532 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
In winter, one was taken January 23, 1904, at 8,000 feet near Arroyo Seco 
(Surber); one noted December 21, 1893, at 7,800 feet, at Chama, when only a few 
places of swift water in the river were left unfrozen (Loring); and it was common 
at Las Vegas, 6,400 feet, December 4-23, 1882 (Batchelder). In winter it was 
found abundant on the Mimbres and descends at least to 6,300 feet at Fort Webster, 
where it was noted from October 10 to April 1 (Henry); and a few descend to 
5,800 feet at Rinconada (Surber); [about 5,800 feet at Silver City (Kellogg).]— 
W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —Usually on ledges of rock over water, often behind a cascade, but also 
on rocks in midstream and on beams of bridges; a bulky, oven-shaped structure 
arched over, with opening on the side or with a bottle-shaped entrance, cemented 
to the rock; made of green moss, weed stems, pine needles, and leaves lined with 
mud; with an inner nest of twigs and non-absorbent wiry grass. Eggs: 3 to 5, white. 
Food. —Largely water beetles, caddice-fly larvae, black-fly larvae, dragon 
flies, and other aquatic insects. 
General Habits. —The gray wren-like American Dipper, or Water- 
Ouzel, which is delightfully associated with snowy waterfalls and clear, 
white-cascaded mountain streams, is appropriately absent from those 
made turbid by mining operations. When we were going up the 
Pecos River we discovered it first standing calmly on a rock surrounded 
by white-churned water at 7,200 feet, and as we ascended the swift¬ 
flowing stream we met it at various places from 8,000 to 8,700 feet, at 
which point we left the river. In the Wheeler Peak amphitheater at 
11,400 feet, we were much pleased to find the Ouzels in the white- 
cascaded brooks both above and below the quiet lake. One was also 
met with later on Coyote Creek, and another, on September 22, 1904, 
on Lucero Creek at 7,700 feet. The year previous one was found by 
Mr. Bailey, on September 25, in the cold water of a glacial lake above 
Hondo canyon at 11,600 feet. When discovered, it was ducking and 
diving away out where the water was deep; then it swam ashore and 
climbed up on a stone, tipping and singing gaily its bright vivacious 
song as if September were May. 
In the southern part of the State, in the Mogollon Mountains, a 
Dipper who lived on Mogollon Creek was seen by us a number of times 
at about 8,700 feet in the neighborhood of some cascades in the coldest 
part of the gulch. When first seen, October 22, 1906, he sat on a stone 
puffed up as if justifiably chilled, the stones around him being snowy 
and icy, and the ice on a pool near him being thick enough to bear a 
man. But, on October 27, to my surprise I saw the little fellow I had 
been pitying, calmly wade out in the ice-cold water, walk up through 
some rapids, and stand on a cake of ice, quite as a matter of course. 
In Alaska and Wyoming, Doctor Cordier tells us, the Ouzels live in a 
temperature of fifty degrees below zero, their heavy waterproof cover¬ 
ing, like a thermos bottle, keeping the cold out and the heat in (1927, 
p. 173). 
