96 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



probably be confined to such birds as were plentiful 

 in their own immediate locality ; a very limited know- 

 ledge, truly!! In reference to the word "Mummy, "a 

 good taxidermist, with practical knowledge, who puts 

 life and attitude into his birds in their setting up, is 

 presenting to the public something very much better 

 than a "Mummy" — something, in fact, very closely 

 allied to the real thing. 



Now to the specimens themselves : — I had 

 for a long time wanted to obtain them for my 

 collection, but somehow or other I never seemed to 

 come across them. I mean by that, an occasional 

 odd one that I might see never gave me any chance ; 

 for no sooner had I become aware of its presence 

 than it used to disappear, not to be seen again. 



In North Wales, however, late one autumn, I 

 found there was a real good chance of getting what 

 I wanted, as there were several pairs on the estuary 

 which runs from Barmouth towards Dolgelly, as 

 well as on the sea-coast not many miles away. 



It would take far too long to describe all the 

 difficulties that I experienced in getting these birds. 

 They are ever so much harder to negotiate than the 

 Dipper, owing to their extremely restless habits 

 and the numbers of haunts they have for fishing 

 purposes. Probably when you visit one place they 

 are at another, and when you wait for and expect 

 them they don't turn up ; or, perhaps, on the very 

 day you haven't your gun with you, they give you a 

 shot; or, again, when you have been waiting for an 

 hour or two, and have given up all hope, they come 



