252 LOBE-FOOTED BIRDS. 



to Pennant, when endangered or fatigued, the female will 

 carry her brood upon her back, or under her wing. Their 

 food consists of fish, fry, coleoptera, marine worms, and 

 often, in part, of vegetables. In Canada, from their re- 

 markable agility in diving, they are known by the name of 

 Water Witches, and are here called Dippers, as they 

 plunge beneath the water on the least appearance of danger, 

 depending very little on their wings for safety ; and when 

 most disturbed seldom fly farther than from one side of the 

 pool to the other. The young are said to be common in 

 the winter season, in small flocks, on the lake of Geneva, 

 in Switzerland, and are killed for the sake of their beauti- 

 ful skins; the under side being dressed, with the feathers 

 on, are made into mufls and tippets. 



The length of this species is from 23 inches to 2 feet. Length of 

 the bill from above, 2 inches. From the nostrils to the tip of the 

 bill 1 inch 5 lines. Upper surface of the head, occipital crest, and 

 lateral ruff, of a shining black. Bases of the latter, and sides of the 

 nape, tinged with rufous. Back of the neck, dorsal plumage, and 

 wings, blackish-brown. Upper border of the wing, tertiaries, and 

 all the secondaries, except 3 or 4 posterior ones, a spot before the 

 eye, the chin, sides of the head, and under plumage of the neck and 

 body, white, silvery below. Naked space from the bill to the eye, 

 red. Bill of a brownish red, above dusky, white at the point. Iris 

 carmine. Feet blackish, interiorly yellowish- white. — Adults after 

 the completion of the third Tnoult. The female is a little smaller, the 

 crest and ruff somewhat shorter, and the colors a little duller. 



At the age of two years, and after the completion of the moult, both 

 sexes have a very short occipital crest and ruff, the former bordered 

 with white feathers ; there is also no rufous on the face^ which is 

 white. A blackish irregular band from the bill passing under the 

 eyes, and terminating on the nape. — The young, up to the age oftioo 

 years have no appearance of the crest or ruff: the front and the 

 face are also white : upon these parts, as well as upon the upper 

 part of the neck, are scattered irregular zig-zag bands of a dusky- 

 brown. The Iris is then pale yellow, and the bill reddish-livid. The 

 young of the year before moulting have the head and upper part of 



