THE TELLOW-BEEASTED CHAT. ^39 



cated. Tlie bushes -wliich are found in swampy places are always 

 so slender and flexible, that much care is required in order to 

 render them capable of bearing the nest. The bird, therefore, 

 takes a quantity of wet rushes and long grasses, and twists them 

 round a number of twigs, intertwining them so as to bring these 

 twigs into a rudely-shaped hollow cylinder. From the same 

 materials the body of the nest is formed, and the lining is made 

 from dry grass blades. Little pains are taken to hide the nest, 

 because the swampy nature of the ground prevents the intrusion 

 of many foes, and in some cases three or four nests are seen close 

 to each other on a single bush. 



One of the common American birds, the Yellow-breasted 

 Chat (Icteria viridis) is not only remarkable for its really pretty 

 nest, but for the manner in which it defends its home. 



Although so chary of being seen that an experienced orni- 

 thologist may follow it for an hour by its voice, and never catch 

 a glimpse of the bird, it is full of talk, and as soon as a human 

 being approaches, it begins to vociferate reproaches in an odd 

 series of syllabic sounds, which can be easily imitated. Mocking 

 the bird is an unfailing method of doubling its anger, and will 

 cause it to follow the imitator for a long distance, although it will 

 even under these circumstances keep itself hidden in the foliage. 

 Wilson's account of the curious sounds which it utters is very 

 graphic and interesting. " On these occasions his responses are 

 constant and rapid, stronglj'' expressive of anger and anxiety, 

 and while the bird itself remains unseen, the voipe shifts from 

 place to place among the bushes, as if it proceeded from a spirit. 

 First is heard a repetition of short notes, resembling the 

 whistling of the wings of a duck or teal, beginning loud and 

 rapid, and falling lower and slower, tiU they end in detached 

 notes. -Then a succession of others, something like the barking 

 of young puppies, is followed by a variety of hollow, guttural 

 sounds, each eight or ten times repeated, more like those pro- 

 ceeding from the throat of a quadruped than that of a bird ; 

 which are succeeded by others not ilnlike the mewing of a 

 cat, but considerably hoarser. 



" All these are uttered with great vehemence, in such different 

 keys and with such peculiar modulation of voice as sometimes 

 to seem at a considerable distance, and instantly as if just beside 



