RINGOUSELS. 191 



harvest they begin to be taken in great numbers ; 

 are sent for sale in vast quantities to Brighthelm- 

 stone and Tunbridge ; and appear at 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 re- 

 markable, 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 wheatears 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 ringousels ; 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 whinchats, some rooks, and several kites 

 and buzzards. 



About Midsummer, a flight of crossbills comes 

 to the pine-groves about this house, but never 

 makes any long stay 1 . 



The old tortoise, that I have mentioned in a 

 former letter, still continues in this garden ; it 



1 A pretty large flock of crossbills visited Ambleside, 

 in Westmoreland, in October, 1828, frequenting the plan- 

 tations of young larches. VV. J. 



