WLR et BE: .D TPE, 
(Cinclus aquaticus. ) 
By WILLIAM DUCKWORTH. 
(Read at Carlisle, ) 
It may seem rather a bold undertaking to make the Dipper 
the subject of a paper; to me, however, it speaks of many happy 
days spent in wandering by the banks of our beautiful rivers, or 
even picking my steps along the bottom of our mountain brooks. 
For if you want to see the Dipper at home, you must be prepared 
for some rough and tiresome walking,—walking in which occasion- 
ally you have to use hands and arms, as well as legs and feet. 
This bird, since my first acquaintance with it, many years ago, 
has always been a great favourite with me; and the notes made 
about it year after year, are now, owing to the formation of this 
Society, for the first time put into order; and though I may add 
nothing new to its already written history, yet at the same time, I 
may dispel some illusions about it which exist in some of our 
histories of British Birds. 
The Dipper is considered generally to belong to the Thrush 
family, but is rather an aberrant form. Mudie gives it a genus to 
itself; Morris places it between the starlings and the thrushes. It 
is found in Europe from Siberia southwards to Spain, and has been 
seen in Asia. In our own country it may be found from the 
Hebrides to Devonshire,—of course only frequenting those parts 
of the country that are suitable to its habits. 
