ORNITHOLOGIST 
14 (; 
(Irietl form quite a compact etnicture for 
the reception of the inner nest formed of 
more mixed materials, some grape vine 
bark, green moss, small stems, grass, and 
in one from a hemlock swaiuji a large pro¬ 
portion of small, slender hemlock twigs. 
Fine grass enters largely into the compo¬ 
sition of the lining, and in one nest I 
found mixed considerable cow’s hair from 
the adjacent pasture, also a black moss that 
grows from the stones at the bottom of 
shaded woodland streams. In some a few 
fine roots and the red stems that bear the 
seed capsules of common green moss. The 
nest is usually set back into some recess 
among the roots where a tuft of them 
closely overhang it. The bird does not 
build any arch to its nest, but always seems 
to seek for a natural one. and I have seen 
a nest built upon so slight a foundation to 
secure the desired covering, that a large 
heap of nesting materials that had failed 
to find lodgment were jjiled up under the 
nest enough to fill a peck measure. I have 
found two exceptions to this site, both on 
a brook bank; one in a small clumji of 
Clethra around the basis of which had 
accumulated a heap of leaves on the verge 
of the bank, and the nest was inserted 
deep among these leaves about two feet 
from the water. This nest was occupied 
two seasons, and although I passed within 
a few feet of it many times, and searched 
dilligently, it remained undiscovered until 
occupied by a brood of young. The sec¬ 
ond season I secured a set of eggs from 
this nest. The other exception alluded to 
was where a stream had washed away its 
bank in the woods, and the turf dropjied 
over the washed out place. Under this 
turf was securely concealed the nest which 
I could not have seeji had not the bird 
sprung out as I j^assed very near. This 
was the l“2th of May. 1881, and the eggs, 
nearly fresh, were five, which appears to 
be the usual number, but the same day I 
secured another extreme set of six. In¬ 
cubation was later than usual that season. 
[Vol. 7-Nu. 11) 
for I have taken complete sets by May 7th, 
and have seen young out of the nests by 
May 23d in some seasons, but I think the 
young birds mature rapidly. It is not 
difficult to find the nests after they have 
young, for the birds are then very demon¬ 
strative and feed them almost constantly, 
being by no means shy about it. I found 
foiu" nests with young in 1879, and watched 
for them the succeeding year, and every 
I)air occupied the old nest, and gave me 
four nice sets; but 1881 came and they all 
failed me but one. They found new nest¬ 
ing sites and eluded me. Only one bird 
has fallen short of the standard number of 
five successively. Two successive years I 
secured com 2 )leted sets of only four in the 
same nest. This bird was also later with 
her nesting, having fresh eggs the 17th 
and the 24th of May for the two respec 
tive seasons. One of these sets taken in 
1880 is before me and is a fair rei)resenta- 
tive set of the species, though I observe 
that different sets differ very materially in 
markings. These four have the following 
dimensions: 81 X 05. 75 X 05. 78 X 03. 75 X 
03. The ground color is a pure white 
with a shining gloss like a Woodpeckers, 
and the si)ots of a reddish brown with 
obscure lilac ones intermingled, and are 
thinly scattered all over the egg, and also 
gathered so thickly as to be confiuent in a 
ring at the larger end. Most of the spots 
are small, mere S 2 )eck 8 , but many are nearly 
as large as a small i)in head, and in one of 
the specimens the majority are of that size. 
I am fully persuaded that the bird never 
attempts to rear a second brood or even 
lav a second set if robbed of the first. I 
have looked sharp for a diffierent result 
without any encouragement, though I have 
observed the birds often remaining in the 
vicinity through the Summer, but very 
(juiet. Mr. M'm. Brewster in his “Birds 
of West Virgdnia.” illustrating the song of 
this Water Thrush in syllables, has Ix-en so 
successful that I am always reminded of it 
whenever I hear the bird sing, and can 
