8(32 Pictures of Bird Life 



whose luxuriant foliat)c it was ))y no means easy to see the 

 slender form, thousands of bloodthirsty midges made our 

 lives a burden to us below, and finally we gave up the 

 attempt. 



Passing a large pond surroimded by a perfect jungle 

 of undergrowth and large trees, we were attracted by the 

 wild note of the Dipper ; and on field-glasses being directed 

 to the spot, we could see the white breast of a Dipper 

 on a stump at the farther end. Examination of a damp 

 moss-grown wall by a small ^^'aterfall soon revealed the 

 nest, amid a tangle of pendent vegetation. From the damp- 

 ness of the situation, the moss, of which the nest was 

 composed, was quite green and fresh-looking — in fact, it had 

 sprouted, and grass was growing on the top of it. It held 

 young birds nearly fledged. The nest, though so large, is 

 very easily passed over unnoticed by an inexperienced eye. 

 It is particularly solid and thickly felted together, the 

 heavy penthouse-looking roof overhanging the cup-like 

 receptacle, Avhich holds the eggs. The following day, in 

 lovely Dovedale, we were fortunate in finding a late clutch 

 of eggs, pure white and very pointed, but only four in 

 number, though they were hard sat on — in all probability 

 a second laying. This nest was on the rock-face, about 

 eiffht feet from the surface of the water, which swirled 

 below over a small weir of moss-grown stones. In close 

 proximity were two old and disused nests, all amid tufts 

 of dandelions and tassels of hanging grass, among M'hich 

 the nests were very inconspicuous from the farther bank. 



