By the Riverside 



waters rush in confusion, while now and then you 

 may see it walk to the edge and then suddenly 

 disappear in search of food at the bottom of the 

 stream. 



The resemblance it bears to the Wren has often 

 been commented on and not without reason, for 

 the stubby tail, the short, rounded wings and 

 rapid, whirring flight all point to its affinity, and, 

 further, its nest is just that of the Wren repeated 

 on a large scale. It is placed under some over- 

 hanging bank and in such positions is very diffi- 

 cult to find, for the moss, of which the exterior is 

 made, harmonises well with its surroundings and 

 the entrance hole is generally so low that it cannot 

 be seen except from below. Sometimes it is placed 

 in holes in the masonry of bridges or in walls. 



The courtship of these birds takes place early 

 in the year, and I well remember being a witness 

 to it on a pretty Devonshire stream early in 

 January. There were half a dozen birds an 

 unusually large number to see together excitedly 

 chasing each other up stream and down, calling 

 with their sharp " chit, chit " and suddenly settling 

 on boulders apparently without any previous 

 slackening of their speed. The occasion, too, was 

 memorable to me as the first on which I had heard 

 their song. This resembled the bubbling song of 

 the Wren and, though rather harsher, was in 

 perfect accord with the rippling music of the 

 stream. The Dippers nest early and I have found 



