TURDIN^. 
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 11 12i, 3|, 1 A- Female, 12.^ 
The Dipper is generally distributed in Britain, but is mucn 
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. iTT.-yCinclus europseus, Euro- 
pean Dipper, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 50. 
FAMILY XVI. TUEDIN^. 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 
