70 THE EUROPEAN DIPPER. 



brush. A stick or branch which had fallen across 

 the stream may be resorted to ; but we have 

 never seen it inclined to perch on the overhang- 

 ing bushes, and would refer this variation to 

 some peculiarity in the locality. In winter, 

 when the higher streams become frozen, and the 

 cold intense, the " Water Crow " removes to the 

 banks of the larger and lower flowing rivers, or 

 to the margins of some unfrozen lake. Here 

 they find a more abundant supply of food, and 

 their aquatic habits and manner of fishing are 

 more easily observed. On every reach one or 

 two may be now seen perched on some project- 

 ing stone or stick, or watching by the very edge 

 of the ice, whence they drop at once on their 

 prey, consisting at this time in great part of 

 small fishes. They are most active in their 

 motions during this occupation, and dive and 

 return to their station with much rapidity. In 

 milder weather, or when the rivers are less 

 choked with ice, they swim and dive in the 

 centre of the pools, and so expertly, that we have 

 mistaken and followed them for the little grebe. 

 At this time, and I may say generally, aquatic 

 insects, the larvaB of phryganidae, and in some 

 situations different species of fresh water shells, 

 form their chief food, which in summer again is 

 varied by a greater choice of insects and aquatic 

 larvae. It has been during the continuance of a 

 very severe frost only that we have seen this bird 

 seize small fishes in the manner above mentioned* 

 of diving from the edge of the ice ; at the dis- 



