BIRDS OF KANSAS. 581 



of the woods, where the larger trees began to give place to a 

 thick second growth that covered an old "bark peeling" of 

 hemlock wood. He says: "It was placed but a few feet from 

 the maple tree, in a bunch of ferns, and about six inches from 

 the ground. It was quite a massive nest, composed entirely of 

 the stalks and leaves of dry grass, with an inner lining of fine, 

 dark-brown roots. The eggs, three in number, were of light 

 flesh color, uniformly specked with fine brown specks. The 

 cavity of the nest was so deep that the back of the sitting bird 

 sank below the edge." 



And Mr. Ridgway, in his "Manual," says: "Nest near the 

 ground, in clumps of weeds, often in open places in mountains. 

 Eggs .71x. 53; white, or buffy white, speckled on larger end 

 with dark brown and lilac gray, often mixed with a few fine 

 black 'pen lines,' and sometimes touched with rusty stains. 

 ( Much like the eggs of G. triclias. ) ' ' 



Geothlypis trichas occidentalis BKEWST. 



WESTERN YELLOW-THROAT. 

 PLATE XXXIII. 



Summer resident; abundant. Arrive from the middle to last 

 of April; begin laying about the 20th of May; leave during the 

 month of September. 



B. . R. . C. . G. , 297. U. 681a. 



HABITAT. Western United States; east to the Mississippi val- 

 ley; north to the British possessions; (Manitoba. Setori); south 

 in winter from the southern United States, through Central and 

 western Mexico, to Guatemala; breeding throughout its United 

 States range. 



SP. CHAR, of G. trichas. Adult male: With black mask, bordered behind by 

 ashy or white. Adult female: Without any black, ashy or white about head, 

 the whole top and sides of head being grayish brown or olive, often tinged with 

 reddish brown on crown; yellow of lower parts paler, and usually more re- 

 stricted than in male; nearly the whole lower surface sometimes dull yellowish 

 white. Adult male, in winter: Same as in summer, but more or less washed 

 with brown above, especially on top of head, and the black of mask somewhat 

 obscured by slight brownish or light-colored tips to feathers, and light grayish 

 or whitish border, more or less concealed by brown tips. Young male, in firxt 

 winter: Similar to adult, but mask much less distinct, often merely indicated. 

 Young: Plain olive above; pale olive yellowish beneath. Lower parts not en- 



