THE WATER OUZEL, OR DIPPER 
and undigested condition. From this moment I had 
but lifctie 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 spawn 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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