WHEATEAR ON SOUTH DOWNS 39 



wool brought him about fifteen shillings a year) and 

 from the capture of Wheatears — the English Ortolan 

 — then much more abundant on the downs than 

 now." 



In a communication which he made at an 

 advanced period of his life to Mr R. W. Blencowe, 

 he said : — 



"At midsummer 1802 I went to be head 

 shepherd to Mr James Ingram of Rottingdean. 

 The farm was called the Westside Farm, extend- 

 ing from Rottingdean to Blackrock in Brighton 

 parish ; it was a long narrow strip of ground, not 

 averaging more than half a mile in width, and 

 extending along the sea coast. I caught great 

 numbers of Wheatears during the season for taking 

 them, which lasts from the middle of July to the 

 end of August. The most I ever caught in one 

 day was thirteen dozen ; but we thought it a good 

 day if we caught three or four dozen. We sold 

 them to a poulterer at Brighton, who took all we 

 could catch in the season at eighteenpence a dozen. 

 From what I have heard from old shepherds it 

 cannot be doubted that they were caught in much 

 greater numbers a century ago than of late. I have 

 heard them speak of an immense number being 

 taken in one day by a shepherd at East Dean, near 

 Beachy Head. I think they said he took nearly 

 one hundred dozen ; so many that he could not 

 thread them on crow quills in the usual manner, 

 but took off his round frock and made a sack of it 

 to put them into, and his wife did the same with 

 her petticoat. This must have happened when 



