MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 171 



about May 1, and its eggs are laid about the 20th of the 

 month. They are white, speckled or spotted with cinna- 

 mon and reddish brown. 



The Maryland Yellow-throat is an abundant inhabit- 

 ant of thickets and bushy undergrowths, readily iden- 

 Marviand tified by his black mask and yellow 



Yellow-throat, breast, nervous activity, and character- 

 Geothiypis trichas. istic notes. Some birds must be ap- 

 proached with caution, but nothing save 

 an actual attack upon his home will cause the Yellow- 

 throat to leave its shelter. Hopping from limb to limb, 

 he advances to the border of the thicket, then retreats to 

 its depths, all the time uttering an impatient chock, chit, 

 or pit, and, if forced to fly, he goes only to the next clump 

 of bushes. 



The Yellow-throat's somewhat explosive song is so 

 easily set to words and so variable that there are many 

 versions of it. It is described as whitititee, whitititee, 

 whitititee ; rapity, rapity, rapity, rap, or witch-e-wee-o, 

 witch-e-wee-o, witch-e-wee-o. Mr. Burroughs says he has 

 heard birds whose notes sounded like the words " Which 

 way, sir ? " and I have heard some who seemed to say 

 " Wait a minute." 



To this the Yellow-throat sometimes adds a flight 

 song, which is a miniature of the Oven-bird's aerial sere- 

 nade. It is generally added to his usual song, and is 

 most often heard late in the season at evening, when 

 the bird may be seen springing into the air above his 

 bushy retreat. 



The Yellow-throat arrives from the South about May 

 1, and remains until the middle of October. Late in 

 May a bulky nest of grasses, strips of bark, and dead 

 leaves, lined with finer materials, is built on or near the 

 ground. The three to five eggs are white, rather thinly 

 speckled with reddish brown. Often an egg of the Cow- 



