SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 1903. 



THE man that pours the water out has certainly been pay- 

 ing attention to his business, and in conjunction with the 

 puffy bellower of storms favoured us with weather anything 

 but peaceful. Unlike the farmers, we have little cause of 

 complaint. No sodden fields or ruined crops appal the eye, 

 for even after a " regular snorter " things here remain pretty 

 much as they were. True, the aspect changes as the season 

 advances. The whitewashed appearance of the rock surface 

 in summer, due to the presence of the acorn barnacle, has 

 now vanished thanks to the voracity of the white whelk 

 and the rocks appear in their natural colour, a reddish- 

 brown. The " sere and yellow " is well represented in the 

 once luxuriant crops of heavy tangles, but lately swaying on 

 the surface with a freshness and beauty peculiarly their own, 

 now storm-tossed, frayed and abraded, denuded of their palm- 

 like fronds, they appear but a vestige of their former selves. 

 The turbulent state of the weather interferes seriously with 

 our fishing, keeping the poddlies at a respectful distance 

 from our door ; indeed, any approach in our direction at 

 present would certainly denote suicidal mania on their part. 

 At a safe distance outside the breakers, they are to be seen 

 playing on the surface in the early morning and evening, so 

 that our expectations are still high should the weather but abate. 

 The eider ducks, which on the 20th September were 

 represented by a solitary individual the first arrival now 

 number over a hundred. The longtails are still awanting to 

 complete our list, but their advent may be looked for early 

 next month. On suitable nights for the past two months 

 we have always had some feathered visitors "becking and 

 booing" to us through the lantern. On 4th October an 

 extremely rare visitor here at least made its appearance, 

 namely, the ring-ousel, the first I have seen. In size, shape, 



