62 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



westward of Houghton- bridge, which stands on the river 

 Arun. 



I did not fail to look particularly after my new migra- 

 tion of ring-ousels ; and to take notice whether they con- 

 tinued 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 whinchats, 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 inhabi- 

 tants 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 even- 

 ing 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. 



