THE AMERICAN WATER OUZEL. 325 



No. 125. 



AMERICAN WATER OUZEL. 



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



Synonym.- — American Dipi'KR. 



Description. — .Idiilts in spring and siinnncr: 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 )-ellowish. .Idults in fall 

 and zvintcr, and innuatiirc: Feathers of under[)arts margined with whitish and 

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

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

 ]jlumage 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. — Xcst: a large ball of green moss lined with fine grasses, and with 

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

 Egys: 4 or 5, ])ure white. .\v. size. 1.02 x .70 ( 25.9 x 17.81. Season: April- 

 June; one or two broods. 



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

 ern boundar\- 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 mortnni, Townsend, Narrative, April, 1839, p. 339. 

 ALso C. to'a'nsaidi "Audubon." Ibid., p. 340. T. C.\:S. L'. Rh. D'. Ra. D-'. P.. E. 



Specimens. — Prov. B. E. 



"AI)\'.\NCING and prancing and gl;incing and dancing, 

 And dashing and Hashing and splashing and clashing; 

 And so never ending, but always descending. 

 Sounds and motions forever and ever are blending, 

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

 And this way the Water comes down at Lodore." 



Bui the scene of aqueous confusion was inconiplete imless a leaden shape 

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

 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 mmmlain torrents of the West. 



The Writer Ouzel bobs nv ist absurdly as he repeats his inquiry after your 



