WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 
433 
from the Yukon to Guatemala; east, in the United States, to the eastern 
base of the Rocky Mountains; mainly resident throughout its range. 
Nest .—Among rocks, near running water, often behind a cascade; a 
bulky oven-sliaped structure open on the side, made of green mosses. 
Eggs : 3 to 5, white. 
To all his friends, the name water ouzel calls up pictures of foam¬ 
ing cascaded streams in the heart of the grand old western moun¬ 
tains. What a quickening touch of life and good cheer the songster 
gives to the lonely canyons and forests ! And how fascinating it is 
to watch him as he pokes about in wren-like fashion under the banks 
of streams, disappearing in dark grottoes and behind miniature water¬ 
falls or stepping off into the pools, where he sinks under water as 
easily as a grebe! 
When resting against the background of dark rocks he would be 
almost invisible did he not keep up a persistent winking, for at each 
wink you get a flash from his white nictitating membrane. He also 
has a trick of bobbing, winter wren style, that tells the tale of his 
whereabouts. 
In a southern California canyon we once found a typical ouzel 
nest on a ledge of rock opposite a waterfall whose spray doubtless 
kept the moss of the nest fresh. While we were admiring the nest, 
one of the old birds appeared and ran up the slippery face of the 
wet rock beside the waterfall with easy unconcern. 
The ouzels do not leave their breeding grounds when their family 
cares are over, but stay in the mountains until the streams are 
frozen, and Mr. Batchelder has seen one swim downstream under 
the ice. In the Wasatch in December, one crisp, clear morning 
when the still pools were frozen over and there was ice along the 
edges of the streams and iced spray on the bushes, Mr. Bailey’s ear 
was caught by a beautiful song, and following upstream he discov¬ 
ered an ouzel sitting on a cake of ice in the bright sun singing as 
gayly as a bobolink in June. 
(See Muir’s Mountains of California and Olive Thorite Miller’s 
Bird-Lover in the West.) 
FAMILY TROGLODYTIDiE : WRENS, THRASHERS, 
ETC. 
KEY TO GENERA. 
1. Rictal bristles conspicuous. 
Fig. 545. 
2. Tail shorter than wing. . Oroscoptes, p. 435. 
2'. Tail longer than wing. 
