50 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



I fail to learn of other instances of this species remaining 

 during summer in the county/' 



I cannot say that this story of Mr. Booth's is perfectly 

 satisfactory, but I leave it to my readers to take it for what 

 it is worth. The Ring Ousel feeds on various berries, 

 especially on those of mountain-ash_, the yew, and the haw- 

 thorn, as well as on worms and snails. 



Mr. Ellman records, in the ' Zoologist ' for 1850 (p. 2698) : 

 " The number of Ring Ousels passing southward during this 

 autumn has been astonishing. Large flocks Avere seen con- 

 tinually on the Downs from September till nearly the end of 

 October. No one can ever recollect their being so plentiful 

 before." And Mr. W. Jeffery, writing from Ratliam, near 

 Chichester, under date 12th to 20th of April, 1866, states, 

 with reference to the same bird, " a few . . . have been 

 obtained during the migration ; as a rule, they are not 

 nearly so numerous nor so frequently met with here at this 

 time of the year as in the autumn ■" [' Zoologist,^ p. 266, s.s.). 



INIr. Jeffery also states, in his private notes, that he has 

 met with considerable numbers in Kingly Vale, near 

 Chichester. 



SYLVIID^. 



ALPINE ACCENTOR. 



Accentor coUaris. 



As this species is strictly an inhabitant of rocky and moun- 

 tainous districts, it has rarely been observed in the county, 

 and only once by myself. This specimen I distinctly saw, 

 and watched through a binocular for some minutes, on my 

 own lawn at Cowfold, when it suddenly rose up and dis- 



