THE WARBLER FAMILY 53 
The YELLOW-BREASTED CuarT is perhaps the 
drollest bird in North America. He is a beauti- 
ful bird, nearly as large as an oriole, olive green 
above and brilliant yellow below, and his mate 
is the same. He is found all over the country 
south of the latitude of Massachusetts. In the 
West and California, the chat is a little more 
gray in color, and has a longer tail. He is called 
the long-tailed chat, but a chat is the same 
funny fellow, wherever he is found. 
He reminds one of a clown, he plays so many 
antics, and makes such queer sounds, hardly in 
the least like a song. He will whistle, bark like 
a puppy, mew like a cat, or laugh hke an old 
man, all in a loud, strange voice. 
Besides this, the chat is a ventriloquist, that 
is, can make his voice appear to come from some 
place far off, when he is near, and so fool us. 
The chat has a way of flying up into the air with 
wings fluttering and legs dangling as if they 
were not well fastened on, and looking as if he 
would fall to pieces himself. He does not like 
to be seen, either. He prefers to hide in a thick 
bush, and make all sorts of strange noises to 
deceive one. 
The one thing a chat hates more than any- 
thing else is to have his nest found. I have 
known a chat to desert a nest with three lovely 
