Part 46

Family CINCLIDÆ.

DIPPER, OR WATER OUZEL. 701. Cinclus mexicanus unicolor. 8 inches.

Range.—Mountains of western North America from Alaska to Mexico. Among the rapid streams that are falling down the mountain side, these gray birds are to be found. They are strange members of bird life; they do not have webbed feet, and yet they swim on, or under the water, using their wings as paddles. They have a thrush-like bill, the habit of teetering similar to the sandpiper, and a song that is not to be forgotten if once heard. They nest on the rocks of these rapid streams, making their nest of moss, a bulky affair with an opening in the side, in which they deposit their four or five eggs of pure white (1.00 × .70).

WESTERN MOCKINGBIRD 703a. Mimus polyglottos leucopterus. 10 inches.

Range.—Texas to California and southward, breeding commonly from central California southward. These birds not only have a song of their own which puts them in the opera class, but, as their name implies, they can mimic or mock nearly anything in the bird line for song or bird notes. They are not satisfied with a few notes early in the morning and evening, but will keep their song in full play all day, without hardly seeming to take time to hunt up a few worms or insects, as if eating was not to be considered when he could sing.

They nest usually low down in bushes and thickets, and construct a bulky nest of sticks, roots and grass. Three to five eggs are of a greenish color, spotted and blotched all over in many patterns with shades of brown (.95 × .72).

CATBIRD. 704. Dumetella carolinensis. 9 inches.

Range.—Mostly eastern North America, but extends over the Rockies, occasionally to the Pacific coast. It is a fine songster and almost as much of a mimic as the Mockingbird. Breeding habits are much the same, but eggs are bluish green (.95 × .70).

PALMER THRASHER. 707a. Toxostoma curvirostre palmeri. 11 inches.

Range.—Arizona to Mexico, breeding abundantly in the desert regions of Arizona, where the cactus is mostly to be found. They all seem to belong to the happy family of songsters, and there is no lack of bird music in localities where these birds are in any numbers. Their nests are usually placed in cactus, or on the ground under them, and are made up of twigs, dried grass and moss. Usually four eggs are laid, bluish green, spotted with brown very finely all over (1.00 × .80).

BENDIRE THRASHER. 708. Toxostoma bendirei. 10 inches.

Range.—Arizona and Mexico to southern Colorado. It breeds in Arizona and southern California. General habits are the same as above. While it may not be as common as the above, it is possibly a better singer. Eggs are the same, spots larger (1.00 × .72)

CALIFORNIA THRASHER. 710. Toxostoma redivivum. 12 inches.

Range.—California, from Shasta county to Lower California. The habits and song, as are also the nest and eggs, much like the above (1.12 × .82).

LECONTE THRASHER. 711. Toxostoma lecontei. 10½ inches.

Range.—Southern and Lower California to Mexico. This is the lightest in color of any of the family, and has taken on the color of the sand of the low hot deserts in which it lives. Where it is so hot and dry that even the cactus and thornbush are stunted in their growth, where the ground is covered with the small varieties of cacti, with spines like needles. In such a place one cannot imagine that a bird would be as full of song as in a shaded piece of woodland, yet this bird has the same qualifications, and morning and night his voice may be heard, pouring out as rich a song as his brother of the north. Their nest, composed of twigs, weeds and lined with grass, is usually very bulky, and placed in low mesquite trees or cactus. The eggs are lighter in color than above, and with fewer and finer spots of brown (1.10 × .75).

CRISSAL THRASHER. 712. Toxostoma crissale. 11 inches.

Range.—From Utah and Nevada to southern and Lower California and Texas. This species is somewhat darker, and more rufous on the under tail coverts than the above.

CACTUS WREN. 713. Heleodytes brunneicapillus. 8½ inches.

Range.—Southern part of California, to Texas, and north to Nevada and Utah. They are the largest of the Wrens, and look the least like that family of any of them. They are a common bird in the desert lands, where the cactus abounds, but lacks the sweet song of some of the smaller members of the family. Their nests are bulky, ball-shaped structures, made up of sticks, moss, grass, and lined with feathers. There is an opening on the side for an entrance, and it is usually placed in a thorn bush or cactus. Their four to seven eggs are creamy white, dotted thickly with chestnut (.95 × .65).

ROCK WREN. 715. Salpinctes obsoletus. 6 inches.

Range.—Western coasts from British America to Mexico. These bird are equally at home on the mountain sides or in the deep canyons, building their nests in the crevices of rocks or stumps, where they lay from five to eight white eggs, with fine spots of brown about the larger end (.72 × .50).

CAÑON WREN. 717a. Catherpes mexicanus conspersus. 5½ inches.

Range.—Rocky Mountain ranges, from Colorado to Mexico, breeding throughout its range. As he is gathering his supply of food among the huge boulders and in the large rocky canyons, where he makes his home, you will, at short intervals, hear his loud joyous song, a song that puts to shame that of his largest relative of the plains. They build their nest of small sticks, leaves, grass and feathers, which is placed in the crevice of some rock, either down near some swiftly running mountain stream or high up in the cliffs above. Their three to five eggs are white, with spots of brown and lilac well covering the under color (.72 × .52).

VIGOR WREN. 719a. Thryomanes bewicki spilurus. 5 inches.

Range.—Coast regions of California. These are active and restless little birds. Eating and singing, and singing and eating is all this life holds for them. Nesting in bird boxes, holes in trees, in sheds, or almost any locality in which to place their six eggs (.65 × .50).

WESTERN HOUSE WREN. 721a. Troglodytes aedon parkmani. 5 inches.

Range.—Pacific coast, from British Columbia southward to Lower California. These happy little songsters are to be met with more about civilization, and seem to prefer the cultivated lands to the wild. They build in bird houses or holes of trees, and no matter how large the tenement may be they will keep busy until it is filled, leaving only space enough for their nest. They lay from five to seven eggs of a pinkish color, with a wreath of brown dots about the larger end (.65 × .52).