OF SELBORNE 135 



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, 1 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 dawn of day they always revisit 

 their nest-trees, and are preceded a few minutes by a flight of 

 daws, that act, as it were, as their harbingers. 



I am, &c. 



1 [It is to be noted that White dates this letter from Ringmer in Sussex, not 

 from Selborne.j 



