264 VELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 



guished by its short, stout, vertically compressed, strongly arched, un- 

 notched bill; rounded wings, as short as or shorter than the tail, and 

 rounded tail. 



Icteria is found throughout the greater part of the United States, 

 and breeds southward to the Valley of Mexico. It appears not to occur 

 in Florida or the West Indies. 



Yellow-breasted Chat 



ICTERIA VIRENS VIRENS (Lino.) PUte XXI 



Distinguishing Characters. — The Chat is the largest of our Warblers and, 

 in connection with its size, may be known by its large bill, white line from the 

 base of bill and bright yellow throat and breast. Length (skin), 6.40; wing, 

 2.9s; tail, 2.90; bill, .55. 



Adult <S, Spring. — Upperparts, wings, and tail olive-green; bend of wing 

 and under wing-coverts yellow; line from nostril over eye, upper and lower 

 portions of eye-ring, and a short line from lower mandible at the side of the 

 throat, white; lores black; auriculars grasrish; throat and breast bright yellow, 

 lower abdomen and crissum white, the flanks olive or brownish; bill shining 

 black. 



Adult <S, Fall. — Similar to adult <? in Spring but slightly greener above, 

 flanks and crissum browner; upper mandible brownish, lower, horn color. 



Young c7. Fall. — Similar to adult <? in Fall but lores grayer. 



Adult S, Spring. — Not always distinguishable from adult <3 in Spring but 

 generally duller in color, lores grayish, the lower mandible basally paler. 



Young ?, Fall. — Not seen, doubtless closely resembles young <J in Fall. 



Nestling. — ^Above dull brownish gray with an olive tinge; a narrow white 

 superciliary line; wings and tail dull olive-green; throat and belly white, flanks 

 brownish, breast with an olive-gray band. 



General Distribution. — Eastern United States. 

 Summer Range. — Chats do not occur in Florida, but from northern 

 Georgia and the Gulf states, and west to the Plains, they are common 

 north to southern New York and Iowa; they also occur less commonly 

 to southern New England, Massachusetts (rare and local), Vermont 

 (Pownal, June 16, 1896), Maine (accidental, Portland, North Bridg- 

 ton, Elliott), New York (Albany, West Seneca, Oneida, Orleans, and 

 Yates Counties), Ohio (Oberhn), southern Ontario (Hamilton, Water- 

 down, Point Pelee), Michigan (Detroit, Grosse Pointe Farms), Wis- 

 consin (Stevens Point), Minnesota. 



Winter Range. — Mexico to Costa Rica. 



Spring Migration. — The summer home of the Chat extends from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific. The species has been separated into an 

 eastern and a western form, and in the following tables, the notes for 

 Colorado and the Pacific Coast refer to the western form {Icteria 

 virens longicauda) , the rest to the eastern form {Icteria virens virens.) 



