174 SINGING BIRDS. 



or 40 feet, with his legs hanging down, and descending as he 

 rose, by repeated jerks, he seems to be in a paroxysm of fear 

 and anger. The usual mode of flying is not, however, different 

 from that of other birds. 



The food of the Icteria consists of beetles and other shelly 

 insects ; and as the summer advances, they feed on various 

 kinds of berries, like the Flycatchers, and seem particularly 

 fond of whortleberries. They are frequent through the Middle 

 States, in hedges, thickets, and near rivulets and watery 

 situations. 



This Chat is now found regularly in Connecticut and northern 

 Ohio, and sparingly in Massachusetts. A few examples have been 

 taken in New Hampshire and southern Ontario. 



YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 



ViREO FLAVIFRONS. 



Char. Above, rich olive, shading to ashy gray on the rump ; h'ne 

 across the forehead and around the eyes yellow; throat and breast rich 

 yellow ; belly white, sides shaded with pale olive ; wings dusky with two 

 white bars ; tail dusky, the feathers edged with white. Length 5 to 6 

 inches. 



Nest. In woods or orchard ; suspended from fork of branch 5 to 30 

 feet from the ground (usually about 10 feet) ; a graceful and compact 

 structure of grass and strips of bark covered with lichens and lined with 

 grass or pine needles. 



Eggs. 3-5 ; white with roseate tint, thickly spotted around the large 

 end with shades of brown ; 0.80 X 0.60. 



This species of Vireo, or Warbling Flycatcher, visits the 

 Middle and Northern States of the Union about the beginning 

 of May or as soon as his insect food allows him a means of 

 subsistence. He resides chiefly in the forests, where he hunts 

 his tiny prey among the high branches ; and as he shifts from 

 twig to twig in restless pursuit, he often relieves his toil with a 

 somewhat sad and indolent note, which he repeats, with some 

 variation, at short intervals. This song appears like ^preea 

 ''preed, etc., and it sometimes finishes with a complaining call 



