YELLO W-BREASTED CHA T 



331 



Yellow-breasted Chat : Icteria virem. 



Upper parts olive-green ; under parts bright yellow ; line on side 

 of throat, and from eye to bill, white. Largest of the War- 

 blers. Length, about 11 inches. 



Geographic Distribution. — Eastern United States ; breeds 

 as far north as southern Minnesota and Massachusetts, and 

 winters in Central America. 



The Chat is such a secretive roysterer one 

 rarely sees but the sound of him, but one clay 

 when I had been callino- 

 the attention of my bird 

 class to the song of the 

 invisible beauty, and 

 telling them that they 

 would probably never 

 see him — in verification 

 he flew up on a tele- 

 graph wire and sang be- 

 fore the whole row as if giving the class notes 

 in his own proper person, unwilling to have any 

 uncertain records on such an important matter ! 

 When the questions of yellow breast, white eye- 

 ring and throat line were thus settled lie fell 

 back Into the bush and gave the class notes 

 they are likely to remember on his manner of 

 life. It was not his fault if they did not tear 

 their hair as well as rend their garments as he 

 led them through the thicket; for he skulked 

 ahead, singing in the back of a bush when they 



V 



Fig. 175. 

 Yellow-breasted Chat. 



