202 



THE WESTERN YELLOW-THROAT. 



Migrations. — Spriiuj: Ahtaiuini ( \'akinia Co. ) March 2cj, njoo. 

 Authorities. — Dawson, Auk, Xl\'. April, 1897, 179. D-. Ss'. Ss-'. J. 

 Specimens. — I', of W. 1'. I'rov. 



COARSE grass, stunted bushes, water, and sunshine seem to be the chief 

 requirements of this very individual bird. To obtain the first-named, especial- 

 ly if represented by his favorite rye-grass, he will forsake water within reason- 

 able limits; but his preference is for a grassy swamp dotted with bushes, and 

 he does not o\'erlook an)- considerable area of cat-tails and tules. Yellow- 

 throat is a restless, active little body, and he is among the first to come for- 

 ward when _\'0u enter the swamp. His method is hide-and-seek and the game 

 would all be his, if he did not reveal his presence from time to time by a harsh 

 accusing note, a sort of Polish, consonantal e.\[)losion, ivcschtliiib. — a sound 

 not unlike that made by a guitar string when struck above the stop. H you at- 

 tempt to follow the bird, the game ends in disap]3ointment. But if the ob- 

 server pauses, curiositv gets the better i:)f the l)ird, and he is soon seen peering 

 out from a neighboring Inish, niguery only half hidden liy his highwayman's 

 mask. 



The female, having no mask, keeps to the background, but she is not less 

 interested than her mate in the 

 progress of e\'ents. When the 

 scout returns to report, there is 

 often a curious outbreak of dis- 

 cussion, in wdiich the husband, as 

 like as n()t, finds it necessary to 

 defend his opinion with a jierfcct 

 torrent of ivcsclitluibs. 



Yelliiw-throat's song is one of 

 the few e.xplicit things in the 

 swam]). Mounting a weed-stalk, 

 he rubs out. ll'itchitw u'itcliity, 

 7vitchit\'. or "/ beseech you. I be- 

 seech yaii. I beseech." Rhythm 

 is the chief characteristic of tliis 

 song, and altho a gi\en bird ap- 

 pears to be C(>nfined to a single 

 type, the variety of "feet" offered 

 by a swamp is most entertaining. 

 Rceskvifte. recsmiitfe. rif'. was 

 the cadence of a Douglas County 



bird ; while chitooreef. chifonreef , J^ii.^-n .« i:o,i,^i,is i ,nnuy. nwu. by nu- ANHujrs. 



chitnoreef , chii. heard at Chelan. a western yellow-throat's nest. 



reminded me of the Kentucky "•"" """"= Two'oI^'the cIw'^bird"""'""''"" ■"■'" 



