Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 239 



often only in the last two days of the month or in May. Fall 

 migration begins early in September, when its song is again 

 heard; adults and young are abundant during the second and 

 third week at St. Louis and their song is heard as late as Sep- 

 tember 19, but the species grows rapidly scarce after the 20th 

 and only plain-colored, shy loiterers are met with at the end 

 of the month or in early October. Last records at St. Louis 

 are October 2, 1887, October 4, 1895, and October 1, 1896; 

 latest for the state is October 14, 1903, New Haven, Dr. Eimbeck. 



*683. Icteria virens (Linn.). Yellow-breasted Chat. 

 Icteria viridis. Pipra polyglotta. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States and southern Ontario; 

 north to New England, southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin 

 and southern Minnesota; west to eastern South Dakota, eastern 

 Nebraska, Kansas, eastern Texas and southward to the Rio 

 Grande where meeting the western form longicauda. Breeds 

 from Rio Grande and upper portions of Gulf States northward, 

 and winters southward through eastern Mexico and Central 

 America to Costa Rica. It does not visit Florida, Bahamas 

 and West Indies. 



In Missouri the Chat is a common summer resident in all 

 parts of the state, but particularly abundant in the Ozark 

 and Ozark border regions. In its return to the breeding grounds 

 it is pretty regular, appearing at St. Louis and in most parts 

 of southern Missouri between April 23 and 28. Exceptionally 

 early dates have been recorded, as St. Louis, April 18, and Kan- 

 sas City, April 20, 1903; Keokuk, April 19, 1896. This latter 

 date is extremely early as the "firsts" of eight other years vary 

 between April 29 and May 6 (E. S. Currier). The bulk of the 

 species arrives at St. Louis the last of April or first days of May, 

 when its peculiar, loud song is heard from morning till night 

 and not seldom in moonlit nights. After the song period is 

 over about the middle of July the species is not seen often 

 and its departure is easily unnoticed, but there is little doubt 

 that the majority depart in August and early September (Sep- 

 tember 1, 1902, and September 2, 1901, Jasper, Mr. W. G. Savage, 

 and September 5, 1903, Shannon Co., by the same observer). 

 That some individuals remain longer has been noticed at St. 

 Louis, where one was met with as late as September 25 at Creve 

 Coeur Lake, St. Louis Co. 



