WATER THRUSH 233 
WATER THRUSH.—TURDUS AQUATICUS. — Fic. 109. 
Peale’s Museum, No. 6896. 
SEIURUS AQUATICUS. —Swatnson. 
New York Warbler, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 303. — Sylvia Noveboracensis, Bonap. 
Synop. p. T1. — Seiurus aquaticus, Aquatic Accentor, North. Zool. ii. p. 229. 
Tis bird is remarkable for its partiality to brooks, rivers, shores, 
ponds, and streams of water; wading in the shallows in search of 
aquatic insects, wagging the tail almost continually, chattering as it 
flies ; and, in short, possesses many strong traits and habits of the 
Water Wagtail.. It is also exceedingly shy, darting away on the least 
attempt to approach it, and uttering a sharp chip repeatedly, as if 
greatly alarmed. Among the mountain streams in the state of Ten- 
nessee, I found a variety of this bird pretty numerous, with legs of a 
bright yellow color; in other respects, it differed not from the rest. 
About the beginning of May, it passes through Pennsylvania to the 
north; is seen along the channels of our solitary streams for ten or 
twelve days; afterwards disappears until August. It is probable that 
it breeds in the higher mountainous districts even of this state, as do 
many other of our spring visitants that regularly pass a week or two 
with us in the lower parts, and then retire to the mountains and in- 
land forests to breed. ; 
But Pennsylvania is not the favorite resort of this species. The 
cane brakes, swamps, river shores, and deep, watery solitudes of 
Louisiana, Tennessee, and the Mississippi Territory, possess. them in 
abundance; there they are eminently distinguished by the loudness, 
sweetness, and expressive vivacity of their notes, which begin very 
nae and clear, falling with an almost imperceptible gradation’ till 
they are scarcely articulated. At these times the musician is perched 
on the middle branches of a tree over the brook or river bank, pouring 
out his charming melody, that may be distinctly heard for nearly half 
amile. The voice of this little bird appeared to me so exquisitely . 
sweet and expressive, that I was never tired of listening to it, while 
traversing the deep-shaded hollows of those cane brakes where it 
usually resorts. I have never yet met with its nest. : 
The Water Thrush is six inches long, and nine and a half in ex- 
tent; the whole upper parts are of a uniform and very dark olive, with 
a line of white extending over the eye, and along the sides of the 
neck; the lower parts are white, tinged with yellow ochre; the whole 
breast and sides are marked with pointed spots or streaks of black or 
deep brown ; bill, dusky brown; legs, flesh colored; tail, nearly even; 
bill, formed almost exactly like the Golden-crowned Thrush, above 
described, (Fig. 59;) and, except in frequenting the water, much 
resembling it in manners. Male and female nearly alike. 
~ 20% 
