BIRDS 202. Oyster-catcher. Hamatopm ostralegus, Linn. Locally, Olive. The sandy portions of the Rye coast, Whitstable and Sandwich attract now and again small parties of oyster-catchers. They are more numerous on the autumn than on the spring migration. This bird has bred on the beach not far from Dungeness. I had this information from Mr. Southerden of Jury's Gap, Lydd, who is a reliable authority. 203. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn. Locally, Cobbler's Awl. This bird used to nest on the flat shore line near Lydd, but now it is only a rare visitor in spring and autumn. Marwick, writing in 1795, says : 'I found in the marshes near Rye a young one of this species, which ap- peared to have been just hatched, and I took it up in my hand, whilst the old birds kept flying round me.' The record for Kent of this rare visitor is as follows : one, Romney Marsh, April 1849 {'Z'Ool. 1849, p. 2455) ; one, Sandwich, 22 April 1849 '■> ^^o, marshes between Ramsgate and Sandwich, March 1849 (Z«»/. 1^49) P- 2455) ;one. River Med- way, Rainham, 23 September 1887 (Prentis) ; one, Lydd, 28 April 1889, in Mr. Souther- den's house. Jury's Gap, Lydd ; one, near North Foreland, August 1895. (The last was brought to Mr. Oxenden Hammond, and at time of being shot was in company with three others {Zool. 1895, p. 349). In my own collection I have an adult female from the Lydd beach, 23 May 1898, and another female from the same locality, 17 May 1897. 204. Black-winged Stilt. Himantopus cand'i- dus, Bonnaterre. Very rare. Some few years ago a specimen was obtained at Faversham and is now in the Canterbury Museum. 205. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropm fuUcarius (Linn.) An annual visitor in autumn, the visitations some years being considerable. In the great immigration from August to October in 1866 numbers occurred on the south coast between Rye and Dungeness. These birds generally come to our brackish pools after bad weather in September. In September 1896, after stormy weather with south-westerly winds, I obtained several about the pools on the Lydd beach. 206. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus hyperboreus (Linn.) A rare visitor in autumn, generally after rough weather. It has occurred at Dover (i86i, Dover Museum) ; at Rainham, 28 September 1871 [Zool. 1871, p. 2847), and near Lydd, where I obtained an adult female in a small reed-girt pond near the shore on 20 September 1899, after rough weather with south-westerly winds. 207. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. Breeds sparingly in the county, and more frequently of late years owing to the increase of plantations. In the Cranbrook district it nests in the Bedgebury woods, about Sissing- hurst and near Frittenden. Its breeding area in Kent is restricted to the Weald. 208. Great Snipe. Galltnago major (J. F. Gmelin) A rare migrant in autumn. In the col- lection of Mr. Oxenden Hammond there is a specimen shot near Deal, i October 1894. 209. Common Snipe. GaUinago ceeksth (Fren- zel) Locally, Full Snipe. Best known as a winter visitor. At the end of July a few birds appear, but these are only stragglers, the species not becoming common till the beginning of October. On 24 April 1897 Mr. N. F. Ticehurst of St. Leonards found it breeding in Romney Marsh {Zool. 1897, p. 271) This is the first re- corded instance of this species nesting in the county. The so-called Sabine's snipe, a dark variety of the present species, has occurred in the county (Dowker). 210. Jack Snipe. GaUinago gall'inula (Linn.) A winter visitor, but much less common than the preceding species, and of local dis- tribution, preferring sheltered brooks rather than open marsh land. It is often to be found in company with the common snipe. 211. Broad-billed Sandpiper. Limicola platy- rhyncha (Temminck) A very rare autumn migrant. Two in- stances have occurred in Kent. On 6 Sep- tember 1896 an immature female was killed out of a flock of dunlin at Littlestone. It is now in my collection. The second specimen, also an immature female, was obtained at the same place on 31 August 1901 (Curtis Ed- wards, Zool. 1901, p. 390). 212. Pectoral Sandpiper. Tr'mga macutata, Vieillot. This species has only lately been added to the Kentish list. An adult male was shot 295
