MAIJYLA.ND YELL'AV-TUROAT. Gi:-] 



GEOTIILYPIS TRICHAS 



Maryland Yellow-throat 



Gcutlil_v]iis triclias Cab., Mus. Heiu., 18."ii), 111, 



DESCRIPTION. 



Fiinii. i'nl)ust. Size, not small. 15111. stuut, not acuminate. Tail, long and well rounded. Sternum, 

 stoutly liiiilt. Tongue, thin, horny, with the edges straight, not acuminate ; bifid, the tips fringed with cilia 

 which e.xtend along the sides for about one third of the terminal length, but become shorter near the base. 



CoLOii. Adult male. Above, olivaceous green, becoming brownish on the top of the head. Wings and 

 tail brown, edged with the same cjlor as the back. A broad frontal baud, e.xtending over the eye and on the 

 head, lilack, preceded above by a whitish margin. Throat, breast, bend of wing and under tail coverts, bright 

 yellow. Abdomen and under wing coverts, paler. Sides and flanks, olivaceous. There is no change of 

 plumage in autumn excepting that the bill, which in spring is entirely dark brown, then becomes lighter on 

 the lower mandible. Young male differs in being duller and lacking the wdiitish margin to the black mask, 

 ■which is almost entirely obscureil by a rufous suffusion on the forehead and is washed with whitish on the 

 side of the head. Adult female is without the black mask and with the yellowish beneath quite dull. The 

 young female has a suffusion of rufous on the sides of the head, and the colors are very dull and undecided. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



The adult males may be known from all others of our species, excepting the Southern Yellow- throat 

 next given, by the black mask. The females may be distinguished by the yellowish throat and the under 

 tail coverts. Distributed during the breeding season, excepting Georgia and Florida, throughout eastern 

 North America, wintering in the more southern sections. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of twenty-six specimens. Length, 5. 2o ; stretch, 7. '20; wing, 2.21; tail, 2.00 ; 

 bill, Ar) : tarsus, .7(X Longest specimen, .S.Z-i ; greatest extent of sviags, 7.7(j ; longest wing, 2.r)() ; tail, 2.15 ; 

 1)111, .yt); tarsus, .80. Shortest specimen, 5.10 ; smallest stretch of wings, 6.70 ; shortest wing, 2.00; tail, 

 1.70; bill, .42: tarsus, .64. 



DESCRIl^TION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



JN EST?, placed on the ground, composed of dried leaves and grasses, lined with finer grasses. These 

 are the usual materials, but a specimen in my collection, found on Grand Menati by Mr. Harold Herrick, is 

 partly composed of feathers from domestic fowls. Dimensions ; external diameter, 3.50 inches, internal, 

 2.50 ; external ilepth, 2. 75 inches, internal, 2. Eggs, usually four in number, pure white in color, spotted 

 everywhere, but more particularly on the larger end, with reddish brown, lilac and umber ; the lilac spots 

 being the smallest. Dimensions, from .70 by .52 to .75 by Sm. 



HABITS, 

 .^moiig tlie ino-st comiuoii birds everywhere in Eastern North America are the Mary- 

 1 nul Yellow-tln'oats. Their liarsli aJarni notes greet the ear of tlie pedestrian whenever 

 lie passes a lonely Lamniock in the more northern portions, or approaches the tangled 

 t'lickets among the Florida Keys. Their cheery songs also ring ont from the swampy 

 miirgiiisof the rivers and lakes of the middle districts; in fact there is noplace in the state, 

 however desolate, which will afl()nl conceahnent, that is not inhabited by them. Indeed 

 ,1 liave foniid tliem breeding in every favorable locality which I have visited, throughout 

 l^astern Nortli Amei-ica. They readil\' adapt themselves to circuraatances, and appear 



