LAND BIRDS. 629 



has a delightful carol which it utters from a considerable height in the 

 air while it floats slowly down on motionless wings, eventually dropping hke 

 a stone into the w^oods as it finishes the last notes. Occasionally it utters 

 a few notes as it rises swiftly to the height at which the song proper begins, 

 but more often it wings its way upward silently and bursts into song 

 suddenly as it reaches the highest point of its flight. This song somewhat 

 resembles the air song of the Indigo-bird, but is sweeter and longer con- 

 tinued; it must not be confounded, however, with the still more beautiful 

 song which the Ovenbird sometimes utters at nightfall while coursing 

 rapidly through the trees of the forest, either alone or while pursuing its 

 mate or being pursued by some rival male. Under such circumstances 

 it gives vent to its emotions in a prolonged and varied song of remarkable 

 sweetness and power which is unlike that of any other bird of our ac- 

 quaintance. Doubtless it is this song, occasionally uttered in the night, 

 which has given it the name of nightingale in some localities. 



The eggs are four to six, white or pinkish white, spotted with reddish 

 brown and lilac, and average .80 by .61 inches. 



This bird is rarely seen seen outside the woods except during migrations, 

 but it often visits parks and gardens in spring and fall and occasionally 

 may be heard singing in such places. It appears to have no bad food 

 habits, or indeed, bad habits of any kind, but consumes immense numbers 

 of insects, spiders, myriapods and small snails and slugs, together with 

 a few seeds and berries. It is thus likely to be decidedly beneficial in the 

 regions which it selects for its home. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult: Crown with a broad median stripe of hrownisli-orange, extending from forehead 

 to nape and bordered on each side by a narrow lilack stripe; rest of vipjicr parts, incliuUng 

 wings and tail, clear greenisli-olive; a distinct wliitisli ring about the eye; Ijelow pure white, 

 heavily spotted on breast and streaked on sides with black, the chin, upper throat ancl 

 belly unspotted. No white markings on wings and tail; a black line on each side of the 

 white throat from base of lower mandible. Sexes alike. 



Length 5.40 to G.50 inches; wing 2.75 to 3; tail 2 to 2.25. 



287. Small-billed Water-thrush. Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis 



{Gmel). (675) 



Synonyms: Common Water-thrush, Northern Water-thrush, Wag-tail, Water Wag- 

 tail, Water-thrush. — Motacilla noveboracensis, Gmcl., 1789. — Siurus na?vius, Coucs, 

 1877. — Seiurus, noveboracensis of most recent authors. 



A large thrush-like warbler, plain olive-brown above, with a yellowish 

 stripe over the eye; the under parts white, tinged with sulphur yellow, 

 and everywhere sharply streaked with brown and black. Wings and tail 

 like the back and without l)ars or spots. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States to Illinois, and northward to 

 Arctic America, breeding from the northern United States northward. 

 South in winter to the West Indies, Central America and northern South 

 America. 



The Water-thrushes will usually be recognized at once from their close 

 resemblance in size and general appearance to the Ovenbird, but all have 

 the habit of wagging the tail much more strongly pronounced than in the 

 Ovenbird, in fact the motion is even more continuous and characteristic 



