go THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



Family CINCLID^. 



Dipper : Ctficlus aquaticus. 



A common resident among mountain-streams, but only a very 

 rare and accidental visitor to Essex, and the east and south of 

 England generally, although an instance of its breeding in Middlesex 

 has been recorded (40. vi. 109). 



Mr. Clarke speaks (24) of one killed at Audley End in 1830, and formerly in 

 the Walden Museum, and in the Museum Catalogue prepared b}'' him in 1845, 

 this bird is marked as having occurred near the town. Yarrell, doubtless refer- 

 ring to the above occurrence, says (14. i. 176) it " has been seen in Essex." Mr 

 J. D. Hoy records (18. i. 117) that " one [was] shot early in the autumn of 1835, 

 on the borders of a large fish-pond [at] St. Osyth." He adds, ' The occurrence 

 of the Dipper in this part of the island is extremely rare." Dr. A. Maclean of 

 Colchester, writing to T. C. Heysham about 1835, says (16), " I have lately 

 mounted a fine specimen of the Water Ouzel, shot within sixteen miles of Col- 

 chester." Another was obtained near Colchester in the winter of 1880-81, and 

 preserved by Ambrose (29. Apr. 23). Possibly the former of these is one of two 

 specimens (one of which is of the black-bellied sub-species) still preserved in a case 

 in the Colchester Museum. Mr. Hope informs me that he has heard of speci- 

 mens being shoe on the Stour ; and one was " seen in a stream of running water 

 at Wrabness in 1887 " (Kerry). The Rev. J. C. Atkinson informs me 

 that he never met with it in the county, and Mr. J. F. T. Wiseman has 

 never met with it in the Paglesham district. Mr. Baxter tells me that about 

 the beginning of September, 1889, one was killed in Leigh Ray, but was unfor- 

 tunately eaten by a cat. Canon Babington mentions (46. 49) " a pair of the 

 chestnut-breasted form from the Stour above Sudbury, formerly in Mr. King's 

 collection." He adds : " Mr. Hills bought them at the sale of the Sudbury 

 Museum, and gave them to me." 



Black-bellied Dipper : Cinclus aqiiaticus-nielanogasier. 



This is the Scandinavian and North European form of the Com- 

 mon Dipper. It occasionally appears in this country during winter, 

 chiefly in the eastern counties ; but I only know of one actual occur- 

 rence in Essex, though an examination of the various specimens 

 mentioned above would very likely show them to belong to this form. 



In the Walden Museum there is a specimen shot near the town many years ago, 

 and presented by Mr. Jabez Gibson. Probably it is the Audley End specimen 

 mentioned above. 



