Guernsey, as all the grapes are protected by orchard-houses. But though
the grapes are protected, and most, if not all, the cherry orchards cut
down, still there is plenty of unprotected fruit in Guernsey to tempt
the Golden Oriole to remain in the Islands, and to bring the wrath and
the gun of the gardener both to bear upon him when he is there. This,
however, only shows that from the time spoken of by Mr. Métivier down to
the present time very few Golden Orioles could have visited Guernsey,
and still fewer remained to breed; for what with their fruit-eating
propensities and their bright plumage, hardly a bird could have escaped
being shot and subsequently making its appearance in the bird-stuffers'
windows, and affording a subject for a notice in the 'Star,' or some
other paper. I think therefore, on the whole, that though Guernsey still
affords many temptations to the Golden Oriole, and is sufficiently
well-wooded to afford shelter to suit its shy and suspicious habits, yet
for some reason or other the bird has not visited the Island of late
years even as an accidental visitant, or, if so, very rarely.

The Golden Oriole is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as
having occurred in Guernsey and Sark, but nothing more is said about the
bird. Probably Guernsey was mentioned as a locality on account of the
female specimen in the Museum, but with this exception I have never
heard of its making its appearance in Sark even as a straggler.


21. DIPPER. _Cinclus aquaticus_, Bechstein. French, "Aquassière,"
"Cincle plongeur."--The Dipper or Water Ouzel, though not very common,
less so, indeed, than the Kingfisher, is nevertheless a resident
species, finding food all through the year in the clear pools left by
the tide, and also frequenting the few inland ponds, especially the
rather large ones, belonging to Mr. De Putron in the Vale, where there