156 NATURAL HISTORY 



feeding on the Libellulce, or dragon flies ; some of wliich 

 they caught as they settled on the weeds, and some as they 

 were on the wing. Notwithstanding what Linnaeus says, I 

 cannot be induced to believe that they are birds of prey. 



This district affords some birds that are hardly ever heard 

 of at Selborne. In the first place considerable flocks of 

 crossbeaks (Loxice curvirostrce) have appeared this summer 

 in the pine-groves belonging to this house ; the water-ousel 

 is said to haunt the mouth of the Lewes river, near New- 

 haven; and the Cornish chough builds, I know, all along 

 the chalky cliffs of the Sussex shore. 1 



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. Lot 

 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 remarkable 

 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. 2 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 



1 This is now no longer the case. See Letter XXXIX. to Pennant, 

 p. 117, note. ED. 



2 The great bustard has long ceased to frequent the South Downs 

 except as a rare and accidental visitant. Amongst various extracts 

 from Gilbert White's MS. diary, published by Mr. Jesse in the second 

 series of his "Gleanings in Natural History," is one (p. 164) wherein 

 the author states that on Nov. 17, 1782, he spent three hours at a lone 

 farm-house in the midst of the downs between Andover and Winton, 

 where " the carter told us that about twelve years ago he had seen a 

 flock of eighteen bustards at one time on that farm, and once since 

 only two." Further on (p. 180) he adds: "Bustards when seen on the 

 downs resemble fallow-deer at a distance." 



See Letter II. to Daines Barrington, p. 143, note. ED. 



