The 
Dipper. 
( 6 4 ) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Dipper 
(Cinclus Aquaticus). 
By S. A, 
This species is one that is rarely met with in 
captivity, and, I fear, little is known of its habits 
•even when at liberty except by a very limited 
number of fanciers. Its chief haunts are in 
the vicinity of fast-running streams, and, so 
far as my information goes, there are few suit¬ 
able localities in the midland and south-eastern 
•counties. I have never heard of any specimens 
being taken near London. On the streams in 
Yorkshire it is fairly common and breeds freely; 
it also breeds in suitable spots in Derbyshire 
and most parts of Wales, whilst I am told it is 
frequently met with on the Scottish burns, where 
it may be seen perching on the large stones that 
rise a few inches above the water. 
The nest is a somewhat cumbersome affair, 
composed of grass, moss, and leaves, and usually 
has an inner lining of dead leaves. 
Nesting Operations. 
The Dippers commence their nesting opera¬ 
tions as early as February if the weather is at 
all. favourable, and rear two, and sometimes 
three, broods during the season. The family 
usually numbers four or five, so that the old 
birds may be said to be kept busy while the 
nesting operations last. 
There is practically nothing in the plumage 
to guide one in distinguishing the sexes, 
although in my opinion the hens are a trifle 
smaller and duller. In the adult male the head 
and nape of the neck are brownish, with the 
flights and tail a rusty black, throat and upper 
part of breast pure white, the lower part of the 
breast being a rich chestnut shading to black 
on the flanks and underparts, back black with 
greyish mottlings, bill black. The flight 
feathers are rounded like those of the brown 
Wren, which this bird much resembles i,n geh- 
eral appearance, and particularly in the carriage 
•of the tail, which is short and points upwards. 
When perching on a low post or stone the 
wings are dropped slightly, and the tail spread 
like a fan. When moving on the ground the 
Dipper is awkward in appearance. It walks 
similarly to the Starling, except that it curtseys 
almost to the ground every few feet it goes. It 
does not hop like a Thrush or Blackbird, but 
when going short distances it takes a flying 
jump from place to place. It is about the size 
of a small Thrush when full grown, but scarcely 
appears so large owing to the short tail. 
Young Adventurers. 
I was fortunate enough last spring, through 
the medium of the advertisement columns of 
44 Cage Birds,” to obtain some young hand- 
reared specimens about a month old. They 
were fully fledged and picking up well. In their 
SANDY, 
nest-feathers they were very different in plumage 
from the adult bird I have described. They 
might very well be described by saying the head 
and upper parts were black, with whitish mar¬ 
gins to the feathers, and the throat and breast 
creamy white, with fine black streaks, the 
flanks and belly almost black. I parted with 
two of my stock to a well-known fancier, but, 
like myself, he was unable to keep them alive 
long, one dying the following day. 
Cage Accommodation. 
I kept my bird in a cage 2 feet 6 inches long, 
1 foot deep, and 18 inches high, covering the 
cage bottom with sand about an inch deep and 
moss. I used two perches, one near the bot¬ 
tom and one rather high up. I also turned a 
small flower-pot bottom upwards, and stood it 
in the centre of the cage. I kept a bath 9 
inches square and 1 inch deep always hung on 
the cage-front for the bird to walk about in. 
Immediately I put a fresh supply of water in 
the bath the Dipper was into it, putting its 
head under the water, and going round the 
bath pecking at the sides under water. It then 
used to settle down to a fine splash, which, 
although good for the bird, was anything but 
desirable for the cage, which soon contained 
more water than the bath. 
Feeding Methods. 
When I first had the bird I was very much 
concerned as to the best food for it, but decided 
to start with a mixture of soaked puppy biscuit, 
dried flies (a liberal supply of these), ants’ eggs, 
and a little hard-boiled egg, together with a good 
supply of gentles and chrysalides, and a few 
mealworms. I used to put the gentles, etc., into 
the water, and the bird would pick them up 
from the bottom. It appeared particularly fond 
of the chrysalides. I also tried a few small 
earthworms, but although it would occasion¬ 
ally eat one it was not at all keen about it. 
The fancier through whom I obtained the 
birds went to some trouble to ascertain defin¬ 
itely what the young were fed upon. He placed 
a very fine net at the entrance of an arch con¬ 
taining a nest with young, and when the old 
birds struck the net, when returning with food, 
they were captured, and both had a small worm 
known amongst anglers as “ Strawbait ”—pos¬ 
sibly so called by reason of its floating on top 
of the water in a piece of dry grass or small 
curled leaf. 
The “ Strawbait ” is the larva of the Caddis 
Fly. A second nest was tested in the same man¬ 
ner, and the old birds were found to be using 
similar food. This insect would therefore ap¬ 
pear to be the natural food of the Dipper. The 
