352 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



ward pressed head, it holds itself in position by a 

 rapid upward movement of wings and legs. In a 

 few moments more its white breast appears unosten- 

 tatiously above the surface, w-hen it regains its place 

 on the stone, soon flitting down the river-bed to 

 select a new starting-place. 



In its use of the wings beneath the water it 

 follows the habits of the Puf^ns and Guillemots. 

 The Cormorant, on the other hand, progresses 

 by strong backward sweeps of the webbed feet 

 alone. 



The confidence of the Dipper is easily gained. 

 Often w^hen fishing on some secluded reach of a 

 Yorkshire river, it has been my companion for a 

 whole day, sometimes flying far down the stream 

 and then returning to alight on the extreme end' 

 of the rocky ledge, or to utter its small song for 

 many minutes together, as it rested on a stone 

 beneath the tangled oak-roots, w-ithin easy reach 

 of my rod. 



It has been said that the Dipper feeds upon the 

 ova of fish. This is now conclusively proved to be 

 untrue. By w^aging constant war upon the water- 

 beetles and other insects known to be destructive to 

 the spawning-beds, it is the best guardian a fishery 

 can possess. 



The continental range of the Dipper is a some- 

 what moot point in ornithology. Doubt has been 

 expressed as to whether the form which is dis- 

 tributed more or less irregularly throughout the 

 Continent is always identical with the British race. 

 The suggestion has been put forward that a second 



