496 AMERICAN DIPPER.
sums'into the water, running out with ^nist activity, .and presently
bobbing up to-ithe surface, and regaining its perch by swimming or
wading.. The assertion o'Mfcs wafting %.the. water, «Aeibptjoni,
which SBme persons have vetoed, if not made good by observation,
nor jountenansed' by "reason and-the nature of things,, i The Dipper is
by no means a waiting bird.;,, w e n pn land I have,never more
more than a few steps, which it accomplished by a kind of leaping
motion. Its short ftgsf. and Curved claws are very ill adapted for running,
but ^dmirabl^calculated .for 'securing-a steady footing on slippery
stones, whether ahgve or beneath the surface of the watijr. Lite
the Kingfisher, rt often remains a long time perched on a stome„but in
most other respects iteihahite are very dissimilar.
The first opportunity « hiel, I had of observing this bird advancing
under, water occurred S | Braemar, in 18X9, when-,,from the batik iof the
stream which passes by Castletown, I noticed one «tumb%g, about" in
the rapid current. ltt<SgJtem% 1832 I watch.% Dipper for some
time, oil a; part of the Tweed, where the current was very rapid. It
•flew off from the ¡shore, and alighted in the middle of the( stream, where
' St immediately dived. Reappearing'a little way farther up the river,
it floated for, a few seconds, dived,'«merged, ain,d flew to the sopBgsit^
bijrffc; oif reaching which it again disappeared under water for a short
time, and thus contimied iti exertions. When perched on a stone near
the shorfe; especially if the water betoBjt much agitated toottnd, it
usually Mates short incuisiong intdjit?! apparently for the purpose of
procuring food, and returns to ^ s t a t i o n On these occasions it is not
difficult |Iapproach it, provided due precaution be used ; but in general:
iiSs shy and easily alarmed. I h av^| ? e r a l times shot at an individual
which observed me as I was quietly waiting up$|!it; .but it is not
often that one^remains until you come within shot. A method which
I have often successfully, practised was to mart the position of the bird
at a distance,Haking note of nn object on the bank oppo,it'e.,t!> it, then
.mate a circuit, and Sudf lg|^mj e ' upon the spot. Wh«n one has been
pursued either up .or down a stream for a quarter of a mile ¿ ¡ ¿ i t
usually turns, td regain its ordinary station, when, it may be shofcas it
dashes past*.
" 111 .August 1834, while ascending White Coom, the highest monntain
in Dumfriesshire accompanied by my son, -I .obseirofca Dipper
retreating behind a large stone, over which the,water fell, in the midst
AMERICAN DIPPER. 497
of a streamlet that flowed along the bottom of a narrow scar or rut.
Imagining that its nest or young might be concealed there, we went
up to the place, and, on perceiving the bird behind the little waterfall,
endeavoured to catch it, on which it sallied forth, plunged into a pool,
and attempted to escape ¡down the stream, but without: success, for we
met it a t every turn, and it was obliged to betate itself again to its retreat.
. We now turned oif the water from the stone, when it again
plunged into the.pool, and after some windings, at length effected its
escape. On emerging at some distance it. Hew off, and I considered it
strange that it had not used its wings at first, as it certainly could more
easily have escaped through the air than through the water. The
chase afforded another rare opportunity of viewing its subaqueous flight,
which in all probability was: caused by excessive alarm. It flew about
in the pool, just as a bird would fly in a confined space in the air, but
of course with less: velocity;, and on .'diving at first seemed covered with
small air-bu-b'Mos which adhered; to its surface.
: : On being wounded the Dipper commonly plunges into the water,
flies beneath its surface to the shore, and conceals itself among the
stones or under the bant. In fact, oiuiiil such occasions, if enough of
life remains, it is sure to hide itself, so that one requires to loot sharply
after it, In this respect it greatly resembles the Common (iallinule.
In the winter of 18-9, J :-.Hhot one on the Almond, which flew to the
other side, waited deliberately out into the water, disappeared, and
slowly emerged under a bank at Some distance, where I found it after
wading through tin? stream, which was partially frozen. Another had
just, strength sufficient tp fly into1 a deep hole under a bridge on the
Yarrow, partially filled with Water, on which it was found floating dead.
In August 1834,1 shot'a Dipper on Manor Water in Twereddale, which
flew off, dived, and hid itself under a bank, on which I forded the stream
and endeavoured to secure it, but it slipped out under water, swam
down the .current twenty yards or so, and got under a large stone,
where it was traced. The introduction of the. gun-rod only caused the
persecuted bird to retreat as far as it could, and when I was employed
in-removing some pebbles and gravel from behind the stone, it slipped
but. under water, and proceeded down the stream a considerable way
before it rose to breathe. I noticed the place where it dived in under
the bank, and it being at length obliged to come up to respire, I met
the bird with my hand and so Secured it.
. ' .v'oi.. IV. I i