14 SEWBUS NOVEBOKACENSIS. 



retiring, always silent, and seldom leave the ground, where they may be seen busily engaged in 

 searching for insects, as if their chief business was to look out for luxuries. They may be 

 found in Florida about the first week in November, and remain until April 15th, when they 

 leave for the North, arriving in New England the first week in May, where they soon scatter 

 through the woods. 



Just before the season of incubation they have much the same habits as the other Thrushes ; 

 the male is as attentive to his female as any of them, paying court to her by singing his loud 

 and well known melody. While giving his song he commonly perches upon the lower limb 

 of a tree and devotes himself entirely to the performance. When he has finished, he stalks 

 gravely along the limb occasionally moving his tail up and down somewhat slowly. His notes 

 may be heard at irregular intervals through the day and sometimes in the night. Although they 

 now spend considerable time among the trees they may frequently be found upon the ground, 

 where they are perfectly at home, running swiftly over the fallen leaves, occasionally pausing to 

 scratch among them in search of insects. At such times they are full of nervous activity. 



About the first week in June they commence the work of reproduction. The situation chosen 

 for this purpose is usually upon some sloping hillside in the deep woods; I have, however, 

 found the nest among low bushes in a swampy place. On account of the singular oven-shaped 

 nest being composed of dried leaves and covered with them, it is very difficult to find, and I 

 have often searched in vain for it, when I was certain that it was within a few yards of me. 

 When startled suddenly from her eggs the female will counterfeit lameness, to draw off the 

 attention of the intruder, and, unlike the other small Thrushes, both sexes exhibit great solicitude 

 whenever they are disturbed during the season of incubation, sounding their sharp alarm notes, 

 but taking care to keep at a safe distance ; yet they can hardly be called shy. 



After breeding, this little species retires to the swamps to moult, and then keeps in such 

 close seclusion as to be seldom seen. About the middle of September they leave for the south. 

 The Golden-crowned Thrush has familiarized itself to us by means of its loud, cheerful song 

 and has thus become one of the elements of beauty in our woodland retreats. 



SEIURUS NOVEBORACENSIS. 

 Water Thrush. Wag Tail. 



Turdus (Seiurus} Noveboracensis NUTTALL. Man. i, 1832, 353. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, slender. BiH, not stoat. Sternum, of the same form as that of the preceding species, excepting 

 that the keel is proportionately higher. The tongue is rather narrow, and differs from that of any Thrush, which 

 I have seen, In having the extremity divided into numerous cilia, about five hundredths of an inch in length. The 

 sides, of one-fourth of its terminal length, are also fringed with shorter ones. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, uniform dark olivaceous-brown. Superciliary stripe extending back along the sides 

 of the head, and entire under parts, pale greenish-yellow; with the chin, throat, breast and sides covered with 

 triangular spots of the same color as the buck. The top of the head is sometimes streaked with darker. 

 Feathers at the base of the upper mandible have a concealed spot of pale buff. The tints, above and below, vary 

 much in intensity. The line over the eye in some individuals is much purer than in others. The spots also vary 

 greatly in number, especially on the chin and throat; they are always darker and broader on the breast, but in one 

 small specimen from Key West, they are so much larger and crowded, as to form a band. 



Bill, brown, lighter at base of lower mandible. Iris and feet, brown. 



Young, similar to the adult, but are rather more reddish above ; the under parts are greener. There is also 

 a faint indication of a reddish central stripe on the head. 



Young in the nesting plumage, with the feathers above more spotted with red. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This differs from the closely allied species, 6'. Ludovicianus by the greater number, and darker color of the 

 spots beneath, and by the under parts being greener. The line over the eye in Ludovirianus is pure white ; the feet 



