In the Haunts of the Water Thrush. 
Gentlemen: If my little article will help 
you any you are welcome to it. My friend, 
J. B. Purdy of Plymouth, will send it to 
Mr. 
you as 1 do not remember your address. I am 
what you would call a “defunct oologist.” 
Since assuming professional responsibilities 1 
have been compelled to abandon my old pet 
hobby, but once in a, while — perhaps under 
the inspiring influence of a good cigar, 
alone in my office after hours, I get to think- 
ing of the many, many happy days that were 
spent in following unbeaten paths through 
gloomy woodlands studying the ways of our 
feathered friends, and like a flood of tears to 1 
a grief-stricken or perplexed woman, the un- 
bending a little to the sentiment that is, to say 
tlie least, stirring in me, gives me great relief. 
Wishing you all prosperity, 
I am faithfully yours, 
W. G. Brownell, M. 1). 
Always with the approach of spring there 
are associated in my mind many pleasant recol- 
lections of past collecting trips made when 
the first flush of coming summer is in its 
infancy, from the time when the puss willows 
first show white till later, when tall rank 
weeds and grass and full leaved trees attest 
that the prime of the season is past. 
Before me as I write is a beautiful setting of 
tlie eggs of that strange, shy bird, the Long- 
hilled Water Thrush, collected under date of 
May 25, 1889, and presented to me by my friend 
and companion in many a long ramble, Mr. 
E, W. Durfee. Valued on account of tbe ex- 
ceptional beauty of the set and more especially 
on account of the great friendship that exists 
between tbe collector and myself. 
This calls to my miml a visit made to the 
haunts of this bird deep in the recesses of a 
wild, dark wood in company with Mr. Dur- 
fee’s father toward the close of the collecting 
season in tlie summer of 1888. For a season 
or two back wo bad noted that these birds 
might be found in certain low, wet woodlands 
several miles back, in a sparsely inhabited sec- 
tion off to tbe north and east of Mr. Durfee’s 
residence. 
Knowing nothing at that time of the nest- 
ing habits of the bird, we bad searched dili- 
jerking its tail "nd always keeping within a 
short distance, retreating in a narrow circle 
around the upturned roots of the fallen tree. 
I did not know where to begin tlie search, so, 
hallooing for my companion, together we 
watched the peculiar actions of the bird, de- 
ciding together that a nest was not far dis- 
tant. We had not searched long before chance 
led me near the roots of tbe tree, and there, 
snug'ly tucked away among the finer roots, 
resting on a shelf of earth against this perpen- 
dicular wall, was the nest. Although it con- 
tained young birds nearly ready to leave tlie 
nest we were satisfied, having' learned some- 1 
tiling of its nesting habits. 
Further search revealed another nest about 
two feet from the one which contained the j 
young, and from appearances it had been oc- 
cupied by the Thrushes earlier tlie same year. 
About two weeks later Mr. Durfee paid 
another visit to the nest and found wliat we 
had overlooked tlie day of its discovery, a 
rotten egg, which he took, and now lias in his 
collection. 
Returning from college during a short spring 
vacation the following year L made my friends 
a call, and at once we decided our time could 
not be spent more profitably than to take to 
the woods and look up those Thrushes, which 
we accordingly (lid early the next morning, 
starting out in a steady, light rain. Jo 
give account of all our wanderings during that 
and the next day would tire both you and me, 
reader, and as my article was headed Water 
Thrush, however pnucli I would liko you to 
know about our delightful trip, for the most 
part 1 must confine myself, simply mentioning 
that we found a Ruffed Grouse nest containing 
two or three eggs which were taken later, ten 
eggs being the full set. Also, we found a set 
of Black-capped Chickadee’s, several sets of 
Hawk’s (Red-shouldered), Crow’s, Nuthatch s, 
etc. , 
The funny part of the story is that I had 
the good fortune to find another nest of the 
Thrush, in similar locality, containing a single 
e o-cr Mr. Durfee promised to come later and 
, collect the set for me. In about a week lie went 
several miles back to tbe nest to find that my 
single egg was and always bad been a Cowbml’s 
He was mad ; not at me or at the Cowbird’ s 
egg- 
egg, but at the several miles that lay between 
gently but in vain for tlie nest and eggs of this - ]lim ’ an(1 Rome. It appears it 
clear-voiced Warbler. That they bred with 
us was only conjecture, but from close obser- 
vation we were pretty positive they did. 
This particular day, after a long and tire- 
some tramp, we entered a large swampy wood 
abounding in wind-fallen trees, water holes, 
and tangled underbrush. We soon became 
separated, searching for most anything that 
would add interest to our cabinets, when I 
came out upon a small inland pond made by 
recent rains, occupied here and there by 
mounds, brush, logs, etc., and the fallen trunk 
of a large elm or basswood tree, the roots of 
which on cleaving up left a base or wall of 
roots and earth rising some ten or twelve feet 
hit'll. At once my attention was attracted 
by a Water Thrush which was exhibiting every 
sign of anxiety, flitting from log to log utter- 
ing repeatedly a peculiar, (prick, sharp note, 
was an old 
nest, and the Cowbird’ s egg had weathered 
storms of nobody knows how many 
the 
however. 
Mr. 
sets 
winters. Later in the season 
Durfee was successful in taking two line 
of the Water Thrush of which the one before 
me is one. They are very beautifully marked, 
Hie groundwork of delicate cream having a 
peculiar crystalline appearance, marked more 
or less profusely over the entire surface with 
varying shades of reddish-brown and li ac. 
With us these birds are very rare, and when 
found arc difficult of approach save when in 
proximity to their nest. So far as I am able 
! to learn from my own and Mr. Durfee s obser- 
vations the nest is invariably placed . «>• 
roots of upturned trees, always m dark, damp, 
swampy woods far from tbe babxtaUons of 
man, and that more than a single brood 
reared in a season. W. C. Brownell , M B. 
So. Lyon, Midi., Sept. 12, 1890. 
■ ibS-lSH. 
