24 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



fly from stone to stone, all the while sidling 

 nearer and nearer to my hiding contrivance, one 

 corner of which projected over the sloping bank 

 of the beck in such a way as to leave about six 

 inches of open space. Presently he hopped on 

 to the grass, and took an enquiring, upward peep 

 inside. I kept perfectly still whilst he cocked his 

 questioning little head first on one side and then 

 the other, and eyed me over with manifestations 

 of the greatest curiosity. Directly this critical 

 inspection was over he flew away up-stream in 

 search of more food. 



The behaviour of this bird was sometimes un- 

 accountably strange. Between his journeyings 

 after sub -aquatic prey, he frequently collected 

 pieces of moss, as if on nest-building intent, and, 

 dropping them into the swiftly flowing beck, 

 gazed proudly up at the home containing his 

 mate and five newly hatched chicks. Occasionally 

 he stood on a stone, yawning, and stretching his 

 wings and legs for minutes together. 



Although the dippers were bold enough, I 

 found it exceedingly difficult to make photo- 

 graphic studies of them on account of the extreme 

 rapidity of their business-like movements when 

 near the nest, so left my place of concealment and, 

 putting the hen off, barred up the entrance hole 

 with a piece of selvyt which I always carry handy 

 for the removal of dust from lens and field-glasses. 



