MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 



Geothlypis trichas. 



Char. Above, olive, duller on the head, brighter on rump; fore- 

 head and broad band on side of head black, with whitish border ; beneath 

 rich yellow, paler on the belly- Length 4^ to 5J4 inches. 



Nest. Hidden by tuft of grass, or amid thicket of briers, usually in a 

 moist woodland or on border of swamp ; composed exteriorly of loosely 

 laid grass, twigs, etc., lined with fine grass compactly woven. 



Eggs. 4-6; white, sometimes creamy, spotted around larger end with 

 brown and lilac ; often a few black spots and lines ; 0.70 X 0.52. 



This common and familiar species extends its summer mi- 

 grations from Florida to Nova Scotia, arriving in Pennsylvania 

 towards the middle of April, and in this part of New England 

 about the first week in May. The majority return to the South 

 in September ; a few stragglers of the young, however, may be 

 seen to the first week in October, and though some may re- 

 main and winter in the Southern States, it is more probable 

 that the main body retire at this season into the interior of 

 tropical America, as they were seen late in autumn around 

 Yera Cruz by the naturalist and traveller Mr. Bullock. Early 

 in the month of March, however, I heard this species singing 

 in the forests of West Florida. 



The Maryland Yellow-Throat, with cheerful devotedness to the 

 great object of his summer migration, — the attachments and 

 cares of his species, — passes his time near some shady rill of 

 water, amidst briers, brambles, alders, and such other shrubbery 

 as grows in low and watery situations. Unambitious to be seen, 



