500 BULLETIN 203, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



would be made necessary by a greater number of observations. Both 

 the Louisiana and the northern waterthrushes are shy and difficult 

 to approach while in Central America. It is not easy to see them 

 sufficiently well to distinguish them in the field, especially where the 

 presence of Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis, with its white super- 

 ciliary lines, adds to the possibility of confusion with the Louisiana 

 waterthrush. As a result, I have seen far more waterthrushes than 

 I have distinguished as to species and set down in my records. 



"While in Central America, the Louisiana waterthrush is usually 

 seen foraging along the shores of streams or other bodies of water, 

 whether rocky, sandy, or muddy. It is always alone and usually 

 silent. 



"Central American occurrences are: Guatemala — Motagua Valley 

 near Los Amates, not uncommon spring transient, April 20 to May 

 2, 1932 ; Sierra de Tecpan, 8,500 feet, rare transient, February 12 and 

 28, 1933 (probably same individual on both dates). Honduras — Tela, 

 abundant fall transient, arriving August 25, rare winter visitant, 

 January and February. Costa Rica — Caribbean lowlands to 2,000 

 feet: fairly abundant fall transient, Rio Sicsola, September 3, 1904, 

 and El Hogar, August 28, 1906 (Carriker) ; rare winter resident, 

 Pejivalle, January 23, 1934. Central highlands : Volcdn Irazu, Octo- 

 ber 13 (Underwood) and San Jose, March 9, 1889 (Cherrie). Basin 

 of El General, 2,000-3,000 feet, uncommon fall transient, September 

 30, 1936 and October 14, 1942." 



From Central America, the three waterthrushes extend their winter 

 ranges southward into northern South America and eastward to the 

 Bahamas and the West Indies. In Florida, they seem to be rare or 

 casual in winter. 



Dr. Wetmore (1916) says: "The Louisiana water-thrush is a fairly 

 conmion winter visitant to Porto Rico. The birds may arrive in Sep- 

 tember, though there are no positive records, and the first that I saw 

 were at Cayey January 17. They were common in the mangrove 

 swamps along the coast and inland followed the rapid streams, fre- 

 quenting the parts bordered by brushy growth or running through 

 coffee and banana plantations. The call note is noticeably liiglier 

 than that of the other waterthrush, from which it can readily be 

 distinguished." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Eastern Canada and the United States, the West Indies, 

 Central America, and northwestern South America. 



Breeding range. — The Louisiana waterthrush breeds north to 

 southeastern Minnesota (Hutchinson, Minneapolis, and southern Pine 

 County) ; central Wisconsin (probably Durand, Reedsburg, and New 



