DENDRCECID.i; — THE WARBLERS — ICTERIA. 97 



localities, hunting for insects, botli in low liushes and in the trees, like 

 some of the Dendrmcas. Their song is short and rather faint, somewhat 

 resembling that of G. trichas. The nest I fomid at Puget's Sound, in June, 

 was built, without attempt at concealment, about a foot above the ground, 

 and formed wholly of dry grasses, rather loosely put together. According 

 to Nuttall, they also use the bark fibres of the cedar {Thuja giganica), and 

 build among moss. The eggs are white, spotted with reddish. 



I met witli this species at Lake Tahoe in September, and in the Coast 

 Eange diiring summer, Ijut n(jt near San Diego. It is cpiite possible that 

 some of tliem winter in the warmer parts of tlie State. 



Tliey ha\"e a very sharp chirp of alarm when they see a strange object, 

 and if watclied are very shy, seeking the densest thiclvets ; Ijut if you wait 

 quietly for a .'^hort time their curiosity brings them out, and they will 

 approach until within a few feet, keeping up their scolding chirp all the 

 time. 



Gents ICTERIA, Vieillot. 



TcUrtn, Vieillot, Ois. Amci-. Sept. I. 1790, iii. and 85. 



Gen. Cn.\R. Bill shorter than head ; broad at the base, but rapidly becoming com- 

 pressed or much higher than broad, with the ridge elevated and sharp from the very 

 base of the bill ; the upper outline much curved throughout ; the commissm-e less curved 



/. i-h 



hut strongly concave : the gonys nearly straight, the upper edge of the lower jaw as con- 

 vex as the commissure is concave. Xo notch in the bill, and the rictal bi-istles small. 

 Tarsi longer than the toes, without scuteUa', except faint indications on the inner side. 

 Lateral toes about e([ual ; shorter than the hinder. Wings about equal to the tail, 

 13 



