Species VI. TURDUS AQUATIC US* 
WATER THRUSH. 
[Plate XXIII. Fig. 5.] 
This 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 Tennessee, 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 inland forests to 
breed. 
But Pennsylvania is not the favorite resort of this species. The 
cane-brakes, swamps, river shores, and deepwwatery solitudes of Loui- 
siana, Tennessee, and the Mississippi Territory, possess them in abund- 
ance ; there they are eminently distinguished by the loudness, sweetness 
and expressive vivacity of their notes, which begin very high and clear, 
(rnvstelijius) must be restored to the bird to which it was originally applied, the 
Wood Thrush, and the Tardus Wilsonii as proposed by Prince Musignano, be 
adopted for this. 
Synonymes: T. Wilsonii, Bonaparte, Obs. Joum. Acad. Nat. Sc. vol. iv., p. 34. — 
Id. Synop. Annates Lye. Nat. Hist. vol. n.. p. 75. 
* Prince Musignano asserts that this is the Syleia noveboracensis, Latham, and 
quotes the following synonymes: — Motacilla noveboracensis, Gmel. — Sylvia nove- 
boracensis, Lath. — Vieill. pi. 82. — Motacilla tigrina, var. 0, Gmel. female and 
young — Sylvia tigrina, var. li, Lath, female and young. — Sylvia anthoides, 
Vieill. None. Did d'Hist. Nat. — Ficedula dominicensis fusca, Bmss. female and 
young. — Fauvette tachclce de la Louisiane, Buff. PI. Enl. 752, f. 1, a very bad 
figure. — Ncio York warbler, Penn. Arct. Zo<>l. — Lath. Syn. 
It resembles in habits and appearance, and is we believe, also, the Tardus mota- 
cilla Of VlEILLOT, pi. G5. 
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