2/0 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



his companions had obeyed the universal law to the 

 extent of adding half a dozen full-fledged individuals 

 to the feathered community." The flesh of the 

 wheatear is almost as highly esteemed here as that 

 of the Ortolan in France, or the Beccafico in Italy ; 

 and at the period of their autumnal migration, a great 

 many of these birds are noosed on the downs in the 

 neighbourhood of Brighton. 



The Redstart (Ruticilla phcenicurus} is widely but 

 sparingly distributed, and its nest and beautifully 

 delicate blue eggs, to the number of six or seven, are 

 found in old ivied walls in gardens, or in a hole or a 

 fork of a tree, sometimes even on the ground under 

 heath. For several seasons in succession, it has been 

 known to make its home and rear its family on the 

 plating of a wheelwright's shop at Uppark, within a 

 few feet of the block on which the heaviest work was 

 carried on day after day. An unusual speckled variety 

 of its eggs has been taken in the park and on West 

 Harting down, on three separate occasions. These 

 eggs are still in existence, and are not the least 

 curious specimens in a collection which has been made 

 for the purpose of illustrating the Oology of Harting. 

 Incidentally, however, other curious eggs have found 

 their way into this collection, as the following extract 

 from some copies of letters in our possession will 

 show : " As one instance, among many that I could 

 give you, of the interest taken in Oological pursuits 

 here, I may mention the fact, without I think being 

 guilty of making an indiscreet revelation, that when 

 visitors have been staying at Uppark, I have more 

 than once been requested by them to exhibit my 

 collection. On one of these occasions when, in 

 deference to a drenching downfall of rain, the gentle- 

 men had postponed their operations in the field, an 

 incident took place that may perhaps be worth 

 relating. One of the party, an enthusiastic sports- 

 man, whose Ornithological studies had probably been 



