198 NATURAL HISTORY 
herds that take them; and though many are to be 
seen to my knowledge all the winter through in 
many parts of the south of England. The most 
intelligent shepherds tell me that some few of these 
birds appear on the Downs in March, and then 
withdraw, probably, in warrens and stone-quarries : 
now and then a nest is ploughed up in a fallow on 
the Downs under a furrow, but it is thought a rarity. 
At the time of wheat-harvest they begin to be ta- 
ken in great numbers; are sent for sale in vast 
quantities to Brighthelmstone and ‘Tunbridge ; and 
appear at the tables of all the gentry that en- 
tertain with any degree of elegance. About Mi- 
chaelmas they retire, and are seen no more till 
March. ‘Though these birds are, when in season, in 
great plenty on the South Downs round Lewes, yet 
at East Bourn, which is the eastern extremity of 
those downs, they abound much more. One thing is 
very remarkable, that though in the height of the 
season so many hundreds of dozens are taken, yet 
they never are seen to flock, and it is a rare thing 
to see more than three or four at a time, so that 
there must be a perpetual flitting and constant pro- 
gressive successions It does not appear that any 
wheatears are taken to the westward of Hough- 
ton Bridge, which stands on the River Arun. 
I did not fail to look particularly after my new 
migration of ringousels, and to take notice whether. 
they continued on the Downs to this season of the 
year, as I had formerly remarked them in the 
month of October, all the way from Chichester to 
Lewes, wherever there were any shrubs and covert ; s 
but not one bird of this sort came within my ¢ obser- 
vation. I only saw a few larks and whinch 
some rooks, and several kites and buzza ds, 7 
