i66 
NATURAL HISTORY 
muft be a perpetual flitting and conftant progreflive fuccellion. 
It does not appear that any wheat-ears are taken to the vveftvvard of 
Houghton-bridge, which Hands on the river Arun. 
I did not fail to look particularly after my new migration of 
ring-oufeh; and to take notice whether they continued on the 
downs to this feafon of the year ; as I had formerly remarked them 
in the month of O£iober all the way from Chichefter to Lewes where- 
ever there were any fhrubs and covert : but not one bird of this 
fort came within my obfervation. I only faw a few larks and whin- 
chats, fome rooks, and feveral kites and buzzards. 
About Midfummer a flight of crofs-bills comes to the pine-groves 
about this houfe, but never makes any long ftay. 
The old tortoife, that I have mentioned in a former letter, flili 
continues in this garden ; and retired under ground about the 
twentieth of November, and came out again for one day on the 
thirtieth : it lies now buried in a wet fwampy border under a wall 
facing to the fouth, and is enveloped at prefent in mud and mire ! 
Here is a large rookery round this houfe, the inhabitants of 
which feem to get their livelihood very eafily; for they fpend the 
greatefl: part of the day on their neft-trees when the weather is mild. 
Thefe rooks retire every evening all the winter from this rookery, 
where they only call by the way, as they are going to rooft in deep 
woods : at the dawn of day they always revifit their neft-trees, and 
are preceded a few minutes by a flight of daws, that ad, as it 
were, as their harbingers. 
I am, &G. 
LETTER 
