owl. Nyctala tengmalmi (J.>. Gmelin) Very rare. There are two recorded oc- currences: one in May 1836 (Yarrell, History of British Birds, ed. 3, i. 163); one, Dartford, 286
