144 The Natural History- 



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, 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 inhabit- 

 ants 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, etc. 



