72 SEIURUS LUDGVICIANUS, LARGE-BILLED WATER THRUSH. 



Several nests with eggs are in the Smithsonian, from various arctic 

 localities, as Fort Yukon and La Pierre House. They appear to have 

 been built on the ground, and are composed chiefly of moss, compactly 

 matted and mixed with little sticks and straws — in one instance with a 

 la;rge amount of disintegrating fibrous material, circularly woven. The 

 eggs, four or five in number, measure from 0.75 by 0.58 to 0.82 by 0.60 ; 

 they are pure white, probably with a rosy blush when fresh, speckled 

 all over, but most thickly at and around the larger end, with various 

 shades of reddish and darker brown, with lilac or lavender. In some 

 the markings are all in fine dots ; in others they constitute larger spots, 

 often confluent in a wreath. The nests are about four inches across 

 by twa-thirds as much in depth. 



SEIUEUS LUDOVICIANUS, (Aud.) Bd. 



Large-1)llled Water Tbrash. 



(?) Turdus motacilla, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. ii, 1807, 9, pi. 65 (almost certainly). 



Seiurus motacilla, Bp., Consp. Av., i, 1850, 306 (quotes Vieill. and queries Aud.). 



Senicocichla motacilla, Cab., J. f. 0. 1857, 240 (Cuba). — Gundl., ibid. 1861, 326. 



Turdus ludovicianus. Add., O. B. i, 1832, 99, pi. 19. (In Syn., unites it with novuboraeenais.) 



Seiurus ludorieianua, Bp., List, 1838.— Bu., B. N. A. 1858, 262, pi. 80, fig. 2.— SCL., P. Z. S. 

 1859, 363(Xalapa); 1859, 373 (Oaxaca) ; 1861, 70 (Jamaica).— ScL. & Salv., 

 Ibis, ii, 1860, 273 (Guatemala).— Bd., Rev. 1864, 217 (Colima, &c.).— Codes & 

 Pkent., Smiths. Rep. 1881, 407 (Washington, common April and Mav). — Lawr., 

 Ann. Lye. viii, 1866, 284 (New York) ; ix, 1868, 94 (Costa Rica).— Salv., P. Z. 

 S. 1870, 181.- Codes, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 271 (probably in Southern New 

 England). — Codes, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 110 (South Carolina). — Ali.e>:, Am. 

 Nat. iii, 1869, 577 (Massachusetts, two instances). — Tdknb., B. E. Pa. 1889, 17 

 ("not rare"). — Sxow, B. Kans.— Scott, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1872 (West Virginia). — 

 Codes, Key, 1872, 106, pi. 2, fig. 8). 



Henieocichla ludoviciana, ScL., Cat. 1862, 25 (Orizaba). 



Senicocichla major, Cab., Mus. Hein. i, 1850, 16 (Salapa). 



Hab. — Eastern United States. North to Massachusetts (Allen) aud Michigan (Baird). 

 West to Kansas (Snow) and the Wachita River (Clark). Cuba and Jamaica. Various 

 Mexican localities. Guatemala. 



I still endorse the specific validity of this bird, having seen no specimens I could not 

 at once distinguish from novehoracensis. Mr. Allen seems to incline to the contrary view. 

 Audubon, plate 19 of the folio edition, represents it unmistakably, and his letter-press 

 seems to be based chiefly upon it, but in the Synopsis, and in the octavo reprint, ho 

 unites the synonymy, descrijition and biography of the two species. Vicillot's figure 

 and description point here so unmistakably, that it may be found necessary to call the 

 species Seiurus motacilla. 



For the appearance of this species in the present connection, we have 

 the authority of Prof. Snow, who found it in Kansas, and murks it in 

 his list as breeding there. Dr. Cooper obtaiued a specimen in Missouri. 

 I have myself only met with it in the District of Columbia, where, with 

 Dr. Prentiss, I found it to be not at all uncommon. We gave the follow- 

 ing note: "From the 20th of April to the lOfch of May, it may always 

 be obtaiued, by an acute collector, in the dense laurel brakes which 

 border the banks of, aud fill the ravines leading into, Eock Creek and 

 Piney Branch. We think we have seen it in June, which would prove 

 it to breed here, as is, indeed, very probable. We have not detected it 

 in the fall. It is usually very shy, darting at once into the most impen- 

 etrable brakes, but we have sometimes seen it quite the reverse, aud 

 have shot a pair, one after the other, as they sat in full view before us, 

 unconcernedly wagging their tails. We have nearly always found it in 

 pairs, even as early as April 20th. Its note is a sparrow-like chirp, lik« 

 that made by striking two pebbles together, but it has also a loud, most 

 beautiful and melodious song, the singularity of which first drew our 

 attention to it." 



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