1885-86.] Edmbiirgh Naturalists' Field Club. 311 



to think their testimony is of more value than that of lessees of 

 fishings, keepers, and similar fishing enthusiasts, who in too many 

 instances will not take the trouble to discover if the bird be guilty 

 or not before continuing the work of destruction. What the species 

 really feeds upon are fresh-water molluscs, larvae of flies, various 

 aquatic insects, such as beetles, &c., with an occasional small 

 fish or two. It has been satisfactorily proved by entomologists 

 that certain kinds of water-beetles are very hurtful to fish ova; 

 yet this bird, who feeds upon these, is slaughtered in order to 

 preserve what these same insects are doing their best to destroy. 

 If this mode' of reasoning were carried out in other spheres, it would 

 necessarily follow that the best plan to get rid of mice in a house 

 would be to kill the cat. Under these conditions, then, one may 

 perhaps be excused from applying the mild term " absurd " to the 

 policy of pisciculturists. A good deal more might be said upon this 

 subject ; but as time would not permit, I will merely mention a 

 statement made to me by a practical taxidermist of forty years' 

 standing, that during the whole course of his bird-stuffing career, 

 in which time he had dissected large numbers of Water-Ousels — 

 upwards of 100 — he had never on any single occasion discovered 

 the slightest trace of fish ova in their stomachs. This, I fancy, 

 you will believe to be as conclusive evidence against the random 

 assertions of its enemies as could possibly be obtained. 



The nest of this bird is almost as curious as itself, in so far as 

 the extraordinary size is concerned. It measures nearly a foot in 

 length, and about six to eight inches in depth, by as many in thick- 

 ness ; is composed of moss platted strongly together, the interior 

 being lined with dead, dry leaves ; and instead of being open at the 

 top like most other nests, it is domed, and an entrance-hole is left 

 in the front very nearly in the centre of the mass. In fact, to use 

 a rather homely simile, it is uncommonly like a huge haggis with a 

 large hole cut in the side. This unusual structure is found in vari- 

 ous situations, but always close to water, under overhanging rocks 

 or concealed in the banks at the side of a stream, and not unusually 

 upon the flat iron beams that support small railway-bridges. By 

 Tweed-side I have found it frequently in this latter position. The 

 plumage is brownish-black on the upper parts, white on the breast, 

 and chestnut-red beneath. The female is similar to the male, but 

 barely so decided in the colours ; and the young, although not so 

 clearly marked, have sufficient of the parental plumage to prevent 

 their being confused with any other species. Its song is very 

 pretty, and, although not of long duration, is always welcome, 

 more particularly as it commences very early in the season, when 

 most birds are mute. 



So far as these two species are concerned, this concludes my 

 remarks, which have been very imperfect and far from scientific. 



