THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 201 



states, the West Indies and southward to Central 

 America . 



Of its song Mr. Frank M. Chapman (Handbook of Birds 

 of Eastern North America, Appleton & Co.) says: "As a 

 songster the Water Thrush is without a rival. His song 

 is not to be compared with the clear- voiced carol of the 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, the plaintive chant of the Field 

 Sparrow, or the hymn-like melody of the true Thrushes; 

 it is of a different kind. It is the untamable spirit of the 

 bird rendered in music. There is an almost fierce wild- 

 ness in his ringing notes. On rare occasions he is inspired 

 to voice his passion in a flight -song, which so far exceeds 

 his usual performance that even the memory of it is thril- 

 ling." 



Water Wagtail. See Water Thrush. 

 Water Witch. See Pied-biUed Gebe. 



Whip-poor-wilt. Length, nine and a half inches; 

 extent, nineteen inches; bill, one-third of an inch, dusky, 

 bent a little at the point, bristles at the base very long, 

 exceeding the tip of the bill by three quarters of an inch. 

 The plumage above is variegated with black, pale cream, 

 brown and rust color, sprinkled and powdered with min- 

 ute streaks and spots; the upper part of the head is a light 

 brownish gray, marked with a central streak of black, 

 with others radiating from it; the tail is rounded, black, 

 irregularly barred and mottled with whitish gray or 

 cream, the three outer ones with the terminal third white 

 in the male: the wings are dark brown, barred on the outer 

 webs with rusty ; a narrow semi-circle of white passes across 

 the throat; the breast and belly are irregularly mottled 

 and streaked with black and yellow ochre ; the legs and 

 feet are of a light flesh-color, seamed with white. The 

 female is about an inch less in length, the bar across 

 the throat is a brownish ochre; the cheeks are a brighter 

 brownish orange and the streak over the eye is lighter. 



