BIRDS OF KANSAS. 533 



Habitat. Eastern United States; west to the Rocky Mount- 

 ains; south in winter to Guatemala. Winters from the Gulf 

 States southward; breeds throughout its United States range; 

 resident in the Bermudas. 



Sp. Char. "First primary about half the length of second, which is longer 

 than secondaries and about equal to the eighth; the fourth longest; third and 

 fifth little shorter. Above, quite olive green; sides of neck, and a gloss on its 

 upper surface, ashy. The middle concealed portions of feathers of lower back 

 and rump pale sulphur yellowish. Beneath, white; the chin and lower cheeks 

 with a grayish tinge; the sides of breast and body, with axillars and base of 

 crissum (more faintly), bright yellow; the inner wing coverts and rest of crissum 

 nuich paler, almost white. A broad yellow line from nostrils to and continuous 

 with a yellow riug round the eye, which is encircled exteriorly by olivaceous; a 

 dusky loral, but no postocular spot. Wings, with two covert bauds and inner- 

 most secondaries (exterually), broadly yellowish white; rest of quills edged ex- 

 ternally with olive, except the two outer and tips of other primaries, which are 

 grayish. Rectrices edged externally with olive, except outermost, which is bor- 

 dered by grayish. All the long quills bordered internally with whitish. 



"Specimens vary slightly, in a gi'eater amount of ashy on the head, and less 

 brilliancy of the yellow of head and sides. Sometimes there is a decided ashy 

 shade in the white of the throat and jugulum, which again has a very taint tinge 

 of yellowish." 



stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. • Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 5.25 8.00 2.45 2.15 .74 .45 



Female... 4.90 T.55 2.30' 2.00 .74 .45 



Iris white; bill blue black, pale on edges; legs and feet dark 

 lead colored; claws horn blue. 



These sprightly little birds inhabit the thickets on the low 

 prairies, where entangled with briers and vines, and the edges 

 of woodlands bordering streams and swampy places. They 

 differ from others of the family that I have described, inas- 

 much as they not only make their homes near the ground, but 

 search for their food (which consists almost wholly of insects 

 and their larva) in the lower branches of the trees and thickest 

 growths of bushes, where they are so completely hidden that 

 their presence would seldom be known were it not for their 

 sharp, startling call or alarm notes and song. Even the latter 

 is uttered in so loud and emphatic a manner as to sound more 

 like a boastful challenge to a rival than an effort to please his 

 lady love. In the latter part of the season the voice is toned 

 down and at times quite musical. To the intruder or outside 



