1891] MARYLAND ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 117 



seen iu damp woods, along the side of a brooklet, during the 

 month of May and again in July, and seem of a rather shy and 

 quiet disposition. Its song is as yet unknown to the writer. 



Geothlypis trichas (Linn.). Maryland Yellow-throat. 



This dainty little bird arrives in this latitude about the 20th 

 of April. In October it moves south to more congenial quar- 

 ters, the 10th of that month being the latest that any have been 

 noticed. This species is one of our most abundant summer 

 birds, frequenting bushes, brambles and all kinds of under- 

 growth in the neighborhood of water, and, like some of the 

 wrens, it has been observed even among the reeds in marshes. 

 The song cannot be better imitated than by the syllables Wilson 

 has already given, viz., " Whititee," the accent being on the 

 first syllable. But the note habitually and more frequently 

 heard, is a kind of chuck, a call note, common to many of our 

 smaller birds. An acute observer can usually distinguish the 

 different birds, even though the call notes resemble one another. 



Icteria virens (Linn.). Yellow-breasted Chat. 



This is certainly one of our most interesting and characteristic 

 birds. The song or notes, be it what it may, is such a mixture 

 of all possible sounds, that it really astonishes one. Such an in- 

 cessant chatting and gabbling is kept up, that the bird is readily 

 distinguished, for not one of our other birds exhibits such peculi- 

 arities. This bird is common, but is usually more frequently 

 heard than seen. Often, when after considerable effort we seem 

 to have located the place from whence the sounds come, we look 

 and watch in vain for a glimpse of the bird. 



The nest is usually placed among the thickest briers and 

 brambles, and is composed chiefly of dry leaves for the exterior, 

 the inner lining being of thin strips of grape-vine bark. The 

 eggs, four or five in number, are white, with brownish spots. 

 This bird arrives here about May, and leaves late in August, 

 the writer never having observed a specimen after that month. 



