THE AMERICAN WATER OUZEL. 325 



No. 125. 



AMERICAN WATER OUZEL. 



A. O. U. No. 701. Cinclus mexicaniis unicolor (Bonap.). 



Synonym. — American Dipi'ER. 



Description. — Adults in spring and summer: General plumage slaty gray 

 paling below ; tinged with brown on head and neck ; wings and tail darker, black- 

 ish slate; eyelids touched with white; bill black; feet yellowish. Adults in fall 

 and zvintcr, and immature: Feathers of underparts margined with whitish and 

 some whitish edging on wings ; bill lighter, brownish. Voung birds are much 

 lighter below ; the throat is nearly white and the feathers of remaining under 

 plumage are broadly tipped with white and have wash of rufous posteriorly — tips 

 of wing- feathers and, occasionally, tail-feathers extensively white; bill yellow. 

 Length of adult 6.00-7.00 ( 152-178) ; wing 3.54 (90) ; tail 1.97 (50) ; bill .68 

 (17.3) ; tarsus 1.12 (28.5). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size but chunky, giving impression of a 

 "better" bird. Slaty coloration and water-haunting habits distinctive. 



Nesting. — Nest: a large ball of green moss lined with fine grasses, and with 

 entrance on side ; lodged among rocks, fallen timber, roots, etc., near water. 

 Eggs: 4 or 5, pure white. Av. size, 1.02 x .70 (25.9X 17.8). Season: April- 

 June : one or two broods. 



General Range. — The mountains of western North America from the north- 

 ern Ijoundary of Alexico and northern Lower California to northern Alaska. 

 Resident. 



Range in Washington. — Of regular occurrence along all mountain streams. 

 Retires to lower levels, even, rarely, to sea-coast in winter. 



Authorities. — Cinclus mortoni, Townsend, Narrative, April, 1839. p. ^39. 

 Also C. to-cvusendi "Audubon," Ibid., p. 340. T. C&S. L'. Rh. D-. Ra. D-\ B"; E. 



Specimens. — Prov. B. E. 



"ADVANCING and prancing and glancing and dancing. 

 And clashing and flashing and splashing and clashing; 

 And so ne\er ending, btit always descending. 

 Sounds and motions fore\-er and ever are blending. 

 All at once and all o'er, with a mighty uproar ; 

 And this way the Water comes dow-n at Lodore." 



But the scene of aqueous confusion was incomplete unless a leaden shape 

 emerged from the spray, took station on a jutting rock, and proceeded to rtib 

 out certain gruff notes of greeting, jigic, jigic, jigic. These notes manage 

 somehow to dominate or to pierce tlie roar of the cataract, and they symbolize 

 henceforth tlie turbulence of all the mountain torrents of the West. 



The Water Ouzel bobs most absurdly as he repeats his inquiry after your 



