The Dipper. 139 



number, are pure white, beautifully oval, slightly less glossy than Thrush eggs, 

 but too smooth to be chalky in appearance (like unspotted eggs of the Wren) ; in 

 size they agree pretty nearly with eggs laid by the Song- Thrush in its first season ; 

 but they are more perfect ovals, the smaller end being decidedly more pointed. 



The food of the Dipper consists largely of insects and their larvse ; many of 

 which, such as caddis-worms, the voracious larvae of dragon-flies and water-beetles, 

 it seeks at the bottom of the water; thus proving itself the greatest friend of the 

 pisciculturist, by devouring the insects which prey upon fish-spawn and young 

 fry; it also eats spiders, small moUusca, worms, and seeds of grasses. In pursuit 

 of its subaqueous prey it is said both to paddle and use its wings. 



Of course the ignorant fish-preserver, seeing the Dippers diving under water 

 among his young fry, immediately comes to the conclusion that his watch- dog is a 

 wolf, and shoots it : in like manner, I heard of a Kentish farmer shooting a Red- 

 backed Shrike, because he saw it in one of his cherry-trees ; and, when the bird 

 was opened, and the contents of its crop were shown to him, his only remark 

 was — "Ai doant know nothen abeut that.; ur wuz in my churries." 



As regards the Dipper as an aviary bird, I have a vague idea that at one 

 time a pair ■ occupied a very pretty rock-and- water aviary at the end of the fish- 

 house in our Zoological Gardens. I distinctly remember Wagtails in that aviary, 

 and I think Dippers also ; but it is mauy years ago, so I may be mistaken. Lord 

 Lilford says : — " I have often attempted to rear young Dippers, but never succeeded; 

 about three months is the longest period I have ever managed to keep them alive." 



Mr. Frohawk writes : — " It was not until I visited North Devon, in October, 

 1895, that I had the pleasure of meeting with this bird in a wild state: during 

 my first ramble along the picturesque banks of the East L,yn ; a wildly rushing 

 stream, whose bed is studded with boulders and fragments of rock, over and around 

 which its water pours and rushes in mad haste, I felt sure that I had come upon 

 the home of the Dipper, so kept a sharp look-out for the birds. After walking 

 for about a mile, I caught sight of a bird darting obliquely across the stream, this 

 I instantly recognised as a Dipper. The following day I again visited the spot, 

 and had a capital chance of carefully observing the attitude and actions of the 

 species, by concealing myself upon the bank, close to a small waterfall, which 

 appeared to be a favourite haunt for a pair of these birds. 



I had not waited long before a Dipper appeared, upon a projecting rock at 

 the side of the fall, only a few yards from my hiding place : this enabled me to 

 make a sketch of the bird, as it stood upon the rock intently watching the flow 

 of water (I presume for some aquatic insects, or other food) and it struck me how 

 different its appearance was, as it stood on that rock, with the spray splashing 



