A September Ramble in the Isle of Wight. 231 
on two occasions had oi)portuiiities of seeing more species than 
one usually sees in a limited time. On the first occasion (Thurs- 
day, September 23rd) I was driven indoors by a sharp shower, 
which was soon succeeded by another. After the rain had passed, 
I walked round the balcony of mine host's bird-room, and took 
stock of those wild birds which frequented the uncultivated patch 
adjoining the outdoor flights. A Thrush was perched on the top 
of the aviaries, and a lemale Blackbird was sitting preening in the 
quickset hedge close by. A Willow Wren and a Hedge Accentor 
were both hunting on the top of the flights ; a Chaffinch was 
seen in a tree, while a party of Greenfinches alighted on the 
upper part of a Sycamore hard by. Two birds flew over and 
settled near the top of a tree some twenty yards off, and on 
looking at them with my binocular I saw, for the first time in 
my life that I am certain of, the Goldfinch in a state of nature. 
Several Robins were about, and a flight of Rooks passed over. 
House Martins were flying about, but I could not see a Swallow 
amongst them ; a Blue Tit came into a pear tree close to me, but 
did not stay to hunt. A Spotted Flycatcher, probably the grey 
bird I had caught a glimpse of and thought was a Meadow 
Pipit, flew up and settled in a sag of the netting, but there was 
no mistaking its identity. A Pied Wagtail flying over was the 
next visitor, one I had heard already but not seen. Soon after 
one o'clock I noticed several Starlings at work in Mr. Willford's 
fig tree: they were certainly pecking and eating, but for a time I 
could not be sure that I saw them actually pecking the figs them- 
selves, as in every case there was a leaf or .something in the way, 
but at last I saw one actually pecking at a ripe fig and saw the 
torn side of the fruit in profile. In the afternoon, I had the 
pleasure of seeing a party of half-a-dozen more Goldfinches pay 
a visit to a bed of thistles growing near on the waste ground, 
and go over the wet heads in their characteristic vivacious way. 
On the Sunday following (September 26th) the weather 
was dull in the morning, but the sky was cloudless overhead in 
the afternoon, and about half past three, on learning definitely 
that I should not have Mr. Willford's company, I set ofi"by my- 
self for Wooton Creek, a long narrow tidal course running in 
some three miles from the coast, not far west of Ryde. In its 
