278 THE INVITATION. 



its plumage has a tawny or yellowish tinge. 

 The other specimen was the Northern or 

 small water -thrush, cousin -german to the 

 oven-bird, and half-brother to the Louisi- 

 ana water-thrush or wagtail. I found it at 

 the head of a remote mountain lake among 

 the sources of the Delaware, where it evi- 

 dently had a nest. It usually breeds much 

 farther North. It has a strong, clear warble, 

 which at once suggests the song of its con- 

 gener. I have not been able to find any ac- 

 count of this particular species in the books, 

 though it seems to be well known. 



More recent writers and explorers have 

 added to Audubon's list over three hundred 

 new species, the greater number of which 

 belong to the Northern and Western parts 

 of the Continent. Audubon's observations 

 were confined mainly to the Atlantic and 

 Gulf States and the adjacent islands ; hence 

 the Western or Pacific birds were but little 

 known to him, and are only briefly men- 

 tioned in his works. 



It is, by the way, a little remarkable how 

 many of the Western birds seem merely 

 duplicates of the Eastern. Thus, the va- 

 ried-thrush of the West is our robin, a little 

 differently marked ; and the red-shafted 



