SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



295 



along hollow and receives many small tributaries we 

 generally find one pair of birds on every streamlet, 

 whose nestin;;-ground is commonly near the junc- 

 tion with the larger water, and on the main stream 

 itself we find pairs of birds established at- short 

 intervals. The birds begin to build early, and year 

 after year they frequent the same locality, not 

 necessarily choosing the same site, but settling at 

 least in some spot near the old haunt. Wherever 

 a stream forms a waterfall a pair of dippers will 

 settle there, and, if undisturbed, remain year after 

 year. Over the largest pool in the best waterfall 

 of the Pentlands there is one such constantly 

 occupied site, and the nest is entirely safe, except 

 from such foul processes as stone-throwing ; and 

 other frequented waterfalls on the same hills are 

 known to me. Bridges also afford a great attrac- 

 tion, and there are several, over which high-roads 

 as well as private paths run, yearly tenanted. 

 Many varying positions, however, are chosen by the 

 birds — amongst the rocks, by the edge of the water, 

 or beneath the bank. At one time the nest is 

 fastened to the top of a small bridge, at another 

 hidden at the further end of a hole in the masonry ; 

 now we see it attached to a conspicuous stone 

 overhanging the water, and again, by seeing the 

 bird fly towards it, we observe it carefully screened 

 beneath a ledge of rock about twenty feet from 

 the level of the bank and at some distance from 

 the water. 



When placed in an exposed position, as, for 

 example, amongst rocks, it is firmly made of moss ; 

 but when built in a sheltered site, as in a hole, it is 

 less firm. The nest proper is made of hay, with a 

 thick lining of beech-leaves. This, however, is 

 always placed under a dome. In the case of a 

 natural dome the bird may rest content with its 

 simple form of nest, and in one such instance 

 which came under my observation a pair of grey 

 wagtails occupied the same spot after the dippers 

 had left it. Far oftener, however, the nest is 

 placed in an open site, and then a closely-woven 

 dome of hay and moss wholly covers it, the dome 

 being the first-formed portion of the nest. It 

 harmonises well with its surroundings, or else 

 appears as a heap of rubbish casually blown 

 together ; and as, moreover, the entrance of the nest 

 is completely hidden from view, unless we look up 

 at it from beneath, it is easily passed over by those 

 unacquainted with its nature. The eggs — pinkish- 

 white owing to the yolk showing through the 

 delicate shell, but pure white when blown or hard- 

 sat — are laid at the end of March and beginning of 

 April. Till the full number, five or six, has been 

 deposited, the birds keep at a respectful distance 

 from their abode, but as soon as the hen begins to 

 sit she broods closely and does not often re\-eal 

 her nest bj- flying out. It is an easy matter to 

 catch a dipper on its nest, but it is needless cruelty 



to do so. I have seen another act thus, and could 

 repeatedly, had I been so inclined, have done the 

 like ; but I have contented myself with admiring 

 the confiding bird. She bears the scrutiny well, 

 as she sits with her bill projecting down towards 

 us and her dark eyes gazing upon us with a look 

 that seems to indicate that she will not move from 

 her post till forced, the white-breasted bird 

 appearing through the circular hole like a picture 

 set in a frame. When the dipper flies suddenly 

 out of her nest she usually, from its shape and its 

 proximity to the stream, tumbles into the water 

 before she can get rightly on the wing. I have 

 known a case where a dipper laid in the same nest 

 after its first eggs had been taken. 



When the young birds are fully fledged they 

 will, on being disturbed, fly out and fall into the 

 water. When first I was the means of unwittingly 

 causing this action I was much perplexed about 

 the youngsters, fearing they would be drowned ; 

 but when on a subsequent occasion, with the full 

 knowledge of what would at once happen, I inserted 

 my finger into a nest containing ripe young I was 

 under no excitement and ready to watch their 

 movements. The birds were looking down the 

 hole, and on being disturbed fluttered to the 

 water, then along its surface, down stream, "ching- 

 ing" as they went. By short flights, such as thej' 

 were capable of, and by swimming during the rest 

 of the excursion, they soon disappeared. Some- 

 times they seemed to be overcome by the current 

 and to be driven on helplessly beneath the surface, 

 but they ever again emerged to hurry onwards. On 

 finding places of hiding they ceased crying and 

 remained quietly in the nook they had discovered. 

 Further down the burn, however, I was informed 

 by cries that one of them was still afloat. It sank 

 to the bottom, then rose again and swam onwards, 

 using its wings to aid it, and finally coming to a 

 halt on a stone that did not project above the water. 

 I passed it, and at once it swam up stream against 

 the current, till it found a convenient bank beneath 

 which to hide. From this it may be judged how 

 well these birds can perform the duties necessary in 

 after life, when, on being suddenly called upon to 

 do so without any previous practice, they show 

 themselves to be such adepts both on and under 

 the water. 



46, Cnmbeiiand Stycct, Edinburgh ; 

 February gth, 1897. 



Erratum.— .,4>i/c page 242, col. 2, line 2S, after "pine 

 needles," read—" which usually fills up old crows' nests 

 removed." — R. G. 



Additions to British Mollusca.— The " Journal 

 of Conchology " is publishing a valuable list of the 

 additions to" the conchological fauna since the 

 appearance of "British Conchology." The new 

 list has been prepared by :Mr. J. T. IMarshall, whose 

 notes should be read in connection with the older 

 work. 



