190 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



also very common about the lagoon at Santiago, frequenting rushes, often where 

 the water was three or four feet deep, in this respect differing from Oberholser's 

 Yellow-throat which inhabited thickets of bushes growing on comparatively 

 drv "round. " The sonj; resembles that of the Marvland Yellow-throat, but 

 is so much heavier and fuller that it can be easily recognized." The bird oc- 

 casionally mounts into the air and sings on wing. Mr. Frazar noticed that 

 the Belding's Yellow-throats diminished sensibly in numbers at the approach 

 of winter, and he is of the opinion that many migrate southward at that season, 

 but this seems improbable, inasmuch as the species has never been detected 

 outside of Lower California. 



It is not confined to the Cape Eegion, however, for Mr. Bryant has found it 

 " on the west coast of lower Piirisima canon, and as far north as San Ignacio." 

 In March, 1888, and April, 1889, it was also met with on the eastern side of 

 the Peninsula at Comondu. Here " the birds kept mainly within the bul- 

 rushes and bushes of the creek, but could be called out by imitating the cries 

 of a bird in distress. I frequently heard them singing, sometimes in the top 

 of a low tree. Their notes are rather loud and quite clear, an interval of a 

 few seconds occurring between each song." Mr Bryant describes the song as 

 follows, the stars representing " a low, short buzz." " Sweet, sweet * * * ear 

 * * * sweet, siveet ear * * * sweet, sweet ear," or " s^veet, sweet ear * * * sweet, 

 sweet ear," or " siveet, sweet ear * * * siveet, sweet ear * * *," all three forms 

 beino; used bv the same individual bird. 



A nest found at Comondu on March 25, 1889, by Mr. T. S. Brandegee while 

 in company with Mr. Bryant, "was loosely woven in a clump of 'cat-tails,' 

 . . . and thinly lined with fine fiber and a few horsehairs. It measures ex- 

 ternally (as nearly as can be determined from its rough shape) not less than 

 150 mm. in height by about 115 mm. in diameter. The receptacle is about 

 55 mm. in depth, with a diameter at the top of 50 mm. The general appear- 

 ance is almost identical with some song sparrows' nests." 



The four eggs contained in this nest are larger than those of " any other 

 North American yellow-throat, measuring 19 X 15; 19.5 X 15; 19.5 X 14.5 ; 

 19.5 X 14.5 millimetres. They are white, with shell spots and dots of lilac- 

 gray and a few surface spots and pencillings of black." Four other nests and 

 seven additional eggs taken by Mr. Bryant at this place are essentially similar 

 to the specimens just described. All the nests, apparently, were in cat-tails. 

 The female of one, when started off her eggs, "quietly retreated amongst the 

 rushes and made no demonstration, further than a coarse 'tchep ' note." 



Icteria virens longicauda (Lawr.). 

 Long-tailed Chat. 



Icteria virens Baird, Kev. Amer. Birds, pt. I. 1865, 229, part (descr. young birds 



from Cape St. Lucas). 

 Icteria virens longicauda Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 537 (Cape 



Eegion). Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 312 (Cape 



Kegion). 



