1 86 The Natural History of Selborne 



nest of a small bird on the ground ; and that it was fed by the 

 little bird. I went to see this extraordinary phenomenon, and found 

 that it was a young cuckoo hatched in the nest of a titlark ; it was 

 become vastly too big for its nest, appearing 



. . . . in tenui re 

 Majores pennas nido extendisse . . 



and was very fierce and pugnacious, pursuing my finger, as I teased 

 it, for many feet from the nest, and sparring and buffeting with its 

 wings like a game-cock. The dupe of a dam appeared at a distance, 

 hovering about with meat in its mouth, and expressing the greatest 

 solicitude. 



In July I saw several cuckoos skimming over a large pond ; and 

 found, after some observation, that they were feeding on the 

 Libellulte, or dragon-flies ; some of which they caught as they 

 settled on the weeds, and some as they were on the wing. Not- 

 withstanding what Linnasus says, I cannot be induced to believe that 

 they are birds of prey. 



This district affords some birds, that are hardly ever heard of at 

 Selborne. In the first place considerable flocks of cross-beaks 

 (Loxi*e curvirostr<e) have appeared this summer in the pine-groves 

 belonging to this house ; the water-ousel is said to haunt the mouth 

 of the Lewes river, near Newhaven ; and the Cornish chough builds, 

 I know, all along the chalky cliffs of the Sussex shore. 



I was greatly pleased to see little parties of ring-ousels (my newly 

 discovered migrators) scattered, at intervals, all along the Sussex 

 downs, from Chichester to Lewes. Let them come from whence 

 they will, it looks very suspicious that they are cantoned along the 

 coast in order to pass the channel when severe weather advances. 

 They visit us again in April, as it should seem, in their return ; 

 and are not to be found in the dead of winter. It is remarkable 

 that they are very tame, and seem to have no manner of apprehen- 

 sions of danger from a person with a gun. There are bustards on 

 the wide downs near Brighthelmstone [Brighton]. No doubt you 

 are acquainted with the Sussex downs ; the prospects and rides 

 round Lewes are most lovely. 



