84 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



resident of the low lands, nothing inferior even 

 to our boasted nightingale : its voice is heard afar 

 from out the depths of the brakes. The peculi- 

 arity of its song resembles the sounds of a piano ; 

 for, beginning in an upper key, it passes through 

 the scale down to the lowest bass note, with 

 the skill of an opera artiste. In its habits as in 

 its appearance, it differs from the common water 

 thrush. The latter is proverbially shy — the for- 

 mer so unsuspecting as to allow of a person's 

 near approach. While the bird found in the 

 eastern or northern regions wades through the 

 water, that of the south merely skims over it. 

 In flight, it glides smoothly through the air, and 

 does not ever soar high. The hermit thrush, so 

 called, probably from its peculiar love of secluded 

 spots, is another resident in Louisiana, where it 

 abounds even during the winter months. It pre- 

 fers the darkest, lowest solitudes, till the floods, 

 which inundate the swamps, compel it to retire 

 to higher lands. Its movements resemble those 

 of our red-breasted robin — after hopping a few 

 steps, it raises its head and looks sagaciously 

 round. The nests of this bird are always found 

 on the low branches of trees. A soft plaintive 

 note is the only utterance of this aerial hermit. 

 A favourite with Audubon, not. only above its 

 fellows, but beyond all the feathered tribes of 

 the forest, was the wood thrush. As the bar- 



