C. H. Merriam Birds of Connecticut. 21 



not resemble that of any other bird I have ever heard. Dr. F. W. 

 Hall shot a pair in Maltby Park (near New Haven) June 10th, 1874; 

 they had evidently bred there. W. R. Nichols and Thos. B. Osborne 

 saw several specimens on the 2d of May, one of which they secured ; 

 and on the 15th I saw still another. I am informed by Mr. ,T. N. 

 Clark, of Saybrook, that a favorite site for their nests is among the 

 upturned roots of a fallen tree. 



In writing of the habits of this species in West Virginia, Mr* 

 Brewster says : " While the northern Water Thrush [S. ncemus] was 

 confined to the muddy banks of the creek and I will remark en 

 passant that I never saw one other than in a muddy locality this 

 species seemed to delight in the pebbly streams of the hills ; just such 

 streams as in the New England mountains would be called good 

 trout brooks, overshadowed by mighty forest trees, frequently choked 

 up by fallen logs, and abounding in beautiful cascades, still, deep 

 pools, and wild rocky ravines. In the deepest, darkest retreats you 

 were most likely to find him, and here, on several occasions, I was 

 fortunate enough to hear his song. It is somewhat like that of S. 

 N'oveboracensis [# ncevius], being quite as loud, almost as rapid, and 

 commencing in nearly the same way, but lacking the beautiful cres- 

 cendo termination, and, altogether, a less fine performance. Repre- 

 sented by words, it would be nearly as follows : pseur,pseur,perseeser. 

 This is usually uttered several times in succession from some shelving 

 rock, or fallen log overhanging the stream ; the bird in the inter- 

 vals between each repetition tilting its body incessantly, and looking 

 nervously about, as if he didn't half like your appearance and had a 

 good mind to be off, and this expression, in the majority of cases, 

 soon finds vent in action, for he is a very shy little fellow the moment 

 he begins to suspect that he is wanted to grace your cabinet. Come 

 upon him suddenly, however, as he is running nimbly along the mar- 

 gin of some quiet pool or rippling eddy, and at times he will seem to 

 pay little regnrd to your presence, and you may have a fine chance 

 to observe his motions and sandpiper-like ways, as he wades knee 

 deep into the water, or splashes through it in hot pursuit of some 

 aquatic insects."* 



50. Oporomis agilis (Wilson) Baird. Connecticut Warbler. x 



A rare spring and autumn migrant. The only specimen that I have 

 ever seen alive was a female, which I shot near New Haven, Oct. 2d, 



* Annals Lyceum Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol. xi, pp. 136-37. June, 1875. 



