Water-Thrush ( Seiurus noveboracensis) Nesting in Lancaster, Massa- 
chusetts. — On May 21, 1905, Herbert Parker, Esq., Dr. Ernest Co'dman, 
A. E. Harriman and I visited a spruce swamp in the northern part of 
Lancaster. This swamp covers an area of about forty acres. It is filled 
with fairly good-sized spruce trees. There are a great many old up-rooted 
trees throughout the swamp. Calla lilies (Calla palustris) are very abun- 
dant and there is a great quantity of rhodora ( Rhododendron rhodora ) in 
the openings. 
After tramping for awhile, listening to Dendroica virens, D. maculosa , 
D. pensylvanica, D, blackburnice , D. ccerulescens , D. coronata , Mniotilta 
varia, and Compsothlypis a. usnece, Mr. Parker said he heard the song of 
a Water-Thrush ( Seiurus noveboracensis). We all went to the spot. The 
bird was in full song ; but even then we never suspected that it was nest- 
ing. After going a short distance, looking over each up-rooted tree as a 
matter of form, Harriman flushed a bird out of an up-rooted stump and 
looking down, discovered the nest with five eggs. The bird was very 
tame and remained close by her nest, moving her tail up and down like a 
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia ). I told him to shoot her, which 
he did. 
On examining the root we found an old nest a little above the present 
one, which the bird had evidently used last year. The egg s of this set 
proved to be nearly three quarters incubated. 
Not over two hundred yards from the first nest, Dr. Codman flushed 
another bird from her nest, which contained five eggs. This nest was 
not in an up-rooted tree but sunk in a bank only a few inches from the 
ground. The bird was extremely tame. She kept moving her tail up and 
down every step she took. We all sat down not over ten feet from the 
nest and watched her. After waiting a few moments she went back on 
her nest. If I had had a camera I could have taken a most interesting 
picture. I could almost put my hand on her. After a consultation we 
all agreed that it would be a needless waste of life to shoot her, as we 
already had secured one bird. We were absolutely positive as to the 
identity of this one. 
The eggs were incubated as much as the first set. 
Mr. Wm. Brewster has seen both sets and has identified the bird. — 
John E. Thayer, Lancaster. Mass. ^ , * 
- ils . ■ 'Ul. Oct.. 1905. P' . 
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