A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



42. Blue Tit. Parui ceeruleus, Linn. 



Very common throughout the year and 

 destructive to fruit trees in the spring. 



43. Nuthatch. Sitta casia, Wolf. 

 Though a fairly common species it is not 



nearly so abundant as in the neighbouring 

 counties of Surrey and Kent. 



44. Wren. Trog/odytes parvu/us, K. L. Koch. 

 Abundant everywhere. 



45. Tree-Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn. 

 Fairly common throughout the year, and 



associating in the winter with flocks of tits. 



46. Wall-Creeper. T'ichodroma muraria 



(Linn.) 

 Mr. Ruskin Butterfield has recorded an 

 adult in breeding plumage which was shot 

 some years ago near Winchelsea by Mr. W. 

 Mitchell {Zoologist, 1896, p. 302). The 

 specimen is now in the possession of 

 Canon Tristram. 



47. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla luguhrh, Tem- 



minck. 

 A few remain throughout the year, but the 

 greater number return to us in February and 

 March, many of the males being then in 

 their full breeding plumage. 



48. White Wagtail. Motacilla alba, Linn. 

 White wagtails appear to stop for a few 



days in the spring on their northward migra- 

 tion. They come about the second week 

 in April and then probably follow the south 

 coast of England eastwards before turning 

 northward to Scandinavia and Iceland, as no 

 specimens have been taken in Sussex north 

 of the South Downs. Mr. Wells states that 

 they have bred in Sussex. 



49. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. 

 A scarce though regular winter visitor. 



As there are few clear pebbly streams in 

 Sussex such as the species love they do not 

 stop to nest with us. I have noticed every 

 winter one or more grey wagtails frequent 

 a roadside ditch close to the village of RofFey. 



50. Blue-headed Wagtail. Motacilla flava, 



Linn. 

 A scarce though regular spring visitor to the 



of goldfinches found inhabiting England, France, 

 Algeria, Germany, Russia, China and Siberia, all 

 and every one differing slightly and confined to 

 small areas except when on migration. Personally 

 I cannot see that the difference between this very 

 slight local form and other British marsh-tits is 

 sufHcient to entitle it to a separate name. 



sea coast. Mr. Booth was of opinion that the 

 blue-headed wagtail had nested on several 

 occasions in Sussex. Certainly this species is 

 occasionally seen throughout the summer. 

 Mr. Butterfield informs me that a nest of this 

 species with both parent birds were recently 

 taken near Winchelsea by Mr. G. Bristow.' 



51. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla raii (Bona- 



parte). 

 A somewhat scarce summer visitor. 



52. Tree-Pipit. Anthus irivialis (Linn.) 



A common summer visitor, breeding 

 throughout the county. 



53. Meadow-Pipit. Jnthus pratensis (Linn.). 

 More numerous in the autumn and spring. 



but breeding in fair numbers wherever open 

 uncultivated land is to be found. 



54. Red -throated Pipit. Anthus cervinus 



(Pallas). 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney recorded the first 

 instance of the capture of this pipit in Sussex 

 (Zoologist, 1884, p. 192). It was caught near 

 Brighton on March 13, 1884, and afterwards 

 passed into the collection of Mr. Monk of 

 Lewes. A second example, in winter plum- 

 age, was shot near St. Leonards on November 

 13, 1895, and examined by Mr. R. Butter- 

 field. It was exhibited by Dr. R. Bowdler 

 Sharpe at a meeting of the British Ornitholo- 

 gists' Club on December 30 of that year. 



55. Tawny Pipit. Anthus campestris (Linn.) 

 Nearly all the instances of the occurrence 



of this rare pipit have taken place near 

 Brighton. The first was captured near 

 Shoreham on August 15, 1858, and another 

 at Rottingdean in 1862. These two speci- 

 mens were examined by Mr. Rowley, who 

 identified them as Anthus campestris and he 

 recorded them in the Ibis, 1863. Several 

 others have been taken near Brighton since 

 then, and have passed through the hands of 

 Mr. Swaysland and Mr. Pratt. 



56. Richard's Pipit. Anthus richardi, VieiWot. 

 One Sunday morning in the month of 



April, 1898, 1 saw a bird near the lodge gates 

 of Warnham Court which I feel certain not 

 only on account of its size but by its loud 

 note was a bird of this species. It remained 

 sitting quietly on the top of an oak paling till 



1 Mr. H. E. Dresser, who has examined these 

 specimens, is of opinion that they come nearest to 

 the sub-species Motacilla beema (Sykes). There is 

 also a specimen, probably referable to the same 

 form, in the Tring Museum, shot near Brighton. 



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