TURDINJE. 123 



speck, upper parts dark grey, the feathers broadly margined 

 with black, throat and fore neck white, breast brownish-red, 

 quills and tail dark brown tinged with grey. Young with the 

 upper parts all grey, the feathers margined with black, fore 

 neck and breast white, undulated with dusky. 



Male 7|, 12J, 3|, &, I fa}^ T \. Female, 7J, 12. 



The Dipper is generally distributed in Britain, but is much 

 more plentiful in Scotland. It frequents running waters, 

 perches on stones or on the banks, descends to the bottom in 

 search of its food, which consists of mollusca and insects, has 

 a rapid, direct flight, and is of a rather solitary disposition. 

 The nest, which is placed near the water, is of enormous size, 

 arched over, but broader than high, with the aperture in front, 

 and composed externally of moss, internally of grass, and 

 lined with beech or oak leaves. The eggs, five or six, oval, 

 rather pointed, pure white, about an inch in length, nine- 

 twelfths in breadth. The young, when nearly fledged, on be- 

 ing disturbed, leave the nest, and plunge into the water. 



Water Ouzel. Water Crow. Water Piet. Dipper. Ducker. 

 Kingfisher. 



Sturnus Cinclus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 290. Cinclus aquati- 

 cus, Temm. Man. d'Ornith, i. 177. Cinclus europseus, Euro- 

 pean Dipper, MacGiliivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 50. 



FAMILY XVI. TURDIN^E. TURDINE BIRDS, 

 OR THRUSHES. 



Body moderate ; neck rather short ; head oblong, com- 

 pressed. Bill shortish or moderate, rather strong, straight, 

 compressed toward the end ; upper mandible with the 

 dorsal line a little convex and declinate, the edges sharp, 

 with the notches small, the tip declinate, rather acute ; 

 lower mandible with the angle of moderate length, the 

 dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the tip narrow. 

 Nostrils oblong, operculate, nasal sinus feathered. Eyes 

 of moderate size, eyelids feathered. Aperture of ear 

 large, roundish. Mouth of moderate width ; tongue sagit- 

 tate, slender, tapering, its edges thin and bristly, the tip 

 slit ; oesophagus rather narrow, uniform ; proventriculus 

 oblong ; stomach a gizzard of moderate strength, its 



