The species are all dull-colored birds, usually brown, sometimes varied with white on the head, back, or throat. They inhabit mountainous subalpine regions abounding in rapid streams, and always attract attention by their habit of feeding under water, searching among the gravel and stones for their insect prey.
The only other species at all allied to the single North American one are the C. ardesiacus of Central America, and C. pallasi of Eastern Asia. They may be easily distinguished by the following characters:—
Plumage beneath scarcely lighter than that above; head and neck brownish, darkest above. Wing, 4.00; tail, 2.15; bill, .50; tarsus, 1.20; middle toe, .85. Legs (in life), pinkish white (8,496 Fort Mass. N. M.). Hab. Mountains of Middle Province from Sitka, south to Guatemala … var. mexicanus.
Plumage beneath much lighter than that above,—very light along the median line; head not brownish, the contrast in shade between upper and lower surfaces very marked. Wing, 3.50; tail, 2.05; bill, .45; tarsus, 1.30; middle toe, .90. Legs yellow. (42,788 ♂ Costa Rica). Hab. Guatemala and Costa Rica … var. ardesiacus.[24]
Plumage uniform dusky-brown, middle of belly blackish; back and rump squamated with black; wings and tail blackish-brown. Total length, 8.00; wing, 4.00; tail, 2.50; tarsus, 1.25; bill (to rictus), 1.10 (Salvin). Hab. Lake Baikal to Kamtschatka; Amoorland; S. E. Siberia; Japan (Salvin) … var. pallasi.[25]
Cinclus mexicanus, Swains.
AMERICAN DIPPER; WATER OUZEL.
Cinclus pallasi, Bon. Zoöl. Jour. II, 1827, 52 (not the Asiatic species). Cinclus mexicanus, Sw. Phil. Mag. 1827, 368.—Sclater, Catal. 1861, 10.—Salvin, Ibis, 1860, 190; 1867, 120 (Guatemala).—Baird, Review, 60.—Dall & Bannister (Alaska).—Cooper, Birds Cal. 1, 25. Hydrobata mexicana, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 229.—Cooper & Suckley, Rep. P. R. R, XII, II, 1859, 175 (nest). Cinclus americanus, Rich. F. B. A. II, 1831, 273. Cinclus unicolor, Bon.; C. mortoni, Towns.; C. townsendi, “Aud.” Towns.
Figures: Bonaparte, Am. Orn. II, 1828, pl. xvi, fig. 1.—Aud. Orn. Biog. pl. ccclxx, 435.—Ib. Birds Amer. II, pl. cxxxvii.
Sp. Ch. Above dark plumbeous, beneath paler; head and neck all round a shade of clove or perhaps a light sooty-brown; less conspicuous beneath. A concealed spot of white above the anterior corner of the eye and indications of the same sometimes on the lower eyelid. Immature specimens usually with the feathers beneath edged with grayish-white; the greater and middle wing-coverts and lesser quills tipped with the same. The colors more uniform. Length, 7.50; wing, 4.00; tail, 2.55.