22 Anions' the Birds in Northani SJiires, 



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as much at home in the water as in the air or on dry- 

 land. Sometimes he walks deliberately from the 

 bank or from a sloping moss-covered stone into the 

 water; at others he takes a short flight over the 

 stream and drops suddenly down into the pool; whilst 

 yet again we have often seen him arrest a long- 

 continued flight — which, by the way, follows every 

 bend of the brook — and, fluttering for a moment, 

 poise and disappear beneath the surface at once. 

 The Dipper only maintains his subaqueous position 

 by much evident exertion of his wings and legs and 

 feet. Generally the wings are kept in motion whilst 

 the bird searches the bed of the stream, but some- 

 times these may be seen at rest, and the body is kept 

 beneath the water by the feet clutching the big stones 

 and the strands of moss and other aquatic plants. 

 Not only does the bird float buoyantly enough upon 

 the water, but it swims well, often for many yards at 

 a time. Dippers are exceedingly attached to certain 

 reaches of the stream and to favourite nesting sites, 

 using the latter year after year, often in spite of 

 much disturbance. In this special valley we always 

 used to find the nest in one particular spot — wedged 

 under an overhang^ingr rock on the bank of the 

 stream. The nest of this species is a very char- 

 acteristic one, and cannot readily be mistaken for 

 that of any other British bird. In external appear- 

 ance it bears some resemblance to that of the Wren, 



