178 
Fairlight disappeared about the end of March, but on the 19tli of 
lAlay I saw tlieni again at the old place. When I first made their 
acquaintance they were singularly mute, and it was so long before 
I hoard them croak that I began to think Sussex Ravens were 
dumb, 1 learned from a shepherd boy, who fed his flock 
on the hill side, that they had not committed any depredations 
among his numerous lambs; I dare .say the decaying animal 
matter to bo lound on the shore is better suited to their 
ghoul-like appetite. A Raven flew over mo when driving at 
Normanhurst, which was probably migrating to Reachy Head, on 
the 13tli of April, 
I now come to the Waders, which are a particularly interesting 
class to observe at St. Leonards. They are muclx later than the 
Insessorial birds, not coming until ^lay. It happened in 188U 
that wo had continuous north-east winds, which was very fortunate 
for me, as, under these conditions, the Waders remain on the soutli 
coast of England much longer than they otherwise would ; they 
can feed here with comfort, which it would not be possible for 
them to do at any ])lace on the east coast with a wind blowing 
in from the .sea.* Four passing Redshanks tarried a day or 
two in the middle of March ; and, after them, the first to arrive 
was the Dunlin on the 14th of April, and its numbers kept on 
increasing until the middle of j\Iay. A few days after came the 
Common Sandpiper, which was so numerous in about a month 
from that time that T saw as many as ten in a walk. A day 
or two later and the Whimbrcl appeared ; this bird is partial to 
the rocks at low tide, and at high tide Ava.s generally to be seen 
flying past St. Leonards in the direction of Rye, But by fiir 
the most interesting species is the Bar-tailed Godwit, which, I 
have no doubt, may be observed at Bexhill the early part of 
]\[ay in every year. I have already alluded to the little marsh 
theie ; it is about 300 yards from the sea, and a paradise 
* Notwithstanding tliis, I hear tliat there were a considerable number of 
Waders on Breydon, near \armouth, in the second week in Jlay, when the 
wind was still in the ea.st ; but Breydon is separated from the sea by a 
broad belt of land which protects it to some extent. Mr. Stevenson, 
siieaking of the coast of Norfolk generally, .says, that according to his 
experience a south-west wind in May is the best for Godwits and that 
class of birds, and a north-east the worst (B. of Norf. ii. p. 254). 
-V 2 
