CONTENTS vii 



CHAPTEK VII 



SHEPHERDS AND WHEATEAES .... 126-141 



The shepherd's altered condition — His loss of the wheat- 

 ear harvest — The passion for wheatears — Arrival of the birds 

 on the downs — "Our ortolan" — Coops — The wheatear's habits 

 —Sensitiveness to rain — Hurdis and the " pence of ransom " — 

 A great dame collecting wheatears — John Dudeney's recollec- 

 tions — Shepherd's cease taking wheatears — Probable reason 

 — How the birds are now obtained — Bird-catchers, poulterers, 

 and farmers — The law must be enforced — Lark-eating. 



CHAPTEK VIII 



SILENCE AND MUSIC . . ... 142-166 



The art of music — Natural music — Sussex voices — A 

 pretty girl with a musical voice— Singing of the peasants — 

 Dr. Burton on Sussex singing— ^Primitive singing — A shep- 

 herdess and her cries — The Sussex sheep-dog's temper — Silence 

 of the hills— Bird music of the downs — Common bunting — 

 Linnet — Stonechat — Whinchat — The distance which sound 

 travels — Experience with tramps — Singing of skylarks — 

 Effects which cannot be expressed. 



CHAPTEE IX 



SUMMER HEAT ... .... 167-183 



When the downs are most enjoyable — July in the wooded 

 lowland — The bliss of summer — Children's delight in heat — 

 Misery of cold — Piers Plowman — Langland's philosophy — The 

 happiest man in Sussex — A protection from the sun — Heat 

 not oppressive on the hills — Birds on Mount Harry — A cup of 

 cold water— Drawing water in a hat — Advantages of a tweed 

 hat — An unsympathetic woman — Beauty of kindness. 



CHAPTER X 



SWALLOWS AND CHURCHES . ... 184-204 



Abundance of swallows in downland villages — The 

 swallows' bat-like faculty — Old house at Ditchling — Church 



