322 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



Dippers Cinclus. These birds, so peculiar in their mode of 

 life, are but poorly represented in Heligoland; this is probably 

 explained by the fact that the red-breasted form, resident in 

 Germany, does not pass beyond the northern limits of that country ; 

 while the black-breasted Scandinavian variety leaves its breeding 

 stations during the autumn migration in small numbers only, the 

 latter form alone having hitherto occurred in Heligoland. The 

 genus embraces about twelve species, most of which are distributed 

 over the northern hemisphere. Only one of these, however, is 

 resident in Europe, and is separated into three but slightly differ- 

 ing varieties, viz. : Cinclus aquaticus ; its northern aberration, C. 

 melanogaster ; and its southern form, C. albicollis. Apart from 

 these, the East Asiatic species, C. pallasi, has been twice observed 

 in Heligoland. 



134. Black-bellied Dipper [WASSERSCHMATZER]. 

 CINCLUS MELANOGASTER, Brehm. 



Heligolandish : Water-Troossel = Water Thrush. 



Cinclus aquaticus. Naumann, iii. 925. 



Black-bellied Dipper. Dresser, ii. 177. 



Cincle a ventre noir. Temminck, Manuel, iii. 106, iv. 609. 



During the many years of my collecting I have obtained this 

 common species only five times four old birds in full plumage, and 

 one young bird in early autumn plumage, with white breast which 

 still displayed the dark spots. One could hardly expect the wide 

 surface of the sea to offer temporary compensation to a species which 

 frequents by preference rapid and foaming mountain-streams. Such 

 of the birds as visit Heligoland remain a few hours, which they pass 

 among the rubble, stones, etc., which lie in the water at the foot of 

 the cliff" ; they have, however, never been seen to look after food in 

 the salt water which is washed up against that part of the shore. 



All the examples obtained belong to the northern black- 

 bellied form, C. melanogaster (Brehm). 



In the three forms above mentioned the Dipper is a resident 

 breeding bird in all mountainous regions of central, northern and 

 southern Europe. The variety found in Heligoland, C. melano- 

 gaster, nests in the Faroes and in Scandinavia up to the Waranger 

 Fjord. 



