Birds. 643 



pitched on high trees, and were very tame. They were shot in such 

 numbers by my brothers and myself, that we ate them like blackbirds." 



The Goldfinch is abundant ; sufficiently so to attract a race of be- 

 ings I am not very partial to, namely, the London bird-catchers. 



The Siskin I have found in Newchurch marshes. I once saw a 

 flock there consisting of at least fifty individuals. The specimen in 

 my collection I shot on an alder, in company with redpolls. 



The common Linnet is very abundant ; I have seen very large 

 flocks of them in winter. 



The lesser Redpoll I have met with in Newchurch-marshes in win- 

 ter ; but I have in my possession the nest, containing two eggs, of 

 this little winter visitor, taken in Shanklin Chine, May 17, 1843. The 

 boy who found it, an experienced birdnester, was at a loss to identify 

 it, though he knew of another resembling it. This second nest was 

 taken by some other person. I could not obtain a sight of the parent 

 birds ; but the boy's description corresponded with that of the red- 

 poll. The nest and egg perfectly coincide with those described by 

 Mr. Yarrell : the former is lined with the catkin of the willow, and 

 was built in an elder, hard by the stream which flows down the chine. 



The mountain Linnet. Two or three were once pointed out to Mr. 

 Butler on Freshwater Downs, by an accompanying naturalist, I be- 

 lieve Mr. Blyth. 



Tlie Bullfinch is tolerably abundant. Notwithstanding the habit- 

 ual shyness of this bird, a female, while sitting, once allowed me to 

 pass my finger several times down her head and back, without taking 

 wing. I did this on two or three occasions ; once in presence of 

 other persons : the bird would open her beak in a threatening man- 

 ner, and submit, open-mouthed, to my caresses. 



The common Crossbill has appeared occasionally, at uncertaiu pe- 

 riods, and in considerable numbers. 



The white-winged Crossbill. Mr. Butler informed me that about 

 six years ago he obtained a pair of birds, which he supposed to be 

 only the common crossbill in one of its many states of plumage ; but 

 the conspicuous white bars across the wings, described by Mr. But- 

 ler, seem to decide that they belonged to the rarer species. 



The common Starling is now generally distributed, and in consi- 

 derable numbers ; yet, fifty years ago, as I am credibly informed, the 

 bird was not to be found in the island. Several persons have spoken 

 of it to me as having been very scarce only twenty years back. 



The rose-coloured Pastor, I have reason to think, has b jcn once 

 killed in the island. R. Loe described it very accurately, and as hav- 



