I04 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



and manners. My recollection of Mr. Muir's classic study 

 added zest to my observations. What a winking, bowing, 

 busy little creature the "dipper" is! In what far-off 

 period of time did this "humming-bird of California 

 waterfalls" acquire the bowing and scraping habit which 

 one is accustomed to think the peculiar accomplishment 

 of the snipe family and a few other water-birds? The 

 possession of a nictitating membrane, which gives the 

 bird an air of winking at the observer, is evidence of long 

 and intimate acquaintance with the water. In his search 

 after food he often lights in midstream on some rock over 

 which the water dashes at intervals. Not infrequently I 

 saw him swept off the rock into a churning pool. But 

 his short wings enabled him to rise from the water with 

 ease, or he swam complacently to the nearest bank and 

 waded out. Several pair of them had set up housekeeping 

 in more inaccessible places under some of the higher falls. 

 As with short and rapid wing-stroke they darted in and 

 out among the flying spume and spray, often directly 

 through the swaying sheet of water, they seemed the very 

 embodiment of the spirit of the waterfall. The two 

 sprites which I had under particular observation were 

 quite generous in showing off their varied accomplish- 

 ments. They swam, dived, waded, sang; they pirouetted 

 from rock to rock, slipped into the current by intention or 

 accident, flickered in the sunlight, and washed their slate- 

 colored plumage in the crystal water of the falls. Four 

 hungry mouths kept them extremely busy. Every few 

 minutes they appeared with their bills full of insects that 

 live in and beside the water. In fact, a young water- 

 ouzel seems to be quite as bottomless as a baby robin. 

 Both continue in the begging habit as a fine art long 



