58 



THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



edly be most interesting and instructive, 

 both to the general public and to ornithol- 

 ogists, who will there find opportunity of 

 meeting, registering their names, and 

 studying the exhibit. 



Specimens will be selected from lists 

 received. Eggs, etc., displayed, will be in 

 trays labeled with scientific and common 

 name, localit)-, name of collector, and of 

 collection from which contributed. Perfect 

 safety is guaranteed to specimens. 



Many rare things have been already 

 promised. Adequate space has been se- 

 cured free. Send us your name, address, 

 and list of specimens you can contribute, 

 with any suggestions you may deem of 

 value. You will be duly notified of an 

 election of officers, in which you will have 

 a vote, a favorable reply to this letter ad- 

 mitting you to membership without initia- 

 tion fee or dues. Trusting for an eari}^ 

 reply, assuring us of your support. 

 Respectfully yours, 

 H. R. Taylor, \ 



Alameda, Cal. 1^ ,- r- •.. r 



' I Executive Committee of 



C. Barlow, I the ornithological Sx- 



San Jose, Cal. / hibit Association of the 



W. O. EmKRSON, I ^I'dwinter Fair. 



Haywards, Cal. ! 



GRINNELL'S WATER-THRUSH. 



BY VVM. X,. KELLS. 



{^Concluded. "l 

 As .soon as the admirer of bird music has 

 a distinguishing knowledge of the song 

 notes of the Water-Thrush implanted in 

 his memory, its presence in the places which 

 it haunts is soon detected, and there it may 

 be found to be tolerably common; and the 

 per.son who first makes this discovery is 

 also likely to be surprised by the fact that 

 its song had been confounded with that of 

 the Yellow Warbler, though on closer com- 

 parison it will be noted that the melody of 

 the Water-Thrush is louder, and emitted 

 in a more distinct and emphatic tone. Then 

 the information will also be gained that the 

 bird warbles its melody at various eleva- 



tions from the ground, sometimes only a 

 few yards off" the ground, apain fifty or 

 more feet above the head of the listener. 

 If a closer acquaintance is required, the 

 observer may quietly take a seat by the 

 side of a stagnant pool or the margin of a 

 muddy stream, and when all is still save 

 the whispering wind, or the insects' hum, 

 the Wagtail soon makes its advent, and 

 with cautious steps over the mud or along 

 some prostrate log, begins eagerlj^ to pick 

 up articles of food, in the shape of various 

 insects that originate and pass their exist- 

 ence in such places, where to the human 

 eye they are invisible: and among other 

 items, water spiders and mud worms are 

 favorite articles of repast. While thus em- 

 ployed the tail and hinder part of the body 

 is constantly tilting up and down after the 

 same manner as the Spotted Sandpiper. If 

 the place of observation is the bank of a 

 woodland stream, it may be detected mov- 

 ing with rapid wing at a low elevation 

 above the water-mark, following the wind- 

 ings of the water-course, till, as if on a 

 sudden thought, it alights within a few 

 yards of the observer, and begins to feed; 

 but as it has a sharp eye, and quickly notes 

 the appearance of every object about it, if 

 it appre lends danger in the human pres- 

 ence it utters a few sharp notes, and disap- 

 pears as mysteriously as it came, perhaps 

 to another stream or pool, and to this it 

 may take a bee line with the rapidity of a 

 shot. If its nest is near when it has dis- 

 covered the human intruder, and it con- 

 tinues its notes of disapprobation, it may 

 be taken for granted that it is betraying a 

 secret that it would rather conceal, and a 

 nest may be sought for, with the certainty 

 of its being near. The nesting places of 

 the genus are nearly always in the deep 

 woods, near their haunts, and usually over, 

 or near, water; at least this has bein my 

 experience in regard to the nesting habits 

 of the Water-Thrush in Ontario, and there 

 is reason to believe that there is no nota- 

 ble difference in this respect in the custom 

 of the notabilisoi the Columbian wilderness, 



