III. THE DABCHICKS. lO/ 



repeated, while it is watching for its food, 

 \yhich , consists of small fishes and insects, — 

 watef" insects, that is to say, caught mostly at 

 the bottom ; many-legged and shrimpy things, 

 accordmg to Gould's plate. The popular 

 tradition that it can walk under the water has 

 been denied by scientific people ; but there is 

 no doubt whatever of the fact, — see the 

 authentic evidence of it in the delightful little 

 monograph of the bird published b}^ the 

 Carlisle Naturalist's Society ; but how the 

 thing is done nobody but the ouzel knows. 

 Its strong little feet, indeed, have plenty of 

 grip in them, but cannot lay hold of smooth 

 stones, and Mr. Gould himself does not solve 

 the problem. " Some assert that it is done by 

 clinging to the pebbles with its strong claws ; 

 others, by considerable exertion and a rapid 

 movement of the wings. Its silky plumage is 

 impervious to wet ; and hence when the bird 

 returns to the surface, the pearly drops which 

 roll off into the stream arc the only evidence 

 of its recent submersion. It is, indeed, very 

 interesting to observe this pretty bird walk 

 down a stone^ quietly descettd into the water, 

 rise again perhaps at the distance of several 



