80 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



generally found on wild, bushy ground, among the 

 remote valleys of the Downs, or on hedges near 

 waste land or commons. The periodical arrival 

 of fresh birds in the spring is well known even to 

 the most inexperienced bird-catchers in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Brighton, and anxiously expected by 

 them for many days previously : the goldfinches 

 which have remained all the winter are called by 

 them " harbour birds," meaning that they have so- 

 journed, or harboured as the local expression is 

 here during that season; those which arrive in 

 April are called "flight-birds." When the latter 

 are expected the bird-catcher watches his nets 

 with an anxious countenance, and his disappoint- 

 ment is great, if upon disengaging from the meshes 

 a newly captured prisoner, he perceives by the 

 dull-coloured back, dirty red forehead, and general 

 shabbiness of the plumage, that it is only what he 

 contemptuously terms " a harbour bird." Far dif- 

 ferent are his feelings when he entraps one with a 

 light-coloured back, snow-white cheeks, and bright 

 vermilion forehead; he knows then that "the flight" 

 has commenced, and the hour of sunrise finds him 

 at his post on the following morning, eager to avail 

 himself of the precious moments. 



It is worthy of remark that the u harbour birds " 

 are much more shy than the newly arrived " flight 

 birds," which, with their plumage advanced to that 



