184 THE FEATJIERED TRIBES. 



crag', or stoiio, and repeats the same aquatic perfonnaiice. Often he files for the distance 

 of tliirty or forty yards along the course of tlie river to some favourite resting-place, and 

 there utters a sweet and variable song-. "We have heard the notes of this charming 

 bird late in autumn, early in sirring, and throughout the simimer. It sings also at 

 night." 



The facility with which the water-ouzel dives and jjursues its prey beneath the water 

 is veiy remarkable ; indeed, they seem quite at liome in this element, and sport in it 

 with the utmost address and confidence. Mr. Thompson relates, on the authority of an 

 eye-witness, an accurate observer, the following circumstances : " On the 26th of Sep- 

 tember, a pail- of water-ouzels at the upper pond of Wolf-hill (near Belfast), plunged 

 several times into the water, which was some feet deep, and remained moving about in it 

 with only their heads above the surface ; twice one of them disappeared altogether for a 

 few seconds, they then pursued each other round the pond, alighted, and one of them 

 sang ; they repeated over again several times all these manoeuvres." What is still more ex- 

 traordinary is, that the young, before they are strong enough to fly to any distance, are 

 capable of diving with great address; indeed, when disturbed, as Mr. Selby says, they 

 take to the water instantly, although but half fledged, and dive mth perfect ease. 



Mr. Thompson says, " Throughout the breeding season of 1832, a pair of these birds 

 frequented a shade erected over a large miU-whcel of forty feet diameter at Wolf-hill, 

 where it was presumed they had a nest, though in such a place it was impossible to 

 discover it. Their appearance, emerging from this gloomy and dark abode, often caused 

 surprise, especially when they sallied forth between the arms of the gigantic wheel when 

 in full motion, which it was almost constantly." 



The water-ouzel delights to go through innumerable manoeuvres in the water, 

 discovering no hesitation in continued immersions in ll^p stream. It has, however, been 

 remarked, that when it wades deeper than the knee it displays its wings, and hangs them 

 down. One of these birds being watched by a gentleman, who narrated his observations 

 to BuSbn, when it was at the bottom of the water appeared enveloped with air which 

 gave it a briUiant surface, like some lands of beetles, which in water are alwa3's enclosed 

 in a bubble of air. Its object in dropping its wings on entering the water may bo to 

 confine the air ; it was certainly never without some. 



On one occasion a pair of these birds biult under a small wooden bridge in Carmar- 

 thenshire. ^VTien visited the bird flew out, and no eggs were found in the nest wlien it 

 was taken. In a fortnight afterwards five eggs were taken in a nest which had been 

 built in the same place ; and in a month later, a third nest was removed from the same 

 bridge, which had four eggs, which it was ascertained belonged to the same pair. On 

 the last occasion the female was sitting, and on leaving it, she instantly plunged under 

 the water, and after disappearing for a considerable time, emerged at a great distance 

 down the stream. The nest of another water-ouzel was also discovered in a steep bank 

 which projected over a rivulet ; and the nest was so ingeniously concealed among tho 

 moss by which it was surrounded, that nothing but the old bird flj-lng in witli u fish 

 would have led to tlie discovery. The young ones were nearly featlicrcd, but unable to 

 fly, and the moment the nest was disturbed they fluttered out, and dropping into the 

 water, instantly vanished ; but in a short time re-appeared at some distance down the 

 stream, and it was with difliculty that two out of five were secured. 



THE KING-OUZEI,.* 



One of Jiritain's summer visitors is the ring-ouzel, resorting to wild and rocky 

 mountain moorlands, as the Peak of Uerbysliire, the Grampian liills, tho Welsh 



' Mcrula Torq>iata. 



