viii CONTENTS 



PAGES 



owls and Ditchling Church Shingled spires Pleasure of 

 finding churches open A strange memorial in a downland 

 church A nap in West Firle churchyard Slow-worms in 

 churchyards Increase of swallows at Ditchling House- 

 martins on telegraph wires The telegraph a benefit to birds 

 Telegraph poles in the landscape Sound of telegraph wires 

 A cockney's bird-lore A Sussex man on swifts Swifts 

 rising from a flat surface The swift mystery Swifts at 

 Seaford A Somerset bird-boy's strange story. 



CHAPTER XI 

 AUTUMN . 205-216 



Suddenness of the change from summer to autumn on the 

 downs Birds in autumn Meadow-pipits Shore birds on the 

 hills September flowers Remnant of insect-life Effect of 

 rough weather Effect on the mind of the cessation of life 

 Man's long life An immortal surveying the insect tribes 

 of human kind The prospect from the hills Pleasure of 

 walking. 



CHAPTER XII 



WEST OF THE ADUR 217-237 



Autumn on the west downs Abundance of birds Village 

 of Cocking Drayton's Polyolbion A company of magpies; 

 their inconsequent behaviour Magpie and domestic pigeon 

 Story of a pet magpie Blackberries on the downs Elder- 

 berries Yews at Kingly Bottom A tradition Yew-berries 

 and the missel-thrushes' orgie Hawthorn wood Charm of 

 the thorn-tree Beeches on the west downs Effect of trees 

 on the South Downs Gilpin's strictures answered Charac- 

 teristic trees and bushes Juniper A curious effect 

 Character of the juniper-tree. 



CHAPTER XIII 

 THE MARITIME DISTRICT 238-255 



The autumnal movement of birds Linnets on the downs 

 Birds wintering in the maritime district Character of the 

 district Birdham Rooks and starlings Skylarks and finches 

 Dunnock and wren Peewits on the Cuckmere Pee- 



