WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 433 



from the Yukon to Guatemala ; east, in the United States, to the eastern 

 base of the Rocky Mountains ; mainly resident throughout its range. 



Nest. Among- rocks, near running water, often behind a cascade ; a 

 bulky oven-shaped structure open on the side, made of green mosses. 

 Eggs : 3 to 5, white. 



To all his friends, the name water ouzel calls up pictures of foam- 

 ing cascaded streams in the heart of the grand old western moun- 

 tains. What a quickening touch of life and good cheer the songster 

 gives to the lonely canyons and forests ! And how fascinating it is 

 to watch him as he pokes about in wren-like fashion under the banks 

 of streams, disappearing in dark grottoes and behind miniature water- 

 falls or stepping off into the pools, where he sinks under water as 

 easily as a grebe ! 



When resting against the background of dark rocks he would be 

 almost invisible did he not keep up a persistent winking, for at each 

 wink you get a flash from his white nictitating membrane. He also 

 has a trick of bobbing, winter wren style, that tells the tale of his 

 whereabouts. 



In a southern California canyon we once found a typical ouzel 

 nest on a ledge of rock opposite a waterfall whose spray doubtless 

 kept the moss of the nest fresh. While we were admiring the nest, 

 one of the old birds appeared and ran up the slippery face of the 

 wet rock beside the waterfall with easy unconcern. 



The ouzels do not leave their breeding grounds when their family 

 cares are over, but stay in the mountains until the streams are 

 frozen, and Mr. Batchelder has seen one swim downstream under 

 the ice. In the Wasatch in December, one crisp, clear morning 

 when the still pools were frozen over and there was ice along the 

 edges of the streams and iced spray on the bushes, Mr. Bailey's ear 

 was caught by a beautiful song, and following upstream he discov- 

 ered an ouzel sitting on a cake of ice in the bright sun singing as 

 gayly as a bobolink in June. 



(See Muir's Mountains of California and Olive Thorne Miller's 

 Bird-Lover in the West.) 



FAMILY TROGLODYTID^E : WRENS, THRASHERS, 



ETC. 



KEY TO GENERA. 



1. Rictal bristles conspicuous. 



Fig. 545. 



2. Tail shorter than wing Oroscoptes, p. 435. 



2 . Tail longer than wing. 



