THE WATER OUZEL, OR DIPPER 



and undigested condition. From this moment I had 

 but little trouble. The birds fed greedily upon the half- 

 boiled mealworms, and I soon found them ready to leave 

 the nest. I accordingly fitted up a cage, having the nest 

 under a rock in one corner and a shallow pan at the other 

 end of the cage, in which the birds soon began to dive and 

 swim about. From the time they took to feeding them- 

 selves the food was greatly varied by introducing caddis- 

 worms, and other aquatic insects of small size found among 

 the weeds. This afforded them much amusement, and they 

 threw up castings, or pellets, after the manner of raptorial 

 birds ; the pellets consisted of the parts of the insects that 

 are not digested. It was most interesting to watch their 

 movements, bobbing up and down, flying from place to 

 place, and diving under water and extracting the caddis 

 from its curious covering. I can no longer doubt the 

 charges brought from time to time against our pets of 

 appropriating a small portion of the young trout or salmon, 

 for they are most expert fishers ; but I feel perfectly satis- 

 fied they did not eat the roe or spa^vn of fish. As I have 

 before stated, unless there is some movement, these birds 

 do not eat anything they find. 



In diving, the dipper uses its wings as though it were 

 flying under water, and has to exert considerable force to 

 remain under long enough to capture its food ; it is so 

 buoyant that it floats to the surface like a cork. 



The song of the water ouzel is said to be louder than, 

 but, in other respects, much resembles that of the wren. 

 Our young birds soon gave indications of their vocal 

 powers. I can find no very correct description of the 

 movements of the dipper, I take, therefore, this oppor- 

 tunity of stating that the bird runs about rapidly, after 

 the fashion of a starling. It jumps or hops a considerable 

 distance, flies well, and swims like a duck. 



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