104 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



The Northern Yellow-throat (known formerly as the 



Maryland Yellow-throat) is a common summer resident 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 thickets, or the bushy 



borders of streams ; but farther north, 



where the upland is ill-drained, it is 



common in the roadside bushes, even 



Fig. 11. Northern on the hills. Its mask of black, like 



Yellow-throat -i • , . .,, .. , . , . 



a domino, contrasting 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) wee'- 

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

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

 wee-see-see 1 -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. 



