SPECIES 6. TURD US TIC US. * 
WATER THRUSH. 
[Plate XXHI.— Fig. 5.] 
Peale’s Museum, JSTo. 6896. 
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 chirp, repeatedly, as if greatly alarmed. Among the moun- 
tain streams in the state of Tennessee, I found a variety of this 
bird pretty numerous, with legs of a bright yellow colour; in 
other respects it differed not from the rest. About the begin- 
ning 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 moun- 
tains and inland forests to breed. 
* Prince Musignano asserts that tliis is the Sylvia noveboracensis, Latham, 
and quotes the following synonymes: — Motacilia mvebm-acensis, Gmel. — 
Sylvia noveboracensis, Lath. — Vieill. pi. 82. — Mostacilla tig^ina, var. 
Gmel. female and young. — Sylvia tigrina, var. 0, Lath, female and young. — 
Sylvia anthoides, Vieill. Muv. diet, d'hist. nnt. — Ficedula dominicensis fusca, 
Briss. female and young. — Fauvetle taclietde de la Louisiane, Burr. PI. Enl. 
752, f. 1, a very bad figure. — York warbler, Penn. .Mrct. ZooI.-^Eatz. 
Syn. 
It resembles in habits and appearance, and is we believe, also, the Turdus 
motacilla of Vieillot, pl. 65. 
