144 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



numbers ; are sent for sale in vast quantities to Bright- 

 helmstone and Tunbridge ; and appear at the tables of 

 all the gentry that entertain with any degree of elegance. 

 About Michaelmas they retire and are seen no more till 

 March. Though these birds are, when in season, in great 

 plenty on the south downs 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 wheat-ears 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 ring-ousels ; 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 whin-chats, some 

 rooks, and several kites and buzzards. 



About Midsummer a flight of cross-bills 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 twentieth of November, and came out 

 again for one day on the thirtieth : 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 ! 



Here is a large rookery round this house, the inhabitants 

 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 rookery, where they only call by the 

 way, as they are going to roost in deep woods : at the 



