104 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



Fig. 11. Maryland 

 Yellow-throat 



The Maryland Yellow-throat is a common summer resi- 

 dent of all New England and New York, arriving early in 

 May and staying till October. In southern New England 



it is largely confined to swampy thick- 

 ets, or the bushy borders of streams ; 

 but farther north, where the upland 

 is ill-drained, it is common in the road- 

 side bushes, even on the hills. Its 

 mask of black, like a domino, con- 

 trasting with its bright yellow throat, 

 its nervous actions, twitchings of the 

 tail, and manner of climbing up the stalks of reeds or twigs, 

 all serve to call attention to it and to fix its appearance in 

 the mind. 



The Yellow-throat's song is loud and emphatic and at- 

 tracts attention. It varies in different localities, but the same 

 form is generally used by birds of one region ; there are dia- 

 lects, in other words. Three common forms are, (a) ivee'- 

 see-see, wee'-see-see, icee' -see-see, (b) ivee-see'-ser, ivee-see'- 

 ser, wee-see'-ser, and (c) wee-see-see' -see, ivee-see-see'-see, 

 wee-see-see' -see. At intervals the male mounts a short dis- 

 tance into the air, and while descending utters a series 

 of chips, followed by a bit of the ordinary song. The call- 

 note is a rather loud tchek ; the bird has also a rapid, 

 rather wren-like chatter; in fact, its form and many of 

 its actions suggest a wren, but no wren shows yellow any- 

 where. 



The female, though less conspicuous, may be distin- 

 guished from other small yellow-throated birds by the low, 

 wet situation where she is found, and by her nervous ways. 

 No Pine Warbler would be found in the places which she 

 frequents ; the occasional Nashville Warbler or female 

 Yellow Warbler that might occur there would be yellow or 

 yellowish on the belly, as well as on the throat. 



