300 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



tropical are still known to migrate to different distances 

 on either side the equator, so essential and necessary is 

 this wandering habit to almost all the feathered tribe. 



The Icteria arrives in Pennsylvania about the first 

 week in May, and does not appear to proceed further 

 north and east than the states of New York or Connecti- 

 cut. In the distant interior, however, near the Rocky 

 mountains, towards the sources of the Arkansa, this bird 

 was observed by Mr. Say. It retires to the south about 

 the middle of August, or as soon as the only brood it 

 raises are fitted to undertake their distant journey. 



The males, as in many other migrating birds, who 

 are not continually paired, arrive several days before the 

 females. As soon as our bird has chosen his retreat, 

 which is commonly in some thorny or viny thicket, 

 where he can obtain concealment, he becomes jealous of 

 his assumed rights, and resents the least intrusion, scold- 

 ing all who approach in a variety of odd and uncouth 

 tones, very difficult to describe or imitate, except by a 

 whistling, in which case the bird may be made to ap- 

 proach, but seldom within sight. His responses on such 

 occasions are constant and rapid, expressive of anger and 

 anxiety ; and still unseen, his voice shifts from place to 

 place amidst the thicket, like the haunting of a fairy. 

 Some of these notes resemble the whistling of the wings 

 of a flying duck, at first loud and rapid, then sinking till 

 they seem to end in single notes. A succession of other 

 tones are now heard, some like the barking of young 

 puppies, with a variety of hollow, guttural, uncommon 

 sounds, frequently repeated, and terminated occasionally 

 by something like the mewing of a cat, but hoarser ; a 

 tone, to which all our Vireos, particularly the young, 

 have frequent recurrence. All these notes are uttered 

 with vehemence, and with such strange and various 



