THE NORTHERN YELLOW -THROAT. 183 



No. 83. 



NORTHERN YELLOW-THROAT. 



A. O. U. 68id. Qeothlypis trichas brachidactyla (Swains.). 



Synonym. — Formerly included under Maryland Ybllow-Throat. 



Description. — Adult male : A black band or mask on forehead and cheeks, 

 bordered on superior margin by a narrow band of ashy white; remaining upper 

 parts dull olive-green, brightening on rump, with a brownish cast on crown and 

 sometimes on wings and tail ; chin, throat, fore breast and crissum bright gamboge 

 yellow ; lower breast and belly paler : sides washed with brownish ; bill black above, 

 light below ; feet pale. Adult female : Similar, but without black mask, — grayish 

 brown instead ; forehead touched with brownish red ; much paler yellow below ; 

 sides of breast and sides more heavily brownish. Male in autumn : Browner above 

 and on sides; black mask tipped with grayish; more yellow on belly. Immature 

 male : Similar to adult, but browner, and showing only traces of black mask ; 

 throat paler yellow ; chin and breast less pure, inclining to saffron. Under tail- 

 coverts yellow at all ages and in all seasons. Length 4.75-5.75 (120. 6-146. i) ; 

 av. of four Columbus males: wing 2.40 (61.) ; tail 2.00 (50.8) ; exposed portion 

 of culmen .43 (10.9). 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller; black facial mask bordered by ashy; yellow 

 on throat and breast, changing to yellowish on belly, and brownish on sides, — in 

 contrast with the uniform yellow of the under parts in G. formosa. 



Nest, sunken in grass tussock or bush clump on or near ground, a bulky but 

 neat structure of weed-stalks, bark-strips, leaves of Typha laiifolia, grasses, etc., 

 carefully lined with grass or hair. Eggs, 4, or 5, white or creamy white, speckled, 

 spotted, and sometimes obscurely scrawled, chiefly about larger end, or not, with 

 umber or black. Av. size, .70 x .52 (17.8 x 13.2). 



General Range. — Northeastern United States and southeastern British Prov- 

 inces, from northern New Jersey, Tennessee and east-central Texas northward; 

 south in winter to West Indies and through Mexico to Central America. 



Range in Ohio. — Common summer resident, of universal distribution 

 throughout the state, in swamps and lowland thickets. 



ACCORDING to a recent decision of our ornithological Sanhedrin, the 

 A. O. U. "Committee", we are obliged to forego the use of the title "Mary- 

 land", endeared by long usage, but absurdly inappropriate, as are a dozen other 

 bird names which merely perpetuate accidents of discovery. We might also 

 easily improve upon the name "Yellow-throat" as a distinctive cognomen, for 

 there are at least sixteen other birds belonging to the same family and found 

 within the borders of our state which have throats more or less yellow. But 

 who that has once seen the bird, can forget the broad black facial mask, sur- 

 mounted by its narrow white band, or fillet, which really serves to distinguish 

 this Warbler from all others? Better far call it the Masked Warbler, the 

 Masquerader, or Domino. 



Indeed, one never gets over the impression that this pert little Warbler 



