102 BULLETIN 195, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



nally the mother got a grub; and, as if aware of the fact, the little 

 one began violently to agitate its wings and to cry more greedily 

 for its dinner. The mother ouzel flew to it, placed the grub in its 

 mouth, and indifferently went to work again. Satisfied for the 

 moment, the young one dipped its head into the water, ceased crying, 

 and rested, only to become apprehensive about the mother's progress 

 away, and to renew its crying and watchful following. For the 

 most part, it kept close to the edges where the water was but an inch 

 or so deep and protruding stones were numerous, though, now and 

 again, it flew a few yards across an inconvenient bend. Away they 

 went down stream, around a bend, out of sight." 



Mrs. Amelia S. Allen has sent me an interesting note on the feed- 

 ing of a young ouzel. The mother ( ? ) "alighted near the young 

 bird and tried to place a fat insect in its beak. The baby dropped 

 it. The mother picked it up, flew across to a dead branch that sloped 

 down to the water, dipped the insect into the water, then flew back 

 to the youngster. Again he fumbled. The mother picked up the 

 insect again, flew across to the same branch, walked along it to the 

 edge of the water, dipped the insect in and returned to the baby. 

 At last the insect was swallowed." 



Fred Evenden, Jr., sends me the following note: "After a while 

 I moved in close again to the nest while both parents were gone. 

 I remained motionless, but even then they detected me when they 

 returned. The female returned alone and hopped around on a rock 

 in midstream and then flew to the water's edge about 3 feet from 

 me. Then she went to the rock in midstream and gave what must 

 have be«n an alarm note, for almost immediately her mate came 

 upstream and they talked to each other and then both of them de- 

 fiantly took it upon themselves to scold me. I left the spot for I 

 didn't want to keep them from bringing food to their young. This 

 alarm note I mentioned went this way. Several short and high notes 

 with a rasping trill at the end. The female gave this call twice." 



Plumages. — I have not seen any small nestlings, but Mr. Steiger 

 (1940) says that "from die first, the young Ouzel has a complete coat 

 of down." 



This down becomes a necessary protection by the time that the young 

 bird takes its first plunge, at an early age, into the cold water. 



In the Juvenal plumage, the young bird is somewhat like the adult, 

 but paler generally, and the under parts are suffused or mottled with 

 very pale buff or buffy white ; the chin and throat are mainly white ; 

 and the greater wing coverts are narrowly tipped with grayish white. 

 This plumage is worn through the summer and into September ; I have 

 seen a bird in juvenal plumage as late as September 6. I don't know 

 how extensive the post juvenal molt is, but it evidently involves the 

 contour plumage at least. 



