24 DAYS IN DOVE DALE 



of the fishes) " stands still and rests all their 

 Sabbath." 



A pretty bird flew up and skimmed along 

 the water. It was the same kind of bird as 

 the one which on Saturday caused me to lose 

 my only fish. 



" Is that a kingfisher ? " said I. 



" No," he replied, " that's a water ouzel" 



I remarked that I had also seen a little 

 bird, strange to me, about the size and colour 

 of a lark, but with a white back, now skim- 

 ming the water, and now pretending to pick 

 up insects on the grass. 



" I don't know the proper name of that 

 bird, but from your description I should think 

 it must be what I call a * dipper.' And I 

 believe that both he and the water ouzel are 

 about the worst fish poachers we have in 

 these parts. People in other parts wouldn't 

 believe that we had water ouzels here, and I 

 remember some years ago a clergyman from 

 Warwickshire sent a messenger specially to 

 me to get him a brace of water ouzels. I 

 soon got him three, and he was so pleased 

 that he made me a handsome present, but I 

 have my ideas that it wasn't much to what he 



