LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH 65 



of this song in the stillness of the night, when it is 

 peculiarly poetic, as if the bird's joyous dreams had 

 aroused him." 



Dr. Richmond says, " This love-song may some- 

 times be heard in the Soldiers' Home woods. Late 

 May or June is the proper time and just before dusk. 

 The song has some of the characters of an Indigo's 

 performance." 



The nest is built on the ground in dead leaves, and 

 so artfully concealed that finding one is an event in 

 which to take pride as well as pleasure. I once 

 searched for days around a spot where I had seen an 

 Oven-bird go down with a worm in its bill, and only 

 found the nest at last by strategy getting the Mas- 

 ter of the House to absorb the attention of the birds 

 by walking about in conspicuous shirt-sleeves, while I 

 slipped into a clump of bushes near by. When he had 

 gone and the birds believed themselves unobserved, 

 one again dropped to the ground and I watched it 

 run to the nest, some distance away. The nest is 

 roofed over with leaves, and even to a close observer 

 seems only a slight natural elevation. The entrance 

 is at one side, and no nestlings have an easier time 

 getting out into the big world than do the little Oven- 

 birds. The eggs, 4 to 5, are white, speckled with 

 brown. 



Louisiana Water-Thrush: Sciuriis motacilla. 



Length 6]4 inches. 



Upper parts grayish-olive; a conspicuous white line over 

 the eye. 



Under parts white, streaked like a Thrush, except on the 

 throat. 



Resident (rare) from April 14 to September 5; winters in 

 the tropics. 

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