The Maryland Yellow-Throat (Geothiypis tHchas) 



By Thomas Nuttall 



Length : 5^4 inches. 



Range : Eastern North America, breeding from Gulf of Mexico to New 

 Jersey. Though known as Maryland yellow-throat, this bird is so common in 

 many states that it may well be called northern yellow-throat. Often confused 

 with other warblers. 



This common and familiar species extends its summer migrations from 

 Florida to Nova Scotia, arriving in Pennsylvania toward the middle of April 

 and in Massachusetts about the first week in May. They return to the south 

 in September; a few stragglers of the young, however, may be seen to the first 

 week in October. Though some remain and winter in the southern states, many 

 of them retire at this season into the interior of tropical America, as they were 

 seen late in autumn around Vera Cruz by the naturalist and traveler, Mr. Bul- 

 lock. Early in the month of March, however, I heard this species singing in the 

 forests of west Florida. 



The Maryland yellow-throat, with cheerful devotedness to the great object 

 of his summer migration, the attachments and care of his species, passes his 

 time near some shady rill of water, amidst briars, brambles, alders and such 

 other shrubbery as grows in low and watery situations. Unambitious to be seen, 

 he seldom ascends to the top of the underwood where he dwells busily employed 

 in collecting the insects on which he feeds. After these, like the wren, he darts 

 into the deepest thicket and threads his devious way through every opening; 

 he searches around the stems, examines beneath the leaves, and, raising himself 

 on his peculiarly pale and slender legs, peeps into each crevice in order to seize 

 by surprise his tiny lurking prey. 



While thus engaged his affection to his neighboring mate is not forgotten, 

 and, with a simplicity agreeable and characteristic, he twitters forth at short 

 intervals his 'whititetee, 'whititetee, 'whititetee but his more common song is 

 'zvhittitshee, 'ivhittitshee, or 'wetitshee, 'wetitsheeivee; sometimes I have heard his 

 notes like 'zvetitshee wetit shee, \viteyu we. On this last syllable a plaintive 

 sinking of the voice renders the lively, earnest ditty of the active minstrel pe- 

 culiarly agreeable. The whole is likewise often varied and lowered into a slender 

 whisper or tender reverie of vocal instinct. 



He appears by no means shy or suspicious as long as his nest is unap- 

 proached, but for the safety of that precious treasure he scolds, laments and 

 entreats with great anxiety. These birds generally nest in secluded thickets of 

 the forest, or the low, bushy meadow, but sometimes they take up their abode 

 in the garden, or the field contiguous to the house, and if undisturbed they show 

 a predilection for the place which has shown them security for themselves and 

 their young. They commence their labor of building about the middle of 

 May, fixing the nest on or near the ground among dry leaves, withered grass 



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