SYLVICOLID.E — THE WAUIJLEUS. 283 



On the 7th of Juiu', 18r»8, I ciuiie accidentally u|n)n si nest of tliis hird 

 of a very ditlercnt stvle of structure. It was in a thick wood in Ilin^hani. 

 The nest was built in a de])ression in the j;round at tiu* foot of some low hushes, 

 and its to[) was coni[)letely covered by surrounding vines and wild tlowers. 

 It would jtrobably have escaped notice had not my dauL^diter, then a child 

 of four years, atteni})ted t(j i^'ather some wild Howers growing directly over 

 its entrance. This thished the mother, who until then had remained (luiet, 

 although we were standing with our feet almost upon tiie nest, and the l)ird 

 lluttered and tumbled about at our feet with well-feigned mauieuvres to distract 

 our attention. The child in great glee sought to catch it, but it eluded her 

 gnisp, and, running oil' like a mouse, disaj)peared. The nest contained six 

 eggs, was entirely open, and with no other cover than the wild plants that 

 clustered above it. As to its identity tliere was no doubt, as tlie parent was 

 afterwards snared n]>on its nest. This nest was somewhat loosely constructed 

 of skeleton leaves, dry slender stalks, grasses, and pine-needles, and was 

 lined with a few slender grasses and leaves. It had a diameter of six inches, 

 and was two and a half inches deei». The cup had a diameter of three and 

 a half inches and a depth of two, being very large for the size of the bird, 

 probably owing to the shape of the cavity in which it was sunk. 



The nest of this l)ird seems to be a favorite place of resort for the Cow 

 Blackbird to deposit its e^^g. In one nest, found by !Mr. Vickary in Lynn, 

 no less than three eggs of these ])arasites had been ]daced. 



The eggs of the Golden-crowned Thrush are subject to considerable varia- 

 tions. Their markings dilfer in their colors and shades, and vet more in nuni- 

 ber, size, and manner of distriljution. The eggs are oval in shape, one end 

 being but verv sliuhtlv smaller than the otlier. Their average length is .82 

 of an inch, and their breadth is .iyij of an inch. Their ground-color is a beau- 

 tiful creamy-white. They are marked, usually principally abont the larger 

 end, with dots and blotches, intermingled, of red, reddish-brown, lilac, darker 

 purple, and ferruginous. Occasionally these make a l^eantiful crown around 

 the larger end, leaving the rest of the surface nearly free from spots. 



Seiurus noveboracensis, Xltt. 



SMALL-BILLED WATER THBUSH. 



MotaciUa noveboracensis, G.melin, S. N. I, 1788, 958. Sijlvia nov. Lath. ; Vif.illot, Ois. 

 Am. Sept. II, pi. Ixxxii. Seiurus nov. Nrxr. ; Box. ; Aud. Birds Am. Ill, pi. excix. 

 — Baikd, Birds X. Am. 18.j8, 261, pi. Ixxx, fig. 1; Rev. 21.5. —Max. Cab. Jour. 

 18r>8, 121. — Dali, .^ Bannistf-.u (AliiskiO. — Samuels, 220. Wnicociehla nov. Cab. 

 Schom. Guiiuui, ill. Mi]; .Tour. 1860, 324 (Co>ta Bica). — Sclateu (Tobap;o). — 

 GuxDLACH, Cal). Jour. 1861, 326 (Cuha). Mniolilta nov. (lUAY. n Mntucilhi fusces- 

 ccns, CtMELlx, S. X. *.^Si {hiist'd on Fiaduhi j'n)i'iifinsi.<i, Br»is.s(»x. Ill, 512, Jamaica). 

 Tu}-(lus(fqu'ificus, Wii.s. : Aid. Orn. Bios;. 1830, 284, pl. t'cotxxxiii. Si/Iriti onfltoiifrs, 

 ViEiLLor, Nouv. Diet. XI, 1517, 208. Seiurus ten uirostr is, Sw. 1827; Gamb. Seiurus 



