DIPPER. 35 



has observed a similar instance, they probably having 

 been refused by the young. It is an early breeder, and 

 sometimes lays its eggs in the beginning of March, 

 The earliest date I know of for eggs is the 1st of March, 

 on which day in 1880 a nest of five was seen by Mr. E. 

 Standen, and within a week or two of this I have known 

 and heard of several instances. The bulk, however, are 

 laid the beginning of April, and the number is four or 

 five. Mr. J. P. Thomasson (ZooL, 1861) thinks four are 

 oftener laid than five, and says that he once found a 

 nest containing only three young. A very curious cir- 

 cumstance in connection with this species was com- 

 municated to the Field of May 13th, 1871, by Mr. Louis 

 H. Simpson of Preston. He writes, " On Saturday last 

 I found on one of our rivers three Water-Ouzels' nests, 

 one above the other, the roof of the lowest one being 

 the bottom of the next, and so on. The two lower ones 

 had three eggs apiece-, which were quite fresh ; but the 

 top one contained four 3^oung birds just hatched." Mr. 

 Simpson has since informed me that the nests were 

 under an overhanging bank on the river Brock, near 

 Garstang, and that the eggs are now in his collection. 

 The Dipper is double-brooded, and brings up two sets of 

 young in the season. 



FAMILY PAEID^ — GENUS ACREDULA. 

 BKITISH LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 



AcREDULA PtOSEA (Blytll). 



Local Name — Bottle-Tit. 



Resident, and very generall}' distributed, but much 

 commoner in some districts than others, and, on the 

 approach of winter, having its numbers considerably 



D 2 



