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Water-Crow, Water-Pyet and Kingfisher, it is foolishly de- 

 stroyed by every possible device, under the mistaken idea 

 that it haunts the spawning-beds to feed on the ova of the 

 Salmon and Trout, while examination of its gizzard proves 

 it to be one of the best guardians of a fishery. 



The bill is brownish-black ; the irides hazel ; the margin 

 of the eyelids white ; the head and neck umber-brown ; back, 

 wings and wing-coverts, rump, tail, sides, flanks and under 

 tail-coverts, brownish-black ; the margins of the wing-coverts 

 and the tips of the feathers of the body, of a lighter greyish- 

 black ; chin, neck and upper part of the breast, pure white ; 

 lower part of the breast chestnut-brown ; legs, toes and claws 

 brown. Females resemble the males. 



The whole length of the specimen described was seven 

 inches and one quarter ; from the carpal joint to the end of 

 the wing, three inches and three-eighths. 



The young bird in its first plumage has the whole of the 

 upper parts dull greyish-brown ; the wing-coverts and tertials 

 tipped with greyish- white ; the chin white ; the feathers of 

 the front of the neck and breast pale buff tipped with brown ; 

 belly, sides and vent, grey, with darker lines. In this 

 plumage it appears to be the Penrith Ouzel of Pennant. 



The vignette below represents the breastbone of the Dip- 

 per, which, when fully adult, has the notches at the posterior 

 end bridged across, and, thus presenting an uninterrupted 

 margin, differs from that of any other British species of the 

 order Passcres. 



