THE IRISH DIPPER. 501 



on tree-trunks, among tree-roots, under waterfalls or on stumps, 

 but always over or close to water. Nest. Cup-shaped and built 

 of dry grasses, moss, etc., lined with dead leaves, generally of beech 

 or oak, covered in and roofed with green moss with an overhung 

 entrance at side. Eggs. 4-5, sometimes 6, pure white, and not 

 glossy. Average size of 100 eggs, 26.2 X 18.1 mm. Breeding-season. 

 Usually from about end of March or early April, but occasionally 

 in February. Incubation. By both sexes ; period 14-16 days, 15th 

 day in incubator (W. Evans). Two or even three broods. 



FOOD. Mainly larvae of aquatic insects : coleoptera (Bembidium, 

 Harpalus, Hydradephaga, etc.) ; neuroptera, trichoptera, etc. (larvae 

 of Odonata, Ephemeridse and Phryganeidae) ; hemiptera (Notonecta). 

 Also small aquatic mollusca and entomostraca (Dapknia). Bones 

 of small fishes (minnow) once or twice recorded and observed to 

 feed on dead trout. 



DISTRIBUTION. Confined to Great Britain. England and Wales, 

 Resident in west and north England and in Wales, where there are 

 quickly running rocky streams, but only a rare vagrant to counties 

 east of Dorset, Wilts., Gloucester, Hereford, Salop, Staffs., and 

 Derby. Also very scarce in east Yorks., and Durham. Scotland. 

 Generally distributed except in Orkneys, where only twice occurred, 

 and in Shetlands, where not yet recorded ; in O. Hebrides breeds 

 in Harris, Lewis, and Barra. 



206. Cinclus cinclus hibernicus Hart. THE IRISH DIPPER. 



CINCLUS CINCLUS HiBEKNicus Hartert, Vog. pal. Fauna, i, p. 790 (1910 

 co. Cork, Ireland). 



Cinclus aquaticus Bechstein, Yarrell, i, p. 241 (part) ; Saunders, p. 97 

 (part) ; C. c. hibernicus, Hartert, Brit. B., iv, p. 136. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 17). Adult and first winter and summer. Male 

 and female. Like C. c. britannicus but crown and nape somewhat 

 darker and rest of upper-parts decidedly so, tips of feathers being 

 blacker and broader ; under-parts with less chestnut -brown, colour 

 being usually less bright and not extending so far down belly, which 

 is black-brown but this character though very obvious in a series 

 is not so constant individually as darkness of upper-parts. Thus 

 intermediate between C. c. cinclus and C. c. britannicus in colour 

 of belly but upper-parts darker than either of those forms. In first 

 winter birds narrow dark fringes of white feathers of throat and 

 breast are rather darker and more marked than in C. c. britannicus. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Like that of C. c. britannicus but upper-parts darker, 

 black -brown fringes of feathers being wider. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 86-95 mm., tail 47-56, 

 tarsus 29-31, bill from skull 20-22 (11 measured). $ wing 82-90. 

 Structure as in C. c. britannicus. 



