68 MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT 



abundant in this section of the country. His nest is 

 bulky, " of twigs and rootlets, firmly wrapped with 

 several thicknesses of leaves," on or near the ground. 

 The eggs, 4 to 5, are grayish-white, covered with fine 

 speckles and coarser blotches. 



Maryland Yellow-throat: Geothlypis trichas. 



Length about 5% inches. 



Male, upper parts olive-green; a broad black band bor- 

 dered with gray, across the forehead, passing through and 

 beyond the eyes. 



Throat and breast bright yellow. 



Female, without black mask, and her yellow breast duller. 



Resident (abundant) from April 20 to October 20; win- 

 ters in the Southern States, West Indies and Central Amer- 

 ica. 



The Yellow-throat is an active, energetic little bird 

 with a nervous habit of jerking his tail. He is a 

 common inhabitant of thickets that border streams, 

 and in spring migration he visits orchards and gar- 

 dens to get the insects from fruit blossoms. His 

 food is exclusively caterpillars, insects and larvae, 

 and he is entirely useful. His call-note is a sharp 

 chuck and his common song is given as rit a witch'a, 

 several times repeated, and as witchery, witchery, 

 witchery. He has also a pleasant chatter as he flits 

 about the bushes, and rarely a warbling flight song. 

 The last, Mr. Chapman says, " is- usually uttered 

 toward evening, when the bird springs several feet 

 into the air, hovers a moment, and then drops back 

 into the bushes." 



The nest is generally on the ground and so well 

 hidden and guarded that it is not likely to be found by 

 searching, nor will the vigilant birds be surprised 

 into revealing its locality. The eggs, 3 to 5, are 

 white, thinly speckled. 



