FEATHERED GEMS 



hop about chirping, and I saw at once that she was of the 

 above species from the rather conspicuous white wing- 

 bar, which is very characteristic. The male with his 

 dark blue back and black throat is a very distinguished 

 citizen, with a lovely little song, but his little wife is 

 very plain indeed. This was the tenth of June, and 

 the eggs were nearly ready to hatch. 



Another season, on the twelfth of June, after climbing 

 to examine the young "robbers of the falls," mentioned 

 in the third chapter, Ned and I sat on the rocks below 

 the great fall, eating our lunch. Presently I noticed a 

 female Louisiana Water Thrush pattering about among 

 and over the rocks, teetering as usual. At first I did 

 not pay much attention to her, but after she had gone 

 off and returned several times, it began to dawn upon 

 me that we might be near her nest and that she was 

 anxious. So we withdrew, hid behind a bowlder and 

 watched. After climbing about for perhaps five minutes 

 longer, the bird flew up into a recess of the steep side 

 of the ravine, just behind where we had been eating, 

 and disappeared. Waiting to make sure that she had 

 settled down, we stole up cautiously, and out she 

 popped from a hole in the mossy declivity, close beside 

 us. There was the nest with five white, finely speckled 

 eggs, built into the recess in the green moss and dry 

 leaves which had lodged there. Some of these latter 

 stuck up and partly concealed the entrance, which was 

 five feet up from the bottom of the ravine. The owner 

 was now running about near by, chirping excitedly. 



220 



