LOCISIANA WATER TIlHUSii, 



020 



on impe and upper tail covorts. Lino from bill, passing over eye to nape, pure white, slightly (.bscurod 

 with Jusky. There is a narrow median line of whitish on forehead. Beneath, white, slightly tinged with 



bufT, which becomes more decided on flanks and under tail coverts, marked 

 with a maxillary line, a line tlirou-rh eye, on ear coverts and in triangular 

 spits acr'ss breast, on sides and flanks, with olivaceous brown, of the 

 same shade as the back. Iris, brown. Bill, dark brown, lighter at base 

 of 1 >W('r uiamlible Feet, pale brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Distinguish-eii from the closely allied Water Thrush by the darker 

 colors above, white superciliary line and color beneath, and most individ- 

 uals of the Louisiana Water Thrush are not spotted on the throat. A 

 female specimen olitained at Nassau, Bahamas, in spring, is decidedly ru« 

 fescent below and is even tinged above with it. Breeds in Eastern United 

 States, north to Southern New England and Southern Minnesota, and 

 west to the edge of tlie Great Plains. Winters in the Gulf States, East- 

 ern Mexico, Central America and the Greater Antilles ; rare on the Ba- 

 hamas. 



Head of adult Louisiana 

 Wa-ter Thrush in sprint;. 



Length, fi.Oil to (5. 21) ; stretch, !».7.j 

 sua, .73 to .UO. 



DIMENSIONS. 



to 10.00; wing, 3.10 to 3.25 ; tail, 2.05 to 2.30; bill, .53 to .C>2, tar- 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on the ground usually beneath a projecting root, or old log, or in a fissure of rock. Com- 

 posed of leaves or mosses, lined with fine grasses, plant fibers, and hairs. E(.i<iS, usually four, occasionally 

 three, rarely five or six, oval in form, white or creamy in color, spotted with varying shades of reddish brown 

 and lilac, usually more thickly around the larger end. Dimensions, .75 by .55 to .70 by .59. 



HABITS. 



The first specimen of the Louisiana Water Thrush that I ever saw living was on 

 May 11th, 1879, when I started a pair by the side of a creek between two spurs of the 

 Alleglianies near Willianisport, Pennsylvania. As they rose they gave a harsh cry of 

 alarm, and the female hovered around me reiterating this note, hence I concluded that 

 the birds were breeding and had a nest near, but I failed to find it. I afterwards found 

 the birds quite abundant in the laural swamps and heard them sing. The song is low, 

 clear and pleasing but is rather short. The bird when uttering his melody, usually sits 

 perfectly quiet. I found both sexes quite shy when in the thickets, and they proved 

 very expert at hiding; 



I found a single specimen ( a female ) on the borders of one of those singular sink 

 boles, or, as they are called in the Bahamas, ocean holes in whicli the tide rises and falls, 

 and in which consequently the water has direct communication with the sea through sub- 

 terranean passages. This particular ocean hole was situated in the middle of a field back 

 of the city of Nassau, and I chanced to visit the spot when the tide was out on April 1st, 

 1884, and found the first and thus far I believe the only specimen of the Louisiana Water 

 Thrush ever seen in the Balnunas, running a])out on the exposed mud. 



