Il'lll 



CINrLIILf; — THK Dll'I'KUS. 57 



pi'riincns, of any airo. (roin tlio coast of On-iron miil llic Ca^i-ailc ^[l)unlaiMs, have lla; 



iiioi'c (licply lnowiiisli ihaii llinsc fi-oiii otlicr rcuioii-:. 



Il.ui. Koiiiid tlii-(iiif:!i the luiiiiutaiiioiis ri'jrioii nl' the central and western |)art ol' North 



America, from Fort llulkctl soiilli into Mexico anil (iMateinaia. Ori/.alia (Alpine re^rinn) 



SiMicii. None received Ironi the coast region of C'alilbruia. Alinndant on the N. \V. 



coast, Larainio Peak and Deer Creek, Nob. 



This species has a wide I'aiioe aloiio' the luoiiiitaiiiuiis reoioii nl' Xdith iiiid 

 Middle Aiiiericii. Mexican speciiueiis are darlvcr. 



Haihts. This interestiiio- bird inhabits exchisively tlie mouiitaiiioiis por- 

 tions of Xorth Ainericii west of the Mississip])i from Alaska south lo (Jiiate- 

 mala. It does not appear to Iiave been obtained on tiie coast of ('alifornia, 

 nor in the valley of tlie ^lississi])]>i. In the ISritish Possessions specimens 

 have been procured on Fraser's IJiver, at Fort llalkctt, and at Colvilh^ At 

 the latter place ^Ir. J. Iv. Lord states that a few remain and ]iass tlie winter. 

 They are foiind anion,i^ tiie luonntain streams of Vera ("rnz, ami jirobaldy 

 thvouii'hont Mexico, and no donbt may be met with in till the liiohlaiids 

 between these extreme i>oii\ts. Dr. Xewlierry met witii it in the rapid 

 atrean.s of the Cascade Mountains. He de-scriltes it as llittinjf ahing in the 

 bed of the stream, from tiuK! to time i>liino;ino; into tiie water and disa])pear- 

 in;4, to apjH'ar a,t;iiin at a (bstant ]ioint, ii]) or down the stream, skippinif 

 iilioiit I'rom stone to stone, constantly in motion, jcrkino its tail iuid moving 

 its body somtiwhiit in the manner of a Mien. 



Dr. Cooper observed tiiis species both on tlie ('oliiml)ia and its trilattaries, 

 and also amoiiu- the niotiiitain streams oi' the Coast kanue west of Santa 

 Clara. At the latter ])luce he found a ])air mat 0(1 us early as ilandi KItii. 

 At sunset he heard tlu! male singing very melodiously, as it sat on one 

 of its favorite rocks in the middle of the foaming raiiids, making its delight- 

 ful melody heiu'd for (|uite ii long distance above the .sound of the rotiring 

 Wiiters. 



"This bird," adds Dr. Cooper, "combines the form of a sandpijier, the song 

 of a canary, and the lupiatic habits of a duck. Its food consists almost 

 entirely of a(piatic insi'<'ts, and these it ])nrsiies under water, walking and 

 flyhig with i)erfect ease beneath a dcptli of .several leet of water." Jle also 

 states that they do not swim on the surface, lait dive, and sometimes liy 

 lU'ross streams beneath the surfaci- that their Might is rapid and direct, like 

 that of a sandpijier; jilso that, they jerk tiieir tails in a similar miunier, and 

 generally alight on ii rock or log. 



Dr. Cooper on the ."ith of July found a nest of this bird tit a saw-mill on 

 the Chehalis iJivir, built under the shelving roots of an enormous arbor-vitie 

 tiial hadtloated over, and rested in a slanting position against the dam. The 

 lloor was of small twigs, the sides and roof iiivhed over it like an oven, aiul 

 formed ol moss, pioj(H'ting ,so as to protect and shelter the oMeiiing, which 

 was liirge enough to admit the hiind. Within this nest was a brood of half- 

 iledged young. The parents were familiar iind fearless, ami had become 

 8 



