BY STREAM AND POND. 



THE Large-billed or Louisiana Water-Thrush is one of the most notable 

 of the land water birds. You will find him about streams of varying 

 size from the tiny wood brook or the rushing torrent to the placid 

 flowing river. On such a stream as the last, the Kanawha River in West 

 Virginia, my first acquaintance with this bird was established years ago, and 

 Louisiana Water- ^'^ '^''''^'^ point this Water-Thrush was very common. The 

 Thrush. river being then low there were very considerable gravelly 



seiurus motaciiia cvieiii.). beaches On either bank, and a rather small bird with many 

 Sandpiper-like habits was conspicuous, walking or running along the ground, 

 whose constant "tipping" motion seemed almost an imitation of the Spotted 

 Sandpiper. Its food was of a similar kind to that of the Sandpiper, larvae and 

 worms and insects that frequented these gravelly shores. But when, satisfied 

 for the time being, the bird mounted to some twig or branch and burst into a 

 wild and peculiarly beautiful song, all thoughts of an alifinity with Shore-birds 

 were at once dispelled, and only wonder and admiration for his musical 

 attainments remained. 



This bird is about six inches and a third long. There is a clear white 

 line over the eye and running well back on the sides of the head, the only 

 mark relieving his otherwise unbroken coat of rich olive brown. Below, 

 white predominates, being unmarked on the throat and belly, and streaked on 

 the breast, sides, and flanks with dusky brown or black. There is a decided 

 tinge of warm buff in the white of the flanks. 



For a nesting place the birds seek some bank undermined by water, 

 where roots of trees are thus exposed, or where some tree has been over- 

 thrown by the wind, forming similar conditions. Here a nest of leaves and 

 fine twigs and roots is built, lined with grasses and plant fibres. From four 

 to six white eggs are laid, spotted more or less distinctly with varying shades 

 of brown. The eggs are about three quarters of an inch long, and nearly three 

 fifths of an inch in their other diameter. 



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