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been constructed, which a strong indisputable fact has knocked to 
pieces.” And as a small contribution towards the controversy he 
quoted the following sentence from Rennie: “The amphibious 
nature of those winged beetles which can walk at the bottom of 
water, is matched, if not outrivalled by the Water Ouzel, which we 
have repeatedly seen walk deliberately under water, and continue 
its pace for many yards, as if it had been on land. As this little 
bird lives on water insects, its amphibious powers are indispens- 
able.” 
In hopes of ending the controversy, the editor of “Science 
Gossip” quoted a paper which had been read before the Dublin 
Natural History Society, on this very subject, and the author, 
among others, read the following notes made on the spot :—‘‘Nov. 
29th, 1850. Bohernabreena. Wounded a Water Ouzel, which, as 
I had observed them all to do, immediately made for shore. On 
my going to seize him, he darted into the water, running slap in; 
waded in after him. Under water he looks quite glossy, but does 
not seem increased in bulk, the glossiness probably arising from 
the oiled plumage, or else from its peculiar texture. When I first 
got up with the bird, he was perfectly stationary at the bottom, of 
using any exertion to remain there. (This remark applies to two 
other birds wounded later on in the day, which also took to the 
water.) The bird next got under a big stone, and when I poked 
him out on one side, he ran to the other; after the lapse of a 
minute or so he put his head out of the water to breathe, always 
keeping the stone between him and me. Finding that I was still 
chasing him, he took to the stream, and went under water faster than 
I could follow him; he seemed to move now altogether by means of 
his feet, his wings hanging down behind his tail. At times he 
swam in midwater, using his wings; crossing the current several 
times, and seeming but little incommoded by it. When at last 
caught, he was found to be merely winged.” 
I have abbreviated the above paragraph slightly, but have not 
altered its meaning. Coming now to my own experience of the 
matter, it has several times fallen to my lot to witness the Dipper 
walking at the bottom of the stream. The first time I saw the 
