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since on the sea-shore their food probably consists of mollusks, worms, and 

 smaller Crustacea left on the edge of the retreating waves, I now come to those 

 birds which, I think, have no claim whatever to be re^^anled as fish-eaters. 



First is our old friend the Water Onzel or Dipper (Cindus aquaticus), the 

 cheeriest of all our water-birds, but which not being well stuflfed looks very unlike 

 the burly little bird, with the white breast always turned towards us, that we meet 

 on all our Welsh streams. The late Frank Buckland could not bring home the 

 charge of fish-eating to this bird, although he tried hard to do so. I myself, after 

 much observation, have never yet seen it with any spawn in its mouth, and have 

 come to the conclusion that its food consists chiefly of aquatic insects and small 

 mollusca, in which view I am supported by many ornithologists. We have then 

 the Moorhen (OalUnula cMoropus) that semi-domesticated bird that we are all so 

 familiar with ; although it is usually found on lakes, ponds, still flowing rivers, 

 and canals permanently, yet I have often seen it frequent ponds in which there 

 were not, nor ever had been any fish. There can be I think no doubt that it feeds 

 on the seeds of various aquatic plants, and on snails, worms, and beetles, together 

 with corn or other grain when it gets a chance. Hearing the remark, " Here is a 

 rum little fellow," I looked up and saw a good specimen of the spotted Crake 

 (Crex porzana), a hen bird, with the customary red eyes inserted by the bird- 

 stufiFer. Where taxidermists got this idea I do not know, the eye of a living 

 spotted Crake which I had in my hand was a beautiful olive-green, and exactly 

 matched the colour of its legs and feet. In Wales this beautiful little bird is 

 usually found in bogs, especially where intersected by a small warm stream. I 

 have moved six one day in a spot like this, where no fish could possibly be, but 

 have never seen one on an open brook. The food of this bird consists probably of 

 the more minute aquatic insects, something like the Moorhen, which it much 

 resembles iu shape. I do not think, however that it ever touches grain, the 

 places which it frequents being far enough away from all kinds of corn. The 

 Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) in its habits resembles the two preceding species, 

 except that it is found in such strangely different localities. I have flushed it on 

 the banks of a large lake, often in a brook, sometimes in a dry grass field, as well 

 as in an open lane, but have never seen it or the Moorhen on hill bogs. I imagine 

 that its food is much like that of the Moorhen, though, from it constantly shift- 

 ing its quarters, it may be possibly more varied. It however, never feeds on the 

 water swimming like that bird, but may be sometimes seen feeding along the edge. 

 Both this and the Spotted Crake are such extremely shy birds that it is difficult 

 to observe their movements except at brief intervals. 



The last bird I have on my list is the Grey Wagtail ( Motacilla suphurea), I 

 need hardly say that it chiefly feeds on flies and perhaps occasionally aquatic 

 insects ; but if it ever should catch a tiny fish, which I doubt, why are not all the 

 other Wagtails included in the collection, their food and habits being so very 

 similar ? Had the Dipper, the Moorhen, the Spotted Crake, the Water Rail, and 

 the Grey Wagtail been separately exhibited as aquatic birds, no exception could 

 have been taken ; but to include them amongst such as feed exclusively on fish is, 

 to say the least of it, misleading. 



