



CHAPTER VII 



SHEPHERDS AND WHEATEARS 



The shepherd's altered condition His loss of the wheatear har- 

 vest The passion for wheatears Arrival of the birds on the 

 downs "Our ortolan" Coops The wheatear's habits 

 Sensitiveness to rain Hurdis and the "pence of ransom" 

 A great dame collecting wheatears John Dudeney's recollec- 

 tions Shepherds cease taking wheatears Probable reason 

 How the birds are now obtained Bird-catchers, poulterers, 

 and farmers The law must be enforced Lark-eating. 



To all those who love the Sussex Downs and their 

 people it must be a source of regret that the old 

 system of giving the shepherd an interest in the 

 flock was ever changed. According to the old system 

 he was paid a portion of his wages in kind so many 

 lambs at lambing time; and these, when grown, he 

 was permitted to keep with the flock to the number 

 of twenty or twenty-five, and sometimes perhaps more. 

 At shearing time he was paid for the wool, and he 

 had the increase of his ewes to sell each year. He 

 was thus in a small way in partnership with his 

 master, the farmer, and regarded himself, and was 

 also regarded by others, as something more than 

 a mere hireling, like the shepherd of to-day, who 

 looks to receive a few pieces of silver at each week's 



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