THE TIIRUSII. 
motionless on the surface; at length they almost insensibly 
sunk. What became of them then it is not in my power to 
state, the water not being sufficiently transparent to enable 
me to discover the bottom of the river, particularly as I was 
elevated so much above it. Neither can I say that I perceived 
any of them emerge again, although I kept glancing my eye in 
every direction, in order, if possible, to catch them in the act of' 
re- appearing ; the plumage of the bird, indeed, being so much 
in harmony with the surrounding masses of stone, rendered it 
not very easily distinguishable. I did, however, afterwards 
observe two of these birds upon a stone on the opposite side 
of the stream, and possibly the other three might also have 
emerged and have escaped my notice.” If the above authority 
could have witnessed the water-ouzels while under the water, 
he would have seen them, probably, scrambling and scratching 
about in a very queer manner, seeking for food, eagerly search- 
ing among the stones for the insects and animalcules there 
abounding. The bird keeps itself under the water by beating 
its wings upwards, something after the fashion of human 
beings, with their hands and feet. 
The dipper is rather a lively songster, and is heard to the- 
best advantage on a cold frosty morning. “ Sometimes,” it is 
said, “ it will stand upon a stone when singing, and accompany 
its song with the oddest imaginable gestures, hopping and 
skipping about, twisting its head in all directions, and acting 
as if it were performing for the amusement of the spectator.” 
It usually builds its nest near some river or piece of water, 
and in shape it resembles that of the wren, being built of moss, 
dome- shaped, and having only a single entrance in the side. 
It is generally built in a hole in the bank, or under some 
stone. Mention is made of a water-ouzel which built its nest 
near a rivulet, so that the bird had to pass under the falling 
water to enter its nest. It lays from four to five eggs, which 
are pure white. 
In a wild state, the dipper feeds principally upon animal 
food, such as water-beetles, caddis-worms, various insects, and 
the frog spawn of certain species. It does not generally seek 
its food under the water, but, sometimes perching upon the 
water’s edge, picks up its prey from the muddy soil. The 
upper parts of its body are of a brown colour, the throat 
and breast pure white, and the abdomen brownish red. The 
length of a full-grown dipper is about seven inches. 
There is another specimen of the thrush family found in 
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