2o<. THE WESTERN CHAT., 



Length 6.75-7.50 ( 171.5-190.5) ; wing 3.07 (78) ; tail 3.01-3.39 (76.5-8^)) ; bill .57 

 (14.5); tar.sus 1.04 (26.5). 



Recognition Marks. — Strictly "Sparrow" size, but because of briglit color 

 having nearer the size value of Chewink; — the largest of the Warblers, liriglit 

 yelhiw breast with contrasting white below, with size, distinctive. 



Nesting. — Xcst: a bulky anil often careless structure, 7 inches wide and 4 

 inches deep outside. 3 inches wide and i^j deep inside; of coarse grasses and 

 wccd-stcnis, lined with finer grasses or rootlets, placed in upright fork of bush or 

 small tree in thicket. H'Uls: 4. white, somewhat glossed and marked irregularly 

 with spots and dots of lavender and rufous, most heavily, or not, al)out larger 

 eiul. .\v. size. .Si> X .f>8 [22.(1 .\ 17.3). Season; first week in June; one hnnxl. 



General Range. — Western I'nited States from near eastern Inirder nf (Ireat 

 Plains wi>t u< the Pacific Coast, breeding north into south-central liritish Co- 

 lumbia >outluvard to valley of .Mexico; in migration south in winter to .Mexico. 



Range in Washington. — Snnniier resident in thickets alxjut springs and 

 streams of eastern Washington: does not deeply invade mountains; rare or casual 

 west of Cascades ( Tacoma, June 4, 1905, by J. II. Bowles; Sumas, R. C, May 26, 

 1897, by -Mian lirooks). 



Migrations.— .S'/Ti;)^/.- May 18, Kpo ( Yakima county t. 



Authorities. — ? Ictcria x'iridis (H(>nap.), Townsend. Journ. .\c. Nat. Sci.. 

 Phila.. \II., 1839, 153 ( X. W. Unite<l States) Aucl. Cooper and Suckley, Rep. 

 Pac. R. R. Surv. p. 288 ("Towns, and Xultall. Seen at Walla-Walla, Washing- 

 ton Territory"). Dawson, .\uk, XIW, 1897, p. 179. (T). D'. D-. Ss'. Ss'. B. 



Specimens. — 1 V . of W. ) P'. Prov. B. 



STRrCTrk.M.I.V allied to the Wood Warblers, the Chat has yet 

 such a tcm])eraiiiental affinity with the Catbird, that it is difficult, for inc. 

 at least, to dissociate the two birds in thought. Roth love the thickets; 

 both excel in song; both plague their neighbors by ininiiciy ; and Wi\\\ alike 

 are dearly provoking bundles of contradictions. The Chat i.s, perlia])s. the 

 greater buffoon, as he is certainly the more handsomely dressed fif the two. 

 Reyond this we must consider him on his own merits. 



Ten to one you know him. if at all. only as a voice, a tricksy bush- 

 whacker of song, an elusive mystery of the thicket : or you have unconsciously 

 ascrilied his productions to half a dozen mythical liirds at once. Rut look 

 more closely. It is well worth the quest to be able to resolve this genius of 

 roguery. Re assured he knows you well enough by sight, for he does not 

 l)oke and pry and spy for nothing, in the intervals of s<ing. He has still the 

 proverbial curiosity of woman. Seat yourself in the thicket, and when you 

 hear the mellow, saucy Kook. with its whistled vowel, liounded by consonants 

 barely thought of, imitate it. You will have the bird uj) in arms at once. 

 Kifonh. returns the bird, starting toward you. Repeat it, and you have won. 

 The bird scents a rival and he will leave no stem unclasped but he finds him. 

 .\s the bird alternately sf|uiuls and stares from the brush, note the rich 

 warbler oli\e of his upperparls. the gorgeous yellow of the throat and breast. 



