184 RINGOUSELS TORTOISE. 



round Lewes, yet at East Bourn, which is the eastern 

 extremity of those downs, they abound much more. 

 One thing is very remarkable, that, though in the 

 height of the season so many hundreds of dozens are 

 taken, yet they never are seen to flock ; and it is a 

 rare thing to see more than three or four at a time : 

 so that there must be a perpetual flitting and constant 

 progressive succession. It does not appear that any 

 wheatears are taken to the westward of Houghton- 

 bridge, which stands on the river Arun. 



I did not fail to look particularly after my new 

 migration of ringousels ; and to take notice whether 

 they continued on the downs to this season of the 

 year ; as I had formerly remarked them in the month 

 of October, all the way from Chichester to Lewes, 

 wherever there were any shrubs and covert : but not 

 one bird of this sort came within my observation. I 

 only saw a few larks and whinchats, some rooks, and 

 several kites and buzzards. 



About midsummer, a flight of crossbills comes to 

 the pine -groves about this house, but never makes 

 any long stay *. 



The old tortoise, that I have mentioned in a former 

 letter, still continues in this garden ; and retired 

 under ground about the 20th of November, and came 

 out again for one day on the 30th : it lies now buried 

 in a wet swampy border under a wall facing to the 

 south, and is enveloped at present in mud and mire ! 



ttere is a large rookery round this house, the inha- 

 bitants of which seem to get their livelihood very 

 easily ; for they spend the greatest part of the day on 

 their nest-trees when the weather is mild. These 

 rooks retire every evening, all the winter, from this 



* A pretty large flock of crossbills visited Ambleside, in West- 

 moreland, in October, 1828, frequenting the plantations of young 

 larches. W. J. 



