WOODLAND WARBLERS 169 



does lie sometimes fly right up in the air to sing a little 

 bit and then go back into the bushes as if he had 

 changed his mind ? " 



" Yes, Rap, that is one of the Yellow-throat's habits 

 in late summer, but one that very few people notice." 



The Maryland Yellow-throat 



Length about five and a half inches. 



Upper parts olive-green, in the male with a black mask reaching 

 along each side of the head, and behind this an ashy-white border; 

 but the female wears no mask. 



Under parts bright yellow, growing white on belly. 



A Summer Citizen of the United States from Georgia to Canada. 



When he lives west of the Mississippi River he is called the 

 Western Yellow-throat. 



A Tree Trapper and occasionally a Sky Sweeper; a beautiful 

 and familiar bird of the brush and tangles. 



THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 



"The Chat, besides being a very handsome bird, is 

 a ventriloquist and a great joker." 



" Please, Uncle Roy, what is a ventroquist ? " asked 

 Dodo. 



" I should have remembered not to use such a long 

 word," laughed the Doctor. " A ven-tril-o-quist is 

 a person who can not only imitate sounds, but makes 

 it seem as if they came from his stomach, or even in 

 a different direction from where he is himself. The 

 Mockingbird can imitate many sounds, but all these 

 come directly from the bird ; while the Chat can perch 

 on a twig above your head and give a whistle that 

 eeems to come from a bush across the road. 



