AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY 215 



As the nests are nearly always placed where the underbrush is the 

 thickest, they are quite difficult to find. In the latter part of May, June 

 or July, they lay four white or creamy white eggs, specked chiefly 

 around the large end with reddish brown and umber. Size .68 x .50. 



HABITS. 



Rarely do we find swamp or low woodland untenanted, in season, by 

 these charming and active warblers. Although small in size they are 

 bright little bodies and act as watchmen for their community. They re- 

 gard man as an enemy until he has proved himself otherwise and give the 

 alarm to all their neighbors when they see anyone approaching. Their 

 note expressive of anger or fear is a sharp, deep "chip," while at times 

 they utter a long roll or chatter which is likened to a watchman's rattle. 

 It is a sound that I have never heard any other bird resemble. As you 

 stroll by their stronghold they closely follow you with their cries of 

 anger and entreaty, often attracting the entire bird population in the 

 neighborhood to see what the trouble is. They are not always in this 

 mood, however, for they have a pretty and distinctive song which they 

 give at frequent intervals; usually from the top of a bush the male 

 sings his "witchity, witchity, witchity" in a tone so loud as to cause 

 astonishment. During the mating season he sometimes has fits of 

 mental aberration and takes flights straight up in the air, and then, 

 apparently abandoning himself to the mercy of gravity, falls undignified- 

 ly earthward singing his witchity song. However much his mind may 

 appear to be wandering at such times, he always recovers himself be- 

 fore reaching the ground and retreats into the depths of the thicket in 

 his usual manner. I have never seen the female Yellowthroat give 

 either the witchity song or the watchman's rattle but she can scold as 

 vigorously or even more so than he can. 



For more than a half hour, the little Yellowthroat shown in our 

 photographic illustrations heaped upon my head all manner of bird 

 epithets before cooling down sufficiently to allow me to take her portrait* 

 This nest was discovered by accidentally flushing the bird followed by a 

 long search among the weeds. It was partially suspended among the 

 stalks so that the bottom just cleared the ground. It contained fouj- 

 dainty eggs which were nearly ready to hatch when the photo was 

 made. 



