File:Birds of the Colorado Valley - a repository of scientific and popular information concerning North American ornithology (1878) (14563475547).jpg

Identifier: birdsofcoloradov00coue (find matches)
Title: Birds of the Colorado Valley : a repository of scientific and popular information concerning North American ornithology
Year: 1878 (1870s)
Authors: Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899
Subjects: Birds -- Colorado River Valley (Colo.-Mexico)
Publisher: Washington : G.P.O.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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d. As generally understood, it consists of asingle geuws, Cinclus, to which a second, found in Asia, is some-times added. These birds frequent clear mountain streams ofvarious parts of the world, chiefly, however, of the NorthernHemisphere. It would scarcely be incorrect to say that theyinhabit these streams; for a considerable part of their timeis actually spent in the water—not merely on or near it—ingleaning for food beneath the surface. It is marvelous whata little change of structure fits them for such an anomalousmode of life—one wholly exceptional in the order to which they DIPPERS, OR WATER OUZELS 85 belong, for a parallel with which we must turn not only to thewater-birds, but to the lowest representatives of the natatorialgroup, such as Loons, Grebes, Cormorants, and Penguins. In allthe true water-birds, the feet are paddles, or oars, and as suchfit instruments of progression. Those that dive but little or notat all use the feet exclusively in swimming; in others, that
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travel below as well as upon the surface of the water, likethose just named, the wings are also brought into requisitionas efficient organs of locomotion. But in the Dippers, the feetretain a thoroughly iusessorial character, being no more fittedfor swimming purposes than those of a Thrush or Siiarrow;and when the birds make their aquatic excursion3, they swimdown, and stay below by means of their wings—in a word, they 86 THE dippers actions in the water fly throiigh the water. It was an old notion that the Dipperscould walk on the beds of streams, and various were the inge-nious speculations to account for such a phenomenon ; for, thespecific gravity of their bodies being less than that of water,the puzzle was, how then could they stay below? The fact is,that they can no more walk on the bottom of a stream than St.Peter could walk on the water without some such supernaturalassistance as he is alleged to have received. Their flights be-low the surface require as continuous effort to

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