56 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



the nest has ever been found in Sussex. "With us it is very 

 much confined to the seaside^ and is fond of flitting ahout 

 the rocks, or clinging to the face of the cliffs, and even to 

 the parapets of the houses in Brighton, and it also has been 

 observed to do the same at Worthing and Hastings. Its 

 principal food is insects, but I once saw a quantity of hop- 

 seeds taken from the crop of one which had been shot on a 

 heap of manure, on which had been thrown some refuse from 

 a brewery. 



I have notes, made at the time, of an immature male shot 

 in the neighbourhood of Brighton, October 20th, 1843, and 

 of a female shot there 'November 20th, 1849, also of a finely 

 marked adult male shot in Brighton Park, November 23rd, 

 1857, as well as of another male, obtained on March 7th, 

 1859, at HilFs Farm, near Horsham, an unusual distance 

 from the sea. 



Mr. Knox characterizes this bird as a winter visitant, and 

 mentions several specimens of it as obtained from Brighton, 

 and others from Chichester and Hastings. 



References to the ' Zoologist ' are : — (P. 188) " A Black 

 Redstart was shot on a wall at Brighton, on October 16th, 

 and another, also on a wall, in December 1839, and between 

 the latter date and April 1843 three males and one female 

 were seen and shot, all by Mr. Swaysland." (P. 2799) An 

 adult bird killed at Piddinghoe, March 31st, and an imma- 

 ture male near Lewes, April 1st, 1852. (P. 3033) A female 

 shot in a chalk-pit near Lewes. (P. 3329) One killed at 

 Brighton, November 26th. (P. 9040) Another caught by a 

 birdcatcher near Eastbourne, in November 1864, and again 

 another, near Birling Gap. (P. 597, s.s.) A pair seen and 

 female shot, at Ashling, in October 1862. (P. 3476) Another 

 shot at Railton, near Eastbourne. (P. 3907) One taken near 

 Worthing, 1853. 



From the number appearing every year along the coast 



