YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 



683. Icteria virens. 7^ inches. 



Breast yellow, lores black, line over the eye and under- 

 parts white; no white on wings or tail. 



Dry side hills and ravines covered with thick under 

 brush are the places to look for Chats. Usually if they 

 are present they will make themselves heard long before 

 you see them. They are one of the most odd birds both 

 in action and song. They are mimics of the highest 

 order and can make any kind of whistle or squawk, but 

 all their vocal efforts seem to require a great deal of 

 flirting of the tail and twisting of the head. They even 

 jerk their tail up and down while flying, this making 

 them appear extremely ludicrous. 



Song's. A varied medley of whistles and calls. 



Nest. Near the ground in tangled thickets; of grass, 

 weeds, etc. ; eggs whitish plentifully specked with reddish 

 brown (.90x.70). 



Range. Eastern U. S., breeding north to Massachu- 

 setts and southern Minnesota; winters in Central Amer- 

 ica. 683a. Long-tailed Chat (longicauda) is found in the 

 U. S. from the Plains to the Pacific. 



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