368 HISTORY OF THE 



the crown very little if any darker. A yellowish white ring round the eye. 

 The sides of the body under the wings like the back, but fainter olive; a tinge 

 of the same across the breast; the chin, throat and middle of the belly white; 

 the abdomen, lower tail and wing coverts, and sides of the body not covered by 

 the wings, pale greenish yellow. Edges of the first primary, secondaries and 

 tertials margined with dull yellowish white, most broadly on the latter. Two 

 transverse bauds of pale yellowish (sometimes with an ochery tinge) across the 

 wings, formed by the tips of the secondary and primary coverts, succeeded by 

 a brown one. Tail light brown, margined externally like the back; upper man- 

 dible light brown above, pale yellow beneath; in autumn the lower parts are 

 more yellow. Length, 5.65; wing, 3.00; tail, 2.75. Young: Whole iipper sur- 

 face with indistinct transverse bars of pale ochraceous; wiug markings light 

 ochraceous." 



I have mislaid my list of fresh measurements of this species. 

 Eidgwaysays: ''3fale: Wing, 2.75x3.10 (2.83); tail, 2.30x2.70 

 (2.49); culmen, .62x.69, (.66); bill from nostril, .32x.39 (.35); 

 width at base, .28x.30 (.30); tarsus, .59x.67 (.62). Female: 

 Wing, 2.55x2.70 (2.65); tail, 2.25x2.35 (2.32). 



These birds of the woodlands are far from plenty in their ex- 

 treme eastern range, but very common westward, especially in 

 the Mississippi valley, breeding from the Gulf coast northward. 

 They frequent the deep, shady groves and forests, preferring the 

 low, moist lands. A rather shy bird, and their presence would 

 seldom be known were it not for their quick, sharp, emphatic, 

 "Whut-er-see," that breaks with startling effect the stillness of 

 their gloomy surroundings. They are to be looked for in the 

 low branches of trees, from which they dart in the pursuit of in- 

 sects, or to chase a rival or fly-catching bird — for they are zeal- 

 ous defenders of their foraging grounds, as well as their nesting 

 places. In autunm berries help to make up their bill of fare. 



Their nests are placed in horizontal forks at the extremity of 

 small limbs; they are never saddled, or placed on the top of a 

 limb, but securely fastened to the branches, partially resting and 

 partially suspended between the forks; a rather thin, loose struct- 

 ure, composed of small, wiry stems of grasses, rootlets, fibrous 

 strippings from plants, intermingled with tree catkins. They 

 usually range from six to twelve feet from the ground. Eggs 

 two to four (usually three), . 75x. 54; cream white, very sparingly 

 speckled and spotted (chiefly about the larger end) with reddish 

 brown; in form, ovate. 



