4 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



sunny plains of Africa, once more, when 



" Solvitur acris hyems grata vice veris et Favoni," 



turn their faces to their native land, and revisit 

 the green hedgerows and peaceful valleys of Eng- 

 land: but you can hardly be prepared to take 

 such an interest as I would fain inspire you with, 

 in certain ornithological details to be recorded 

 hereafter, unless you have previously some idea of 

 the more prominent geographical divisions of Sus- 

 sex, the general aspect, and the local scenery of 

 each. I propose, therefore, to devote the remain- 

 der of this letter to such an introductory sketch as 

 may in some degree tend to supply the deficiency. 

 Sussex, one of the southern maritime counties 

 of England, is about seventy- six miles in length, 

 and nearly thirty in its average breadth. The 

 weald, the limits of which have been restricted 

 by some geologists to a portion of the eastern 

 division, may, in a more popular sense, be said to 

 constitute the great clay valley stretching along 

 the entire county including the primaeval forest 

 of Anderida commencing near Harting Combe, 

 on the borders of Hampshire, and gradually in- 

 creasing in breadth as it advances in a south-east- 

 erly direction towards the county of Kent. Its 

 appearance is that of a generally flat, but occa- 



