80 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



ever, remain in different parts of the county 

 throughout the entire year, and in winter are 

 generally found on wild, bushy ground, among the 

 remote valleys of the Downs, or on hedges near 

 waste land or commons. The periodical arrival 

 of fresh birds in the spring is well known even to 

 the most inexperienced bird-catchers in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Brighton, and anxiously expected by 

 them for many days previously: the goldfinches 

 which have remained all the winter are called by 

 them "harbour birds/' meaning that they have 

 sojourned, or harboured — as the local expression 

 is — here during that season; those which arrive 

 in April are called "flight-birds.'' When the latter 

 are expected, the bu-d-catcher watches his nets 

 with an anxious countenance, and his disappoint- 

 ment is great, if upon disengaging from the meshes 

 a newly captured prisoner, he perceives by the 

 dull-coloured back, dirty-red forehead, and general 

 shabbiness of the plumage, that it is only what 

 he contemptuously terms "a harbour bird." Far 

 different are his feelings when he entraps one with 

 a light-coloured back, snow-white cheeks, and 

 bright vermilion forehead! he knows then that 

 " the flight " has commenced, and the hour of sun- 

 rise finds him at his post on the following morn- 

 ing, eager to avail himself of the precious moments. 

 It is worthy of remark that the "harbour birds" 



