MNIOTILTUXE THE AMERICAN WARBLERS. 171 



"The precise systematic position of the genus Icterla is a matter 

 of much contrariety of opinion among ornithologists; but we have 

 little hesitation in including it among the Sylvicolida. It has been 

 most frequently assigned to the Vireonida, but differs essentially in 

 the deeply cleft inner toe (not half united as in Vireo), the partially 

 booted tarsi, the lengthened middle toe, the slightly curved claws, 

 the entire absence of notch or hook in the bill, and the short, 

 rounded wing with only nine primaries. The wing of Vireo, when 

 much rounded, has ten primaries, nine only being met with when 

 the wing is very long and pointed. 



"Of this genus only one species is known, although two races are 

 recognized by naturalists, differing in the length of the tail." (Hist. 

 N. Am. B.) 



Icteria virens (Linn.) 



YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 



Popular synonym. Yellow Mockingbird. 



Turdus virens LINN. S.N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 171. 



Icteria virens BATED, Keview,1865, 228. CouES,Key,1872,108; Check List, 1873, No. 100; 

 2d ed. 1882, No. 144; B. N. W. 1874, 77; B. Col. Val. 1878, 320. B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. 

 B. i, 1874, 307, pi. 15, fig. 12. RIDGW. Nona. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 123. 

 Muscirapa viridis GMEL. S. N. i, 1788, 936. 



Icteria viridis BONAP. NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 299; 2cl ed. i, 1840, 339. AUD. Orn. Biog. ii. 

 1834,223; v, 1839, 433, pi. 137; B. Am. iv, 1842, 160, pi. 244.-BAIED, B. N. Am. 1858, 248; 

 Cat, N. Am. B. 1859, No. 176. 

 Piprapoly lotta WILS. Am. Orn. i, 1808, 90, pi. 6, fig. 1. 



HAB. Eastern United States, north to the Connecticut. Valley and Great Lakes ; west 

 to the border of the Great Plains ; winters in Eastern Mexico and Guatemala. 



"Sp. CHAK. Third and fourth quills longest; second and fifth little shorter; first 

 nearly equal to the sixth. Tail graduated. Upper parts uniform olive-green; under 

 parts, including the inside of wing, gamboge-yellow as far as nearly half-way from the 

 point of the bill to the tip of the tail; rest of under parts white, tinged with brown OH 

 the sides; the outer side of the tibiad plumbeous; a slight, tinge of orange across the 

 breast. Forehead and sides of the head ash, the lores and region below the eye black- 

 ish. A white stripe from the nostrils over the eye and involving the upper eyelid; ;i 

 patch on the lower lid, and a short stripe from the side of the lower mandible, and run- 

 ning to a point opposite the hinder border of the eye, white. Bill black; feet brown. 

 female like the male, but smaller; the markings indistinct; the lower mandible not 

 pure black. Length, 7.40; wing, 3.25; tail, 3.30. Nest in thickets, near the ground. Eggs 

 white, spotted with reddish." 



"Both sexes in winter apparently have the base of lower mandi- 

 ble light-colored, the olive more brown, the sides and crissum with 

 a strong ochraceous tinge." It is this plumage that has been recog- 

 nized as I. velasquezi. 



