MNIOTILTID.E — THE A5IEEICAN WAEBLEES. 171 



"The precise systematic position of the genus Icteria is a matter 

 of much contrariety of opinion among ornithologists ; but we have 

 httle hesitation in including it among the Sylvicolidce. It has been 

 most frequently assigned to the Vireonidce, but differs essentially in 

 the deeply cleft inner toe (not half united as in Vireo), the partially 

 booted tarsi, the lengthened middle toe, the slightly curved claws, 

 the entire absence of notch or hook in the bill, and the short, 

 rounded wing with only nine primaries. The wing of Vireo, when 

 much rounded, has ten primaries, — nine only being met with when 

 the mng is very long and pointed. 



"Of this genus only one species is known, although two races are 

 recognized by naturahsts, differing in the length of the tail." {Hist. 

 N. Am. B.) 



Icteria virens (Linn.) 



YELLOW-BEEASTED CHAT, 



Popular synonym. Yellow Mockingbird. 



Turdus virens Linn. S. N. ed. 10,1.1758,171. 

 Icteria virens Bai-rj), Eeview.lSGS, 228.— CouES, Key. 1872,108; Cheek List, 1873, No. 100; 

 2d ed. 1882. No. 144; B. N. W. 1874, 77; B. Col. Val. 1878. 320.-B. B. & E. Hist. N. Am. 

 B. i,1874,307,pl. 15. fig. 12.— EiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 12.3. 

 Muscicapa viridls Gmel. S. N. i. 1788, 936. 

 Icteria viridis BoNAP.— Nutt. Man. i. 1832, 299; 2d ed. i, 1840. a39.— AuD. Orn. Biog. ii, 

 1834,223; v, 1839. 433. pi. 137; B. Am. iv. 1842, 160. pi. 244.-BAIED, B. N. Am. 1858, 248; 

 Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 176. 

 Fiprapolyplotta WiLS. Am. Orn. i, 1808,90,pl. 6, fig. 1. 



Hab. Eastern United States, north to the Connecticut Valley and Great Lakes; west 

 to the border of the Great Plains ; winters in Eastern Mexico and Guatemala. 



"Sp. Chae. Third and fourth quills longest; second and fltth little shorter; first 

 nearly equal to the sixth. Tail graduated. Upper parts uniform olive-green; under 

 parts, including the inside of wing, gamboge-yellow as far as nearly half-way from the 

 point of the bill to the tip of the tail; rest of under parts white, tinged with brown on 

 the sides; the outer side of the tibia? plumbeous; a slight tinge of orange across the 

 breast. Forehead and sides of the head ash, the lores and region below the eye black- 

 ish. A white stripe from the nostrils over the eye and involving the upper eyelid; a 

 patch on the lower lid. and a short stripe from the side of the lower mandible, and run- 

 ning to a point opposite the hinder border of the eye, white. Bill black; feet brown. 

 J^eniaZp like the male.but smaller; the markings indistinct; the lower mandible not 

 pure black. Length. 7.40; wing, 3.25; tail. 3.30. Nest in thickets, near the ground. Eggs 

 white, spotted with reddish." 



"Both sexes in winter apparently have the base of lower mandi- 

 ble hght-colored, the olive more brown, the sides and crissum with 

 a strong ochraceous tinge." It is this plumage that has been recog- 

 nized as I. velasquezi. 



