( 223 ) 

 THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 



ICTERIA VIRIDIS, BoNAP. 

 PLATE CXXXVII. Male, Female, and Nest. 



This singular bird is extremely plentiful in Louisiana, Georgia, and 

 the CaroUnas, during spring and summer. It arrives in the first of those 

 States as soon as the blossoms of the dog-wood mark the return of 

 the vernal season. Many continue their migrations eastward as far as 

 Connecticut, but beyond this the species is seldom if ever seen. I have 

 found it equally abundant in Kentucky, particularly in the barrens of 

 that State ; and it ascends the Ohio, spreading over the country, and ex- 

 tending as far as the borders of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania. It never 

 enters what is properly called the woods, preferring at all periods of its 

 short stay with us, the large tangled and almost impenetrable patches of 

 briars, sumach, prickly ash, and different species of smilax, wherever a 

 rivulet or a pool may be found. 



As in other ntiigratory species, the males precede the females several 

 days. As soon as they have arrived, they give free vent to their sono- at 

 all hours of the day, renewing it at night when the weather is calm, and 

 the moon shines brightly, seeming intent on attracting the females, by re- 

 peating in many varied tones the ardency of their passion. Sometimes 

 the sounds are scarcely louder than a whisper, now they acquire strength, 

 deep guttural notes roll in slow succession as if produced by the emotion of 

 surprise, then others clear and sprightly glide after each other, until sud- 

 denly, as if the bird had become confused, the voice becomes a hollow 

 bass. The performer all the while looks as if he were in the humour of 

 scolding, and moves from twig to twig among the thickets with so much 

 activity and in so many directions, that the notes reach the ear as it were 

 from opposite places at the same moment. Now the bird mounts in the 

 air in various attitudes, with its legs and feet hanging, while it continues 

 its song and jerks its body with great vehemence, performing the strangest 

 and most whimsical gesticulations ; the next moment it returns to the 

 bush. If you imitate its song, it follows your steps with caution, and 

 responds to each of your calls, now and then peeping at you for a moment. 



