50 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



banks are fringed with many old and decaying pollard 

 willows, and in some of their cavities it delights to place 

 its nest. Often on a quiet summer's evening, when 

 strolling alone down the river's side with my fishing-rod, 

 have I remarked it in such situations, and while I have 

 been silently making a cast with my flies, intent on 

 hooking a trout, it has been equally intent on making 

 its captures, and seemed to pay little regard to my pre- 

 sence. Now, with a short spring, it would seize some 

 gnat from the cloud dancing in the air, and immediately 

 return to its perch ; now, making a longer excursion 

 after a Mayfly as it hovered over the stream, or with 

 more devious flight pursuing a vagrant white butterfly. 

 Often on such occasions, when the setting sun tinged 

 everything with gold, and the peaceful calm was scarcely 

 broken by the murmur of the rippling water, have I 

 watched this bird, and have been much interested by its 

 busy quietness, which at times seemed to change to one 

 of listlessness or melancholy an idea which was strength- 

 ened by its plaintive chirp. 



Its stay with us is briefer than that of most of our 

 summer visitors, and though I have seen it as early as 

 the first week in May, it seldom makes its appearance 

 until towards the end of that month, and leaves us about 

 the close of September. Its nest is a careless structure ; 

 those I have found in the willows were usually made of 

 grass, with sometimes a few slender twigs at the base. 



As settled residents or visitors we number many 

 members of the thrush family, and it was with no less 

 pleasure than surprise that I first made the discovery 

 that the Dipper (Cinclus aquaticus) was to be found in 

 our little trout stream. I once, whilst fishing, saw at a 

 distance a bird which I failed at the time to identify, 



