MARYLAND YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER. 287 



I hear the song of the Maryland Yellow-throat (Geothlypis 

 trichas), a warbler quite common to the shrubbery of our 

 swamps and low lands. The song of this bird is very dis- 

 tinctive and easy to recognize. Weech-a-tee, weech-a-tee, 

 weech-a-tee, weech-a-tee, in loud whistling tones, slowly and 

 distinctly uttered, and strongly accented on the first syllable 

 of each repetition, represent it to my imagination. Some- 

 times, however, a syllable of each group of notes is left out, 

 making the melody sound like we.ech-ee, weech-ee, weech-ee, 

 weech-ce. The song is very constant, but the singer is rather 

 shy, keeping out of sight in the thick foliage the greater 

 part of the time. Nearly 5.00 long, and having a very short, 

 round wing for a warbler, the male is olive-green above, 

 becoming grayish on the back of the head and neck, throat 

 and under parts yellow, becoming lighter on the belly; over 

 the forehead and eyes and down the cheeks is abroad band 

 of jet-black, bordered behind with ash which shades into 

 the grayish-green beyond ; legs, flesh-color. The female 

 lacks the black and ash on the head, and has the crown 

 brownish. In sprightliness of song and distinctive color of 

 plumage, this Warbler ranks high, being one of those bright, 

 melodious birds of the swamp which, like certain very brill- 

 iant and fragrant flowers of the same locality, are a de- 

 lightful offsetting to stagnant pools, quagmires, pestiferous 

 vapors, and tormenting insects. Like the rest of the War- 

 blers, it is a great destroyer of insects, without at any time 

 injuring the products of industry. 



The nest of this species is on the ground near some stream, 

 or in a low, wet place at the roots of bushes; is generally 

 well sunken into the ground, made of dried leaves and 

 grasses, often lined with hair, and is sometimes arched over 

 after the manner of the Golden-crowned Accentor. Mr. W. 

 Brewster found a nest of this species on June 3d, 1875, in 



