uth downs
round Lewes, yet at East Bourn, which is the eastern extremity of those
downs, they abound much more. One thing is very remarkable, that though
in the height of the season so many hundreds of dozens are taken, yet
they never are seen to flock; and it is a rare thing to see more than
three or four at a time; so that there must be a perpetual flitting and
constant progressive succession. It does not appear that any wheat-ears
are taken to the westward 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 they 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 covert: but not one bird of this sort came within my
observation. I only saw a few larks and whin-chats, some rooks, and
several kites and buzzards.

About Midsummer a flight of cross-bills comes to the pine-groves about
this house, but never makes any long stay.

The old tortoise, that I have mentioned in a former letter, still
continues in this garden; and retired under ground about the 20th
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 of day
they always revisit their nest-trees, and are preceded a few minutes by a
flight of daws, that act, as it were, as their harbingers.

I am, etc.

LETTER XVIII.

SELBORNE, _Jan._ 29_th_, 1774.

Dear Sir,--The house-swallow, or chimney-swallow, is undoubtedly the
first comer of all the British hirundines; and appears in general on or
about 13th April, as I have remarked from many years' observation. Not
but now and then a straggler is seen much earlier; and, in particular,
when I was a boy I observed a swallow for a whole day together on a sunny
warm Shrove Tuesday; which day could not fall out later than the middle
of March, and often happened early in February.

It is worth remarking that these