17'3 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



First plumage. Rerniges, rectrices, etc., as in the adult. Head superiorly and 

 laterally, uniform grayish olive, with a barely appreciable whitish supraloral line and 

 orbital ring, and without black markings. Whole throat pale ash-gray (almost white on 

 the chin), stained laterally and anteriorly with yellow; entire breast gamboge -yellow, 

 obscured with olivaceous gray across the jugulum (probably entire gray at at first, the 

 yellow feathers being probably the beginning of the first moult). Abdomen white ; 

 flanks and crissum pale buff. 



In most parts of Illinois the Yellow-breasted Chat is an abundant 

 bird in suitable localities. These consist of the borders of thickets, 

 briar-patches, or wherever there is a low, dense growth of bushes 

 the thornier and more impenetrable the better. Probably none of 

 our birds except the Mockingbird itself possess a greater variety of 

 notes than this loquacious species, on which account it is not unfre- 

 quently known as the "Yellow Mockingbird." All its notes appear 

 to be original, however, although some of them suggest very strongly 

 those of other creatures. Thus, one of them resembles closely the 

 barking of a pup; another, the mewing of a cat; and a third, the 

 whistling sound produced by a duck's wings when flying, only much 

 louder. This last is the sound most frequently heard, and may be 

 recognized at a distance of a quarter of a mile, or more, the other 

 notes being interludes between repetitions of the whistling song. 

 The latter can be very perfectly imitated by a good whistler, and 

 the bird thereby brought instantly to the spot, where he dodges in 

 and out among the bushes, uttering constantly, if the whistling be 

 repeated, a deep-toned, emphatic tac, or hollow, resonant meow. 

 During the height of the breeding season the male becomes exceed- 

 ingly animated and tuneful, ascending, by short flights and jumps, 

 from branch to branch, to the top of a small tree, singing vocif- 

 erously all the while and then launching into the air, dangling its 

 legs and flirting his tail, descends, by odd jerks, to the thicket. 



The notes of this species are heard regularly during moonlight 

 nights, throughout the breeding season. 



The nest is built in a thicket, usually in a thorny bush or thick 

 vine. It is bulky, composed exteriorly of dry leaves, strips of loose 

 grape-vine bark and similar materials, and lined with fine grasses 

 and fibrous roots. The eggs are three to five in number, glossy 

 white, thickly spotted with various sbades of rich, reddish brown 

 and lilac. 



The species appears to be rather rare in the extreme northern 

 portion of the State; but Mr. Douglas informs me that he has 

 taken its eggs a few miles north of Waukegan, while Mr. Coale records 

 in his notes one specimen from Chicago. 



