50 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
banks are fringed with many old and decaying pollard 
willows, and in some of their cavities it delights to place 
its nest. Often on a quiet summer's evening, when 
strolling alone down the river's side with my fishing-rod, 
have I remarked it in such situations, and while I have 
been silently making a cast with my flies, intent on 
hooking a trout, it has been equally intent on making 
its captures, and seemed to pay little regard to my pre- 
sence. Now, with a short spring, it would seize some 
gnat from the cloud dancing in the air, and immediately 
return to its perch; now, making a longer excursion 
after a Mayfly as it hovered over the stream, or with 
more devious flight pursuing a vagrant white butterfly. 
Often on such occasions, when the setting sun tinged 
everything with gold, and the peaceful calm was scarcely 
broken by the murmur of the rippling water, have I 
watched this bird, and have been much interested by its 
busy quietness, which at times seemed to chauge to one 
of listlessness or melancholy—an idea which was strength- 
ened by its plaintive chirp. 
Its stay with us is briefer than that of most of our 
summer visitors, and though I have seen it as early as 
the first week in May, it seldom makes its appearance 
until towards the end of that month, and leaves us about 
the close of September. Its nest is a careless structure ; 
those I have found in the willows were usually made of 
grass, with sometimes a few slender twigs at the base. 
As settled residents or visitors we number many 
members of the thrush family, and it was with no less 
pleasure than surprise that I first made-the discovery 
that the Dipper (Cinclus aquaticus) was to be found in 
our little trout stream. I once, whilst fishing, saw at a 
distance a bird which I failed at the time to identify, 
