15 



OVEN-BIRDS are one of the most 

 abundant of our woodland warblers, 

 and during May and June their pres- 

 ence anywhere can hardly be overlook- 

 ed for they are very persistent singers 

 and the loud and peculiar song will at- 

 tract the attention of anyone. In type 

 this song is well rendered by "teacher, 

 teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher,", de- 

 livered in a chanting tone with a grad- 

 ually increasing volume towards the 

 end. They are ground warblers, feed- 

 ing chiefly from the ground and nesting 

 among the dead leaves. The nest is 

 built of grasses and rootlets and is 

 arched over the top with grasses, pine 

 needles, leaf stems, etc., shaped like 

 an old fashioned Dutch ov^n. hence 

 the name of these birds. 



Their four or five eggs are white 

 vith specks of reddish-brown chiefly 

 about the large end. 



Male and female Oven-birds are alike 

 in plumage and in color, form and 

 markings are suggestive of thrushes, 

 hence formerly they were erroneously 

 termed "Golden-crowned Thrushes." 



YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, which are abundant 

 in- southern states, reach their northern limits in central 

 New York and southern New England. They are the 

 largest of the warbler family and are among the queerest 

 of all birds. The Chat song is a wonder and revelation to 

 all who hear it. given intermittantly and composed of the 

 strangest jumble of clear whistles, barkings, quackings, 

 mewings and croakings that ever came from a bird's throat. 

 They are mimics of a high order and also seem to have the 

 power of ventriloquism for it is often very difficult to de- 

 termine the location of the bird from his song. They are 

 very shy and. although we may be only a few feet from 

 them in the tangled thicket of briers, it is almost impossible 

 to catcli sight of them for they keep just beyond our vision 

 chuckling audibly at our discomfiture. The Chat may easily 

 be recognized because of its large size, greenish back, ashy 

 crown, bright yellow breast and prominent white stripe 

 over the eye. 



If we visit pitch pine or Jack pine woods or groves, we 

 will probably hear from some of the tree tops a rather 

 monotonous trill. Search will reveal a small quite dull plum- 

 aged bird but with the breast more or less brightly tinged 

 with vellow. It is the PINE WARBLER one of the least 



