THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



43 



down, gleaning among the expanded leaves 

 and beauteous blossoms, were indicated by 

 their notes the presence of various War- 

 blers. In the jvoods — some distance be- 

 hind — I had ceased to hear the Winter 

 Wrens, but a Parkamanii twittered near 

 by, and at various elevations the Red-eyed 

 Vireo repeated its oft-told tale, as in the 

 woods of Ontario. At intervals, from some 

 indeterminable point of the compass came 

 a tremulous sound as of distant thunder, 

 which I knew was the drumming of the 

 Grouse. Apparently along the margin of 

 the ravine, and at a low elevation, could be 

 heard the continuous "cooing" of a Band- 

 tailed Pigeon, murmuring to his mate his 

 unvaried notes of love and devotion. Still 

 nearer and apparently over the bed of the 

 streamlet, amid the deep concealment of the 

 lower branches, came the rather plaintive 

 song-notes of a bird, which for a time en- 

 gaged my attention as the songs of the 

 Winter Wrens had done in the woods be- 

 hind me, and served to bring back my 

 wandering thoughts to many a spring-day 

 ramble in the distant woods of Ontario; 

 but a glance at my surroundings dispelled 

 the illusion, and told me I was in a strange 

 country and far from home. Those notes 

 were those of a Water Thrush, and as I 

 afterwards learned that Grinnell's was the 

 only species of its genus to affect these re- 

 gions, I put it down as the notabilis. In 

 other places near the ''Port" I have reason 

 to think that this species made its home; 

 but amid the chorus of many other bird 

 voices its notes were not distinguished, and 

 at the time other matters engaged my atten- 

 tion. To the rambler in the Canadian wild 

 woods in the summer season, whose senses 

 of sight and sound are pleasingly affected 

 by their avifaunian life, the habits, as well 

 as the habitat of the Water Thrushes may 

 soon become well known. Witnout a 

 knowledge of these and its notes, however, 

 he might wander for many days amid the 

 surroundings of its nesting places and not 

 have dreamed of its existence, and he might 

 have lived for seasons near its haunts and 



not have got a glimpse of the bird itself. 

 Its person is not large, and its plumage is 

 not adorned with gaudy hues, yet it is not 

 devoid of beauty. Its form is neat, and its 

 movements the embodiment of activity; 

 and though not specially tvild, it is timid, 

 and loves the deepest shelter and silence 

 of the deepest swampy woods; so that few 

 approach its haunts, and the presence of 

 human kind is soon detected, and further 

 concealment sought among the fallen tim- 

 ber and tangling brushwood , always a prom- 

 inent feature of the localities affected by 

 them. Thus a person might be within a 

 yard of its nest and 'not flush the incuba- 

 ting bird. 



Listowell, Ontario. 



(Concluded in next number.) 

 >-»-. 



ALBINO WESTERN RED-TAIL. 



We need an oologist out here now to take 

 in an untagged specimen of an oddly 

 marked albino Hawk. While roaming 

 over the scattered live oak hill, back of my 

 home, last month, as interesting a case of 

 albinism as ever came under my observa- 

 tion went floating by, low enough for me 

 to distinctly mark the odd white feathers 

 scattered over this Hawk. 



Four of the outer tail feathers were pure 

 white; the second feathers of the outer 

 primaries were white, also two of the 

 secondary feathers. Several of the large 

 coverts were noticed to be white as the bird 

 turned to one side. The Hawk moved 

 over the hill upon the appearance of an- 

 other Hawk, not seeming to be in good 

 standing from showing his white feathers. 



I have seen this same Red-tail three 

 times in the past two months pas-^ing 

 around the hill. No change has taken 

 place in the color of any outer feathers, as 

 far as I can note by a strong glass or other- 

 wise. Otto Emerson. 



Hayzvards, Cal. 



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