BIRDS Notwithstanding the great alterations that agriculture and railroads have brought about to the detriment and in many cases the exter- mination of certain resident birds, the county of Sussex still contains a variety of woodland, marsh and shore that is naturally attractive to bird life. Its great swamps that formerly sheltered the bittern, the ruff and many other interesting waterfowl are gone for ever, and many of the quiet mud-flats and bogs along the coast, where flocks of the rarer waders paddled in the shallows in peace and security, are now the favoured haunt of the sham negro minstrel and the German band. Still the land remains the same in its attraction to most of the smaller perching birds, and the county can boast that it is more favour- ably situated to receive wanderers from the south and spring migrants than any other in England, as it is the first landing place for all that come to spend the summer. The whole of the county, with the exception of the downs and river levels, is well wooded, chiefly with the oak Quercus pedunculata, which is considered indigenous. In these woodland tracts and their surrounding rough commons we have probably lost but few species of birds that were once resident or summer visitors to Sussex. Although still nesting with us at the beginning of the nineteenth century the honey-buzzard, the three harriers, the kite and many other perching birds have ceased to be recorded except as rare visitors, whilst the most serious losses to the ornithology of the county within this period are the great bustard, which probably did not nest later than 1815, and blackgame, which cannot be considered as a resident later than i860, although one or two greyhens have bred since that date. The Dartford warbler may also be mentioned as an interesting species which is diminishing in numbers, and they are certainly not nearly so common along the south coast as they were ten years ago. In the large plantations and the edges of the forests tits are very numerous and golden-crested wrens are common, as are also nuthatches in the large oaks and elms of the Weald, whilst all three species of woodpecker
- My thanks are especially due to Mrs. and Miss Borrer for the facilities which they have afforded
me in viewing the collections at Cowfold formed by the late Mr. W. Borrer and inspecting papers left by that admirable naturalist. Also to Mrs. Eversfield for allowing me to peruse the Markwick MS. at Denne Park, and to Mr. Ruskin Butterfield for a few excellent notes on the birds of east Sussex. I 273 35
