1096 Kepokt of State Geologist. 



They sing until the young leave the nest, usually from the latter 

 part of June until the middle of July; and then, for a time, the family 

 keeps together. 



After the singing is over, the only note heard is the single note,. 

 chat, from which the Yellow-breasted bird takes its name. 



I have foimd them mating April 27, 1885, and found a nest, with 

 eggs. May 35, 1882. June 11, 1892, Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test 

 found two nests near Lafayette. Each contained four eggs, and in ad- 

 dition had two eggs of the Cowbird. They usually leave in September 

 — Brookville, September 7, 1886; Bicknell, September 37, 1894— but 

 occasionally remain much later. I shot one, December 1, 1881, when 

 it was feeding upon pokeberries, from which its plumage was stained. 



Two excellent accounts of the Chat are given, one by Dr. Coues — 

 Birds of Colorado Valley — -the other by John Burroughs, in "Wake 

 Eobin." 



162. Genus SYLVANIA Ndttall. 



a' Tail feathers blotched with white. S. mitrata (Gmel.). 290 



a*. Tail feathers dusky, not blotched with white. 



6'. Above plain olive green ; male with blue black patch on crown. 



S. pusilla (Wils.). 291 



b^. Above plumbeous gray; crissum white ; male, crown, forehead and sides of 



throat spotted black. S. canadensis (Linn.). 29S 



*290. (684). Sylvania mitrata (Gmel.). 



Hooded Warbler. 



Adult Male. — Head, neck and throat, deep black; a gamboge-yellow 

 band across the forehead and along the side of head, including the 

 eye and the ear coverts; other upper parts, olive-green; other lower 

 parts, bright yellow; three or four pairs of outer tail feathers, with 

 white markings; wings, unmarked; Adult Female. — Similar, but usu- 

 ally with less black on head. Immature Male. — Varying from the 

 decided black markings of adult male to almost no black; the yellow, 

 however, conspicuous. Immature Female. — Lacking black markings. 



Note. — It seems evident that it requires three years for this Warbler 

 to attain perfect plumage; therefore, specimens will be found at dif- 

 ferent seasons in different stages of color development. 



Length, 5.00-5.70; wing, 3.50-3.75; tail, 2.20-2.40. 



Eangb. — Eastern North America, from Panama and West Indies 

 to Massachiisetts, southern Ontario, southern Michigan and southern 

 Wisconsin, west to Kansas. Breeds from Texas and North Carolina, 

 north. Winters south of United States. 



