Birds of Indiana. 109:1 



161. Genus ICTERIA Vieillot. 



^'289. (683). Icteria virens (Linn.). 



Yellow-breasted Chat. 



Head of Yellow-breasted Chat. Naturiil size. 



Adult. — Size, large; above, olive-green; black spot in front of eye; 

 ring around eye and stripe to nostril, white; below, throat, breast and 

 edge of wing, gamboge-yellow; white stripe on sides of throat; belly 

 and under tail coverts, white. Adult Female. — Similar, but colors less 

 bright; grayer markings, less distinct. 



Length, 6.75-7.50; wing, 2.90-3.35; tail, 2.90-3.35. 



Range. — Eastern North America, from Costa Eica over eastern 

 United States to Massachusetts, southern Ontario and southern Min- 

 nesota, west to Plains. Breeds from Gulf States, north. Winters 

 from Mexico, south. 



Nest, in thickets, second or scrub-growth, in solitude; on brier 

 bush or sapling, 2 to 5 feet up; of leaves, grapevine bark or grass: 

 long and bulky. JSggs, 63 sets — 9 of 3, 53 of 4, 1 of 5; white, often 

 glossy, spotted and blotched in different patterns, sometimes wreath 

 around one end, A^dth different shades of red and brown, and often 

 lilac; .92 by .63. 



The Yellow-breasted Chat is a common and well known summer 

 resident in the southern half of the State, and locally even farther 

 north. In the northern half it is usually not common, becoming less 

 numerous as one approaches the northern boundary, where it is, most 

 places, usually rare. It breeds throughout its range in this State. 

 'They are common at Eichmond (Hadley), Anderson (Smith), and 

 Lafayette (Test Bros.); tolerably common at Frankfort (Ghere) and 

 Laporte (Barber); not common at Wabash (Ulrey and Wallace); rather 

 rare in Carroll County (Evermann); rare in Allen County (Stock- 

 bridge), Dekalb County (Hon. E. W. McBride), Starke County 

 (Deane), Elkhart County (H. W. McBride). 



Prior to 1893 it was almost unknown in the northwestern portion of 

 the State, and the same may be said along the northern State line in 



