396 NOTES ON THE 



The Golden-crowned Thrush lingers as late as the frost leaves 

 it sufficient food, which in 1885 was late in October, but does 

 not generally extend beyond the 25th of September. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Above, uniform olive-green with a tinge of yellow. Crown 

 with two narrow streaks of black from the bill, enclosing a 

 median and much broader one of brownish- orange. Beneath, 

 white; breast, sides of body, and a maxillary line streaked with 

 black. Wings moderate, about three-quarters of an inch longer 

 than the tail; first quill scarcely shorter than the second. Tail 

 slightly rounded, feathers acuminate. Tarsi about as long as 

 the skull, considerably exceeding the middle toe. Under tail 

 coverts reaching within about half an inch of the end of the 

 tail. 



Length, 6; wing, 3; tail, 2.i0. 



Habitat, eastern North America to the Rocky Mountains. 



SEIURUS NOVEBOBACENSIS (Gmelin). (675.) 

 WATER THRUSH. 



The Water Thrush is a rather common resident of most 

 wooded portions of the State, arriving usually between the 25th 

 and 30th of April. 



Their song is not very often heard, and when it is, it is diffi- 

 cult to describe it. But having been heard by an interested 

 ear, it will never be forgotten beyond recognition. The notes 

 are clear, strong and impressively sweet, the strain beginning 

 in a high, spirited pitch, and gradually gliding downward in 

 key and volume to the softest before lost to the ear. They 

 are paired when they come, and the song is warbled thereafter 

 at intervals all the day, as long as the female is setting on the 

 nest, but immediately afterwards we hear no more from them 

 during the summer ordinarily. They hide their nests so 

 effectually that I have never been able to find one, but by the 

 aid of an exceedingly persistent lad who is an adept at bird's 

 nest hunting, I am prepared to "speak by the book" in de- 

 scribing it. It was placed by the side of, and well under a 

 very old, decayed log, lying in a dense thicket in a swamp. 

 It consisted entirely of grass, leaves and moss, in such a quan- 

 tity as to give it quite a bulky appearance after getting down 

 to it. 



The entrance was porched over much like the Oven-bird's 

 nest, and the eggs were four in number, flesh colored, spotted 

 over with pale reddish brown, emphasized somewhat about the 



