\\\\RBLERS 



153 



least one careful and accurate observer, Brad- 

 ford Torrey, recorded (in Birds in the Bush) 

 having heard the bird sincf it from a perch, or 

 e\'en on the ground, and as earlv as f) o'clock in 

 the morning. 



It seems clear now that this remarkable flight- 

 song- of the Oven-bird is the one which Thoreau 

 heard so often, l)ut failed to identify with the 

 singer, though he knew the " Golden-crowned 

 Thrush," the name by which the Oven-bird was 

 formerly known. No less than fifteen times 



(between 1S51 and i860) did he note in his 

 journal hearing this mysterious " night-war- 

 bler's " song: and. curiouslv enough, one entrv 

 (for May 16, 1838) begins with, "A golden- 

 crowned thrush hops <|uitc near," and ends with, 

 "Hear the night warbler." So anximis did he 

 become to identify this imseen bird that l^mer- 

 son. with his gentle irnnv. w.arned him to desist 

 trying to find out what it was, lest, should he 

 be succes^ful. lie should thereafter lose all in- 

 terest in life. Geor(;e ( ii,.\nni-:N. 



LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH 



Seiurus motacilla {I'icillot) 



A (). I-. Xumlier br', Sec ( ni,,,- ri.iti- q_' 



Other Names. — Large-billed Water-Thrush ; South- 

 ern Water-Thrush ; Wagtail ; Water Wagtail. 



General Description. — Length, 6> 4 inches. Upper 

 parts, grayish-olive ; under parts, white with streaks of 

 grayish-olive. Bill, shorter than head, slender, taper- 

 ing gradually to the tip : wings, long and pointed ; tail, 

 even or slightly notched. 



Color. — Adults (sexes alike): Above, plain .uray- 

 ish-olive, slightly darker on crown ; a conspicuous stripe 

 of white over eye, extending from nostril to beyond 

 end of ear region ; a triangular loral spot and broad 

 stripe behind eye of dark grayish-olive, the latter some- 

 times involving greater part of sides of head, the lower 

 portion of which, however, is always paler and streaked 

 with dull whitish; a crescentic mark of white on lower 

 eyelid ; cheeks, white, usually flecked with grayish- 

 olive ; under parts zcliitc or biiffy-ii'hilc, becoming 

 cream-bufif on flanks and under tail-coverts ; chin and 

 throat, immaculate or with only a few minute flecks : 

 chest, sides, and flanks, broadly streaked with grayish- 

 olive, the streaks on front of chest smaller, more 

 distinctly wedge-shaped; under wing-coverts brownish- 

 gray ; bill, horn-brownish ; iris, brown ; legs and feet, 

 pale flesh color. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: Placed among roots of 

 fallen timber, old logs, or under mossy banks, always 

 near water and always carefully concealed; exterior 

 of mud-covered leaves which form a solid foundation 

 when dry ; inner nest of twigs, grass stems, rootlets 

 and skeletonized leaves, lined usually with dead pine 

 needles, Eccs : 4 or 5, rarely 6, white or creamy. 



thickly maikeil with chestnut, rufous, and lilac, more 

 heavily toward larger end. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States to South 

 .Xmerica; breeds from southeastern Nebraska, south- 

 eastern Minnesota, and the southern parts of Michigan, 

 (3ntario, New York, and New England south to north- 

 eastern Texas, northern Georgia, and Central South 

 Carolina; winters from northern Mexico to Colombia, 

 the Greater Antilles, .^ntigua, and the Bahamas ; acci- 

 dental in California. 



LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH (J nat. si 

 This Warbler's song is a true voice of the ' 



The Louisiana W'ater-Thrush is one of the 

 comparatively few birds that walk. Like the 

 Oven-bird it also bobs its tail as it proceeds, a 

 peculiarity from which it derives its popular 

 name of Water Wagtail, the "water" being in 

 recognition of its fondness for the banks of 

 running streams. By careless observers the bird 

 is sometimes mistaken for the Spotted Sandpiper 



(often called the "Tip-up"), because of both 

 birds' habit of bobbing their tails; but their very 

 different appearance should prevent this con- 

 fusion. 



The bird's resemblance to a Thrush begins and 

 ends in its back being of an olive-brown color, 

 while its grayish-white breast is streaked with 

 l)lack. Its manners are totally different from 



