548 LAND BIRDS 



all this hiding he is not particularly shy, and you feel in- 

 clined to set him down as a clever little tease who has 

 purposely led you a chase for his own amusement. 

 Throughout the long summer days his cheery, energetic 

 song floats over the wet meadows and out from the 

 blackberry tangles or the tule swamp. Neither the heat 

 nor the cares of a family diminish his ardor one whit. 

 He even springs into the air in the exuberance of joy, 

 performing chatlike gymnastics to his own merry music. 



On the bulky nest, snugly hidden low in the bushes or 

 long marsh grass, his plain little mate sits brooding for 

 twelve days, unrelieved by the dapper singer. It is 

 possible that he may feed her, but I have never been able 

 to catch him at it. The female slips noiselessly, without 

 protest, away through the underbrush at the first approach 

 to her nest, and scolds at you from a safe distance, while 

 the male, bold enough when danger threatens, comes 

 nearer, calling, " quit, quit, quit." 



You are certain to know when the eggs have hatched 

 by the storm of " quits " that greets your approach, for 

 the Yellow-throat is a devoted parent. Tirelessly he 

 hunts through the wet sedge for insects, swallowing them 

 himself first, and feeding the nestlings with the partly 

 digested food until they are able to take it fresh from 

 the field. And long after the young are feathered and 

 out of the nest, they follow the adult about, refusing to 

 help themselves, coaxing to be fed, until you wonder he 

 has any strength left to sing. The female takes a full 

 share of this labor, but is less often seen because more 

 shy. 



