Guernsey pictorial directory and stranger's guide : $b embellished with numerous wood-cutsBellamy, Thomas, of Guernsey
History
Guernsey pictorial directory and stranger's guide : $b embellished with numerous wood-cuts
Bellamy, Thomas, of Guernsey
Guernsey (Channel Islands) -- Guidebooks
The Savings Bank is under the direction of a committee of the principal
people of the Island, most of them members of the States, and is on a safe
foundation, the whole capital being vested in the public funds. When the
name and occupation of a depositor is entered, he receives 3 per cent for
his money.
_Barracks._--Vacant Barracks capable of admitting upwards of 5,000 troops,
are erected in various parts of the Island. Their repairs are kept up by
occasional grants from the Home Government, and a proper officer is
appointed for their annual over-hauling.
_Bats_--Are by no means numerous, or of such size, colour and quantity as
those of Jersey. They inhabit the vale districts rather than the upland
ones.
_Beggars_--Are not known here, and should there be an importation, the
Constables take it upon themselves to manage their departure by encumbering
the Captain who brought them with the expense of their return. An affair of
this kind cost our late venerable Baillif much trouble in rebutting
_versus_ the corporation of Southampton, who at several times either sent
or permitted their landing.
_Birds_--That are constantly with us are: the red legged crow, the common
crow, sparrow,[A] tit-mouse, long tailed do., common wren, golden crested
do., lark, sky do., magpie, sparrow-hawk, blackbird, and thrush. Those
which occasionally visit us or remain only throughout the winter season
are: the ring dotterel, skitty, quail,[B] plover, starling, red-wing,
fieldfare, curlew, tern, snipe, woodcock,[C] &c. The swallow and swift
generally leaves us about the middle of October and return in the spring.
Perhaps no place of equal extent can boast of having such a variety of
birds, for besides the above we have the occasional visit of the hoopoe,
ring-ouzel, mountain-finch, hooded crow, golden oriole, sanderling, godwit,
lapwing, grey plover, Northern diver, wild goose, brent do., wild duck,
together with a few others of the hawk tribe. The heron may be said to be
rather peculiar to the small adjacent Island of Herm; and those beautiful
birds, the bittern and egret, were both shot by a person in the fens,
technically called by sportsmen the "Pontine Marshes."
[A] Sparrows are exceedingly numerous and work great ravages in corn
and other grain fields, wherefore the States for years past, have
granted an annual sum of £70 or so much per head for their
destruction. At a meeting of the States for 1830, an Act was passed
by way of awarding a premium for the further destruction of
sparrows, wherein it was agreed, for that year only, to give four
doubles for every sparrows head, and one for each egg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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