Habits of the Water Ouzel. 323 



On the Habits of the Water Ouzel, with a Jew Remarks on the 

 Oil Gland in Birds, (p. 269—271.) 



The water ouzel [VIII. 358. 374—376. 514—516. 638.; 

 IX. 158 — 160. 270, 271.] is sometimes known by the name 

 of the dipper in England, and by that of merle d' eau in France, 

 and is pronounced to be a water fowl by Buffon. Indeed, as 

 the count affected to believe the strange story of Monsieur 

 Herbert, he might have called it the water birder excellence; 

 it being supposed to possess a subaquatic faculty, not granted 

 to any other bird in the creation. 



The water ouzel is found in hilly countries, where rapid 

 rivulets wind their way through an abrupt and rocky bed. 

 Here, it is never seen ; but I have had opportunities of pay- 

 ing attention to its habits in the county of Northumberland, 

 where it frequents the borders of transparent streams, which 

 meander through the moors. There, you will find its nest, in 

 favoured localities, overhanging the brook ; while, ever and 

 anon, you see the bird itself go under water, in quest of its 

 wonted food. 



This is the bird which has given rise to so much contro- 

 versy. This is the bird whose supposed subaquatic pranks 

 have set the laws of gravity at defiance, by breaking through 

 the general mandate which has ordained that things lighter 

 than water shall rise towards its surface, and that things 

 which are heavier shall sink beneath it. If the water ouzel 

 can walk on the ground at the bottom of the water, then, in- 

 deed, we may exclaim with the poet, 



" Omnia Naturae praepostera legibus ibunt, 

 Parsque suum mundi nulla tenebit iter." 



All Nature's laws will tumble in decay, 

 And e'en the world itself will lose its way. 



How comes it that writers concede to the dipper alone the 

 privilege of turning nature's mandates topsyturvy? Why do 

 not they tell us, that the grebes, the coots, and the water hens 

 (which last have cloven feet) can walk at the bottom of 

 streams? The question is easily answered. The birds just 

 enumerated frequent waters which are generally either too 

 deep, or too muddy, to allow the eye of man to follow them 

 to any great distance in their descent. Add to this, that these 

 birds are much more shy and wary than the water ouzel, and 

 they contrive to keep out of the reach of observation ; thus 

 depriving naturalists of the opportunity of a close investigation 

 of their subaquatic habits. But here, where the grebe, the 

 coot, and the water hen come close to the terrace which rises 

 from the lake, I can steal upon them, and see them dive 



