44 



THE COLLECTOES' MONTHLY. 



hering debries of the swamp, — it stood up 

 like a wall beside the path about four feet 

 high. One day as I crossed this spot a 

 small bird darted across just before me 

 and disappeared like a flash in the oppo- 

 site thicket I noticed the movement and 

 made a brief examination of the place 

 whence it must have sprung, but saw noth- 

 ing noticeable, there was the pile of mud, 

 roots and decayed leaves nothing more, 

 and passed on. But the next time I had 

 occasion to cross at the place my atten- 

 tion was keenly alive to every movement 

 and I was not disappointed for at the 

 same place as before flitted across my 

 path from among the tangled roots the 

 same little bird and in the same manner 

 vanished from sight. But I had little 

 difficulty in flndingthecloselyhiddennest 

 in a niche among the roots, composed 

 chiefly of decayed and mud-stained leaves 

 neatly lined with fine roots and grass, and 

 containing four beautiful spotted eggs of 

 about the usual size and form of the Oven 

 Birds, but with a more glossy surface and 

 with the spots more inclining to thedark 

 and purple tints. This was my first in- 

 troduction to the Louisiana WaterTh rush 

 and its nest, a bird of which I had never 

 heard or read and as I then based my 

 book knowledge upon Samuels Birds o^ 

 New England I did not dream that I had 

 found a species of whose presence in New 

 England the author seemed wholly un- 

 aware. On the contrary I supposed be- 

 yond a doubt that T had found the 

 nest of the Northern Water Thrush and 

 congratulated myself greatly over the 

 discovery and acquisition and it was some 

 time later before the mistake was made 

 clear to my satisfaction and I was con- 

 vinced that this was an entirely different 

 species. This is only one of the many in- 

 stances in which I have been compelled to 

 learn by experience "How easy it is to be 

 mistaken." These circumstances occured 



a number of years ago, since then I have 

 discovered that the Louisiana Water 

 Thrush is a not rare Summer inhabitant 

 of Southern Connecticut. — that the nest I 

 first found as above is a typical one of 

 the species as was also the site and the 

 eggs, having since found a large number 

 of the nests nearly always in similar sit- 

 uations though the size of the set was not 

 as full as usually found, six eggs being a 

 more common complement than four. 

 The bird is a beautiful singer and its notes 

 are among the loudest and sweetest of 

 the denizens of the wild-woods. Approach 

 it never so cautiously you and are for- 

 tnnate if keen eyed enough to see it for a 

 moment teetering violently on a bough 

 as if impatient to be off — a chirp-sharp, 

 loud and clear and the bird has vanished 

 — a moment later and you hear the song 

 repeated far up the stream, and even after 

 you have wondered far from the place, 

 pausing a moment to listen you seem to 

 hear it still far away in the woodland 

 depths. Seinrus. 



A Queer Pet. 



Bather a queer pet was noticed running 

 around the waiting room of the Wolf skill 

 depot last night, in the shape of a quail. 

 The little thing flew in the window of 

 Mrs Elizebeth Miller of Denver, who with 

 her little 9-year-old daughter is visiting 

 California. The child caught the bird, 

 and the two seemed to take a great fancy 

 to each other at once. The bird follows 

 the little girl around and is perfectly hap- 

 py when in her presence, but will not 

 stay with any one else. She carries its 

 in a hand basket, and when it gets tired 

 of running around it cries until it is put 

 to bed. The quail is said to be the hard- 

 est of all birds to tame, and even after 

 they have been kept in a cage for months 

 they will go back to their wild life as soon 

 as they are liberated.— Los Angels times. 



At Anaheim, Cal., a few days ago, 162 

 ostridges were sold for f 6.000. 



