84 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 



which I have just described. It begins with loud, clear, and 

 ringing notes, and ends with the softer notes, which die away 

 almost imperceptibly. It was this song that Wilson described 

 as having heard the Water Thrush utter in the vast cane-brakes 

 of the South, where these birds find a home during a part of 

 the year. 



(C) AUROCAPiLLUS. Golclen-crownecl " Thrush." " Oven- 

 bird." " Wagtail." 



(In Massachusetts a common summer-resident.) 



(a). 6-6] inches long. Olive above. Below white. Breast 

 and sides (darkly or) black-streaked. Crotvn orange, bordered 

 by black stripes. (Details omitted.) 



(&). The nest is placed on the ground, in the woods. It is 

 usually lined with hairs, and is generally but not invariably 

 roofed. The eggs of each set — only one being commonly laid 

 in Massachusetts, and that about June first, or perhaps earlier 

 — are usually four, averaging between -90 X "70 and 'SO X '62 

 of an inch. They are subject to considerable variation, but 

 are generally (creamy) white, with either minute lilac markings 

 about the crown, or mai-kings of reddish-brown and faint lilac 

 scattered (not very thickl}') chiefly in blotches, either all over 

 the egg, or only about the greater end. 



(c). The birds, of whom I am about to write, are variously 

 called Golden-crowned " Thrushes," having formerly been 

 classed with the thrushes-'* (and their crown being dull orange), 

 " Oven-birds," because of the usual construction of their nests, 

 and " Wagtails," because of their habit of flirting their tails, 

 by which name I shall refer to them. They are common 

 summer-residents throughout New England ; much less so, how- 

 ever, in the northern, parts, though known to breed in Arctic 

 countries. They generally reach Massachusetts in the first 

 week of May and leave it in September, sometimes lingering 

 almost until October, quite unobserved, because of their rarely 

 broken silence at that season. They frequent woodland of 



*< Mr. Mayuard adheres to this an-angement. 



