THE WATER THRUSH. 
C. C. MARBLE. 
\ 
I never see a skylark fly 
Straight upward, singing, to the-sky, 
Or hear the bobolink's glad note 
Issue with frenzy from his throat, 
As though his very heart would break 
In bars of music, but straight 
I think, brave, happy bridegrooms they, 
And this must be their wedding-day. 
G C. M. 
THE water thrush {Seiurus nove- 
boracensis) has so many popular 
names that it will be recognized 
by most observers by one or 
more of them. It is called small-billed 
water-thrush, water wagtail, water kick- 
up, Besoy kick-up, and river pink 
(Jamaica), aquatic accentor, and New 
York aquatic thrush. It is found 
chiefly east of the Mississippi River, 
north to the Arctic coast, breeding 
from the north border of the United 
States northward. It winters in more 
southern United States, all of middle 
America, northern South America, and 
all of West Indies. It is accidental in 
Greenland. In Illinois this species is 
known as a migrant, passing slowly 
through in spring and fall, though in 
the extreme southern portion a few 
pass the winter, especially if the season 
be mild. It frequents swampy woods 
and open, wet places, nesting on the 
ground or in the roots of overturned 
trees at the borders of swamps. Mr. 
M. K. Barnum of Syracuse, New York, 
found a nest of this species in the roots 
of a tree at the edge of a swamp on 
the 30th of May. It was well con- 
cealed by the overhanging roots, and 
the cavity was nearly filled with moss, 
leaves, and fine rootlets. The nest at 
this date contained three young and 
one egg. Two sets were taken, one 
near Listowel, Ontario, from a nest un- 
der a stump in a swamp, on June 7, 
1888; the other from New Canada, 
Nova Scotia, July 30, 1886. The nest 
was built in moss on the side of a 
fallen tree. The eggs are creamy- 
white, speckled and spotted, most 
heavily at the larger ends, with hazel 
and lilac and cinnamon-rufous. 
As a singer this little wagtail is not 
easily matched, though as it is shy and 
careful to keep as far from danger as 
possible, the opportunity to hear it 
sing is not often afforded one. Though 
it makes its home near the water, it is 
sometimes seen at a considerable dis- 
tance from it among the evergreen 
trees. 
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