10 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



the sand, I used to watch the legions of water- 

 birds as they neared the shore, and dropped dis- 

 trustfully among the breakers, at a distance from 

 the desired haven, until, gaming confidence from 

 accession of numbers, some of the bolder spirits 

 the pioneers of the army would flap their wings, 

 rise from the white waves, and make for the calm 

 water. Here they come ! I can seen the pied 

 golden-eye pre-eminent among the advancing 

 party ; now the pochard, with his copper-coloured 

 head and neck, may be distinguished from the 

 darker scaup-duck; already the finger is on the 

 trigger, when, perhaps, they suddenly veer to the 

 right and left, far beyond the reach of my longest 

 barrel, or, it may be, come swishing overhead, 

 and leave a companion or two struggling on the 

 shingle or floating on the shallow waters of the 

 harbour. 



But my recollections of this favoured spot have 

 induced me to dwell too long on its attractions. 

 I shall have occasion, however, to refer to it here- 

 after, as a locality where many rare birds have 

 been obtained. 



A long line of chalk cliffs extends to the east- 

 ward of Brighton as far as Beachy Head, which is 

 the highest of all, and the country in the neigh- 

 bourhood of this precipitous coast is hilly and 

 treeless, and although partially cultivated, gene- 



