THE DIPPER 313 



their parents. The food brought by the latter was visible in the 

 bill, but I was not able at the distance to recognise in what it 

 consisted. 



When the young are able to quit the nest, they sit on the stones 

 and sun themselves, with a curtsy here and a curtsy there, keeping 

 a sharp eye on the movements of their parents, who are warned from 

 time to time by a shrill chorus ofpteeps! that a strict eye is being kept 

 upon them, and that the promptest attention to their parental business 

 will alone give satisfaction. And the fond parents certainly do their 

 best. 



Though young birds have not to be taught to fly, they have often 

 to be persuaded to make the necessary effort. So it was with the 

 young dippers observed by Mr. Torr. In order to get them to flit from 

 rock to rock, the parents would display appetising worms in their bills 

 and call on them to follow. One finally " made a desperate effort, and 

 practically jumped to the next boulder," where he received his reward. 

 His example was soon followed by the others. They were not able, 

 however, to fly with ease till they had attained their full plumage. 



It is interesting to note that these young dippers, unlike young 

 ducks, showed no inclination to enter the water, in spite of the fact 

 that their parents frequently set them an example. Their first experi- 

 ence of it was due to an accident. The whole family was seated on a 

 fern-clad slab of rock, when, as the result of a difference of opinion, 

 two of the young started fighting, the combat ending with the sudden 

 disappearance of one of them over the edge of the rock into and under 

 the water. The parents immediately dived after it, and all three 

 reappeared, and fluttered on to the slab. That afternoon the others 

 began voluntarily to dive freely, but their first efforts lacked dis- 

 cretion ; " they came up spluttering and choking." They were soon, 

 however, nearly as expert as their parents. 1 



When disturbed from the nest, the unfledged young have been 



1 It has been noted that dippers in captivity lose all desire to enter the water. See 

 Naumami, Vogel Mitteleuropas, ii. p. 211. 



2s 



