appear that any wheatears are taken to the west- 

 ward of Houghton bridge, which stands on the river 

 Arun. 



I did not fail to look particularly after my new 

 migration of ring-ousels ; and to take notice whether 

 thev 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 coverts ; 

 but not one bird of this sort came within my ob- 

 servation. I only saw a few larks and whinchats, 

 some rooks, and several kites and buzzards. 



About summer a flight of crossbills comes to the 

 pine-groves about this house, but never makes any 

 long stay. 



The old tortoise, that 1 have mentioned in a for- 

 mer letter, still continues in this garden ; and retired 

 under ground about the 20th of November, and 

 came out again for one day on the 30th : it lies now 

 buried in a wet swampy border under a wall facing 

 to the south, and is enveloped at present in mud and 

 mire ! 



Here is a large rookery round this house, the 



inhabitants of which seem to get their livelihood 



very easily ; for they spend the greatest part of the 



day on their nest-trees when the weather is mild. 



These rooks retire every evening all the winter from 



this rookery, where they only call by the way, as 



they are going to roost in deep woods : at the dawn 



207 



