THE AMERICAN WATER OUZEL. 9a 
No. 125. 
AMERICAN WATER OUZEL. 
A. O. U. No. 7o1. Cinclus mexicanus unicolor (Bonap.). 
Synonym.—AMERICAN DippeEr. 
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 winter, and immature: Feathers of underparts margined with whitish and 
some whitish edging on wings; bill lighter, brownish. Young 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 
(eues)ic 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.—WN est: 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 boundary of Mexico 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. 339. 
Also C. townsendi “Audubon,” Ibid., p. 340. 'T. C&S. Lt. Rh. Dt. Ra. D*. B. E. 
Specimens.—Prov. B. E. 
“ADVANCING and prancing and glancing and dancing, 
And dashing and flashing and splashing and clashing ; 
And so never ending, but always descending, 
Sounds and motions forever and ever are blending, 
All at once and all o’er, with a mighty uproar ; 
And this way the Water comes down 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 rub 
out certain gruff notes of greeting, jigic, jigic, jigic. These notes manage 
somehow to dominate or to pierce the roar of the cataract, and they symbolize 
henceforth the turbulence of all the mountain torrents of the West. 
The Water Ouzel bobs most absurdly as he repeats his inquiry after your 
