12 ' AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



together and lined with hair. Some of these nests that I have come 

 across have had leaves in their construction but the majority have been 

 without. They lay four or five white eggs specked chiefly near the 

 large end with black and reddish brown spots. Size .68x.50. 



HABITS. 



Few bird lovers are unacquainted with the Yellow-throats in one form 

 or another for they are found throughout the United States and are 

 usually abundant in all suitable places. While the birds are rather re- 

 tiring, their notes are always in evidence, either in the form of a sharp 

 scolding chirp, a long rattling trill or a lively "witchery, witchery, 

 witchery," the latter song often uttered by the male during the breeding 

 season. They are very inquisitive little birds and if you goto a swamp 

 and quietly hide yourself you will soon have all the Yellow-throats in 

 the place about you to see what you are doing, all scolding with all their 

 might. Their nests are quite difficult to find as the birds are very sly 

 when building and in entering or leaving the nest afterwards, and be- 

 fore they have commenced incubating they will be very apt to leave a 

 nest if they know that it it has been found. One day I saw a female 

 with a grass in her bill and stopped to see where she would place it. 

 She knew I was watching her and was very loath to continue her build- 

 ing operations, but, as I remained still, after her long and violent 

 tongue-lashing had ended she went bravely into a clump of grass, from 

 which she emerged a few seconds later minus the grass which she had 

 carried in. As it was so close to me I moved farther away in order 

 not to disturb her. She soon came with another bit of building material, 

 but this she carried behind some broken alder stubs which I found later 

 to be the true site. The next trip she went to the place where she had 

 deposited her first load and carried the same bit of grass to the nearly 

 completed nest beside the alder stubs. Whether this bit of deception 

 was done purposely or not we cannot tell, but she showed that she was 

 unusually bright later. Several times, after she commenced incubating, 

 I tried to flush her from the nest but she always slunk slyly away in the 

 underbrush before I came within sight of her home, making no outcry 

 so that, had I not already known, I would never have suspected there 

 was a nest in the neighborhood. These actions were very different 

 from those of other Yellow-throats for, while they all leave the nest be- 

 fore you get too near, they will vigorously scold you as long as you are 

 within the danger zone. The very acme of bird pleasure seems to be 



