TUE WATKR OUZEL. 371 



At about the middle of October the cat birds begin to move on their 

 southern migration ; and before we liave any very lieuvy frosts none of them 

 are to be met with in tlie nortliern pastures and woods. 



Tlie Cinclune ((hppers) arc a curious and interestiun; group, of vvliich tlicre 

 are three species on this continent, and several in Eurojic and Asia. The 

 species best known is the 'Water Ouzel {(Jinclas aqnaticus) of Europe. 

 This bird is spread o\cr the greater portion of Europe, but is more rare in 

 the nortliern regions than in tlie liritish islands and the south. It is amidst 

 romantic and picturestjue scenery, where mountain streams and rivulets, 

 winding through glens and rock-girt dales, sparkle over a rocky bed, that 

 this active and elegant little bird is found. It is nervous, restless, and full 

 of animation. Its movements are all quick and alert, and it flits from stone 

 to stone, flying low and rapidly over the bubbling water. Often may it be 

 seen perched on a portion of rock jutting out of the water in tlie centre of the 

 stream, and there, conspicuous by its snowy breast, contrasted with the deep 

 russet-brown of the rest of its plumage, it will remain for a short time dip- 

 ping its head and jerking its tail in an odd manner, reminding us forcibly 

 of the wrens. In an instant it will disappear, diving beneath the water, and 

 emerging at a considerable distance, again settle on some stone or crag, and 

 utter a low, but very sweet and pleasing strain. Again it will dive or fly 

 off to another resting-place, jerk its tail and sing, dipping and mo\ ing its 

 head, and again start off" to another resting-place, jerk its tail and sing, dip- 

 jiing and moving its head, and again start off to a new resting-place. Its 

 song is uttered in bright mornings during winter as well as in the spring 

 and sunmier, and it exhibits equal animation, entering the water, and flitting 

 from stone to stone, in the cold and in the warmer months. IIow this bird 

 manages to keep itself submerged, and proceed at the bottom of the stream, 

 is not very well understood. An English writer says, " On the 2Gth of 

 September, a pair of water ouzels at the upper pond of Wolf hill (near 

 Belfast) plunged several times into the water, which was some feet deep, 

 and remained moving about in it with only their heads above the surface. 

 Twice one of them disappeared altogt^ther for a icw seconds ; they then pur- 

 sued each other round the pond, and alighted, when one of them sang, and 

 they repeated over again several times all these mana:uvres." 



The food of the water ouzel consists of insects, aquatic larvte, minute 

 fresh-water s-hells, and the fry of fishes. The nest of the bird is most art- 

 fully concealed. It is sometimes placed in the fissure of a low jutting crag, 

 overhanoimr the rushinu and bubblin'T current, often between the ijreea 

 damp stones of a rude bridge. The nest is composed of intertwined mosses, 

 and is of a large size, and domed, with a small lateral aperture leading to the 

 interior chamber, which is lined with a few dried leaves. Sometimes it is so 



