MNIOTILTID.E: AMERICAN WARBLERS. 



339 



superciliary line above and a short white maxillary line below; wings and tail unmarked, 

 glossed with olive ; bill blue-black ; feet plumbeous. Length about 7.50; extent about 10.00 ; 



Fig. 195. — Yellow-breasted Chat. 



wing about 3.00 ; tail about 3.25. Little diflference with age, sex, or season in the plumage of 

 tins rich bird; very young have the fore under parts gray or white slashed with yellow, no 

 black on lore, and lower mandible pale ; white of belly and 

 crissum tinged with buff. Eastern U. S., N. to Massachu- 

 setts, S. Minnesota, and S. Ontario ; breeds throughout 

 its range ; winters through E. Mexico to Central America. 

 An exclusive inhabitant of low tangled undergrowth, and 

 oftener heard than seen, except during the mating season, 

 when it performs the extravagant aerial evolutions for 

 which, as well as for the variety and volubility of its song, 

 it is noted. Nest in crotch of a bush near the ground ; 

 eggs 3-5, very variable in size and markings, 0.90 to 1.00 s'ze. (Ad. nat. del. E. c.) 

 X 0.70 to 0.80, white, dotted, spotted or blotched with reddish-browns and the usual lilac 

 shell-markings. 



I. V. longicau'da. (Lat. longus, long; cnuda, tail.) Long-tailep Chat. Adult J* 9: 

 Entire upper parts, including exposed surfaces of the wings and tail, grayish-olive. Quills of 

 wings and tail fuscous. Fore half of body below, including lining of wings, rich yellow; 

 hinder half white, shaded with gray on sides. Loral region black ; a sharp maxillary line, 

 another from nostril over eye, and under eyelid, white. Bill blackish-plumbeous; feet plum- 

 beous. Size of the last ; tail averaging l«>neer. Middle and Western Provinces of the U. S. 

 This fonn, in its typical manifestation, differs from rirens in the shade of the upper parts — 

 quite grayish instead of pure olive-green ; in the dullest-colored birds there is scarcely a tinge 

 of olive in the gray, though the yellow of the breast is as rich as that of rirens. 



1^% 



Fio. 196. — Yellow-breasted Chat, nat. 



