I16 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
appeared at a distance, hovering about with meat in its mouth, 
and expressing the greatest solicitude. 
In July I saw several cuckoos skimming over a large pond, 
and found, after some observation, that they were feeding on 
the dragon-flies, some of which they caught as they settled on 
the weeds, and some as they were on the wing. Notwithstand- 
ing what Linnzus says, I cannot be induced to believe that 
they are birds of prey. 
This district affords some birds that are hardly ever heard 
of at Selborne. In the first place considerable flocks of cross- 
beaks have appeared this summer in the pine-groves belonging 
to this house ; the water-ousel is said to haunt the mouth of 
the Lewes river, near Newhaven; and the Cornish chough 
builds, I know, all along the chalky cliffs of the Sussex shore. 
I was greatly pleased to see little parties of ring-ousels (my 
newly discovered migrators) scattered, at intervals, all along . 
the Sussex downs, from Chichester to Lewes. Let them come 
from whence they will, it looks very suspicious that they are 
cantoned along the coast in order to pass the channel when 
severe weather advances. ‘They visit us again in April, as it 
should seem, in their return; and are not to be found in the 
dead of winter. It is remarkable that they are very tame, and 
seem to have no manner of apprehensions of danger from a 
person with a gun. ‘There are bustards on the wide downs 
near Brighthelmstone. No doubt you are acquainted with the 
Sussex downs; the prospects and rides round Lewes are most 
lovely ! 
As I rode along near the coast I kept a very sharp look-out 
in the lanes and woods, hoping I might, at this time of the 
year, have discovered some of the summer short-winged birds 
of passage crowding towards the coast in order for their 
departure: but it was very extraordinary that I never saw a 
redstart, white-throat, black-cap, uncrested wren, fly-catcher, 
etc. And I remember to have made the same remark in 
