AMERICAN DIPPER. 185 



been favoured by Mr. Townsend: — "This bird inhabits the clear mountain 

 streams in the vicinity of the Columbia river. When observed it was 

 swimming among the rapids, occasionally flying for short distances over the 

 surface of the water, and then diving into it, and reappearing after a long 

 interval. Sometimes it will alight along the margin, and jerk its tail 

 upwards like a Wren. I did not hear it utter any note. The stomach was 

 found to contain fragments of fresh-water snails. I observed that this bird 

 did not alight on the surface of the water, but dived immediately from the 

 wing." 



Cinclus Pallasii, Bonap. Amer. Orn., vol. ii. p. 173. 



Cinclds Americanus, American Dipper, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 173. 



Black Water-Ouzel or Dipper, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 358. 



American Dipper, Cinclus Americanus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 493; vol. v. p. 303. 



Adult Male. 



Bill rather short, slender, slightly ascending, much compressed toward the 

 end; upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge rounded, 

 the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, with an obscure notch close 

 to the narrow slightly deflected tip; lower mandible slightly bent upwards, 

 the angle medial and very narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly 

 convex, the tip narrow and rather acute, the gape-line straight. Nostrils 

 linear, direct, in the lower and fore part of the nasal membrane, which is 

 covered with very short feathers. Eyes rather small; eyelids densely 

 feathered. 



The general form is short, full, and compact; the head oblong, compressed, 

 rather small; the neck rather short; the body rather deeper than broad. 

 Legs strong, of ordinary length; tarsus compressed, covered anteriorly with 

 a long undivided plate and four inferior scutella, posteriorly with two long 

 plates meeting at a very acute angle. Toes rather large and strong; the first, 

 second, and fourth, nearly equal in length, but the first much stronger, the 

 third much longer; the third and fourth united as far as the second joint of 

 the latter. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, that of the hind 

 toe considerably larger. 



Plumage very soft and blended, the feathers oblong and rounded; those 

 about the base of the bill very short and velvety. No bristles at the base 

 of the bill. Wings rather short, broad, convex, and rounded; the first quill 

 very short and narrow, being about a third of the length of the second, 

 which is shorter than the fourth, the third longest, and with the next three 

 slightly cut out on the outer web towards the end; secondary quills long, 

 broad, and rounded. Tail short, even, of twelve rather broad feathers, 



