STURNUS CINCLUS. 277 



sented in Europe, hence called the European dipper, the rest 

 being natives of other quarters of the globe — the little dipper 

 being the only representative in Britain is, of course, the only 

 one found near St Andrews. There are other three species, the 

 Cinclus Pallasii, found by Professor Pallas ; Cinches Americanus, 

 found in Mexico and the streams of the Rocky Mountains ; and 

 the fourth in India. 



The European Dipper or Water Ousel 



(Cindus Aquaticus). 



(Sturnus Cindus.) Linn. (Tardus Cindus.) Lath. 

 (Merula Aquaticus. ) Briss. 



Thou dost not soar like yon proud bird, 



Whose song no poet fails to sing ; 

 Yet sweet in winter thine is heard 



O'er Kenly Burn and Dairsie spring. 



Like the kingfisher, this bird long held an anomalous position 

 amongst the perchers, as in habits it bears a greater resemblance 

 to the divers ; for rivers, lochs, and streams are its resorts, and 

 water its chief attraction, into which it runs and dives both for 

 food and protection, but it does not plunge like the kingfisher, 

 although it also flies with a direct and rapid flight. It 

 frequents rivers as well as burns, mill dams as well as lochs — 

 wherever aquatic insects, worms, or fresh-water mollusca are 

 found it is there. It lives all the year with us. I have seen 

 it at all times, summer and winter, in all the burns in the 

 district — from the River Eden and the Moutrie Burn on the 

 west to the Kenly and the Kinness Burns on the south and east.* 

 It perches on a stone near the edge of the stream, walks into 

 the water and dives in search of food, and returns to its perch, 

 or flies off and alights in the middle of the stream, dives, and 

 reappears up the stream ; again dives, then up again, floats, and 

 dives again, and is as much at home in the water as the little 

 grebe, using its wings as well as its feet and bill under water 

 like the divers and other sea birds in its tireless search after its 

 life preserver — food. When closely pursued, it runs even into a 



*I often see it along with the kingfisher at the Kinness Burn in winter, 

 near the Shore Bridge. 



