NORTHERN WATER-THRUSH 335 



rapturous love-song. I have often heard frag- 

 ments of this song in the stillness of the night, 

 when it is peculiarly poetic, as if the bird's joy- 

 ous dreams had aroused him. 



The nest of the Oven-bird is placed on the 

 ground, and, though made only of dead leaves, 

 might be a structure of stone, so skillfully are the 

 leaves placed to make its domed roof and the side 

 entrance, which suggest the open oven. It is a 

 rare pleasure to see the birds at work upon it, and 

 a coveted one to watch them through its history. 

 The eggs are thickly spotted with brown, and the 

 nestlings feathered with warm brown. In feed- 

 ing the young, the Oven-bird can choose from its 

 own diet of earthworms, crickets, flies, and larvae. 



Northern Water-Thrush : Seiurus noveboracensis. 

 (Fig. 177, p. 336.) 



Upper parts dull grayish olive ; buffy line over eye ; under parts 



yellowish ; entire under parts streaked with black, including 



throat. Length, about 6 inches. 

 GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. Eastern North America ; breeds 



from northern Illinois and northern New England northward ; 



winters from the Gulf states to northern South America. 



This Northern Water-Thrush is seen in migra- 

 tions, when it is largely silent. It is seen skulking 

 along the muddy banks of rivers, brooks, and 

 ponds, and usually under cover ; while its larger 

 relative, the Large-billed or Louisiana Water- 

 Thrush does not care for cover, and prefers clear 

 mountain streams with pebbly bottoms. The call 



