230 



NORTHERN WATER-THRUSH 



F. T. Jenks, Large-billed Water-Thrush, [in R. I.], Orn. and 061., VII, 1882, 

 114. (4) J. N. Clark, Large-billed Water-Thrush, (in Conn.), Orn. and 061., 

 Vn, 1882, 14s. (s) R. B. M'Laughlin, Nesting of the Louisiana Water-Thrush, 

 [in Nor. Car.], Orn. and 061., XII, 1887, I74- (See also Brimley, Ibid., XIV, 

 169.). (6) J. P. N. [orris], a Series of Eggs of the Louisiana Water-Thrush, 

 Orn. and 061., XV, 1890, 53. 



Northern Water-Thrush 



SEIURUS NOVEBORACENSIS NOVEBORACENSIS (Gmel.) Plate XVII 



Distinguishing Characters. — The uniform dark olive upperparts, including 

 the wings and tail, which are without white markings, yellowish or bufify yellow 

 line over the eye, sulphur yellow, heavily streaked underparts are the principal 

 distinguishing marks of this species. From Seiurus motacilla it may be known 

 by its usually yellowish or buffy, instead of distinctly white superciliary line, 

 its sulphur yellow underparts streaked with black, not with olive or blackish, 

 and its spotted throat. Length (skin), 5.25; wing, 2.95; tail, 2.0S; bill, .50. 



Adult c?. Spring. — Upperparts, wings and tail olive or olive-brown; outer 

 tail-feathers rarely with white at tips; forehead with a more or less faint 

 whitish or buffy median line; a conspicuous yellowish whitish, or buffy line 

 from bill over eye to nape; underparts quite uniformly sulphur yellow, the 

 throat, breast and sides streaked with black, the flanks washed with the color 

 of the back. 



Adult <S, Fall. — Practically indistinguishable from the adult c? in Spring but 

 the superciliary line averages huffier. 



Young S, Fall. — Not distinguishable from the adult c? in Fall. 



Adult and young 2. — Resemble (? in plumage. 



Nestling. — Above olive-brown tipped with rusty and obscurely spotted with 

 black; a yellowish superciliary line; below sulphur yellow, throat, breast and 

 sides heavily streaked with black and with more or less rusty wash; wings 

 and tail much as in adult but wing-coverts tipped with rusty. 

 General Distribution. — Eastern North America. 

 Summer Range. — Maine, northern New HampshiTe (Lake Um- 

 bagog, Ossipee, Dublin), northern Vermont (Burlington), Pennsyl- 

 vania (Qearfield, Crav\rford, Clinton, Elk, Cambria, Center and Lycom- 

 mg Counties), mountains of West Virginia, southern Michigan 

 southern Wisconsin, Minnesota (Red Wing). 



Winter Range. — Florida soutliward through the West Indies, 

 Central America, and northern South America. 



Spring Migration. — The more western records refer to the western 

 form of this bird. (See page 231.) 



The Bird and its Haunts. — When, during the migrations, a 

 Water-Thrush is seen in one's garden or some other locality quite 

 unlike the normal haunts of the species, one may be reasonably sure 

 that it is this species rather than Seiurus motacilla. The former, in 

 my experience, is at all times less shy and retiring and may be observed 

 at short range by the exercise of a little caution. 



