34 BRITISH BIRDS 



THE CURWILLET. See Sanderling. 



THE CUSHAT. See Ringdove (under Doves). 



THE DABCHICK. See Grebe (Little). 



THE DARTFORD WARBLER. See Introduction, 



page 8. 



THE DIPPER. 



This bird, which is also sometimes called the Water 

 Thrush and Water Crow, is not a very commonly occurring 

 bird in this country, no doubt for the reason that not 

 every district furnishes the conditions necessary to its 

 mode of existence, which is curious, not to say unique. 

 It is about the size of the Song Thrush, and as it flits 

 along the bank of a stream with its back towards the 

 spectator, might be easily mistaken for one. It is, however, 

 not speckled, but of uniform colour, dark rusty-brown 

 above, inclining to black on the tail and wing feathers ; 

 the throat and breast are white, gradually passing into 

 maroon and that into blackish slate on the under tail- 

 coverts. In length the tail measures i\ inches, and the 

 tips of the folded wings only reach as far as its middle. 



The plumage of the female is lighter, particularly on 

 the head and nape, and the white of her throat is tinged 

 with grey. 



It is usually found in more or less hilly or moun- 

 tainous districts, along the banks of streams towards their 

 source, where the water is not so liable to be frozen in 

 severe weather, but in the summer time it ventures much 

 lower down. If kept in confinement, it is best placed in 



