of Selborne 1 17 



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 vSussex 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 remark- 

 able that they are very tame, and seem to have no 

 manner of apprehensions of danger from a person with 

 a gun. There are bustards on the wide downs near 

 Brighthelmstone. No doubt you are acquainted with the 

 Sussex-downs : the prospects and rides round Lewes are 

 most lovely ! 



As I rode along near the coast I kept a very sharp 

 look-out in the lanes and woods, hoping I might, at this 

 time of the year, have discovered some of the summer 

 short-winged birds of passage crowding towards the coast 

 in order for their departure : but it was very extraordinary 

 that I never saw a red-start, white-throat, black-cap, 

 uncrested wren, fly-catcher, etc. And I remember to 

 have made the same remark in former years, as I usually 

 come to this place annually about this time. The birds 

 most common along the coast at present are the stone- 

 chatters, whin-chats, buntings, linnets, some few wheat- 

 ears, titlarks, etc. Swallows and house-martins abound 

 yet, induced to prolong their stay by this soft, still, 

 dry season. 



A land-tortoise, which has been kept for thirty years in 

 a little walled court belonging to the house where I now 

 am visiting, retires under ground about the middle of 

 November, and comes forth again about the middle of 

 April. When it first appears in the spring it discovers 

 very little inclination towards food ; but in the height 

 of summer grows voracious: and then as the summer 

 declines its appetite declines ; so that for the last six 



