YELLOW-BREAS TED CHAT 



93 



New York I have met with these birds within two hours' walk of 

 the sea, and in some places within less than a mile of the shore. 

 I have not been able to trace him to any of the West India islands ; 

 tho they certainly retire to Mexico, Guiana and Brazil, having my- 

 self seen skins of these birds in the possession of a French gentle- 

 man, which were brought from the two latter countries. 



By recurring to tlie synonyms at the beginning of this article, 

 it will be perceived how much European naturalists have differed 

 in classing this bird. That the judicious Mr. Pennant, Gmelin, 

 and even Dr. Latham, however, should have arranged it with the 

 Flycatchers, is certamly very extraordinary ; as neither in the par- 

 ticular structure of its bill, tongue, feet, nor in its food or manners, 

 has it any affinity whatever to that genus. Some other ornitholo- 

 gists have removed it to the Tanagers ; but the bill of the Chat 

 when compared with that of the Summer Red-bird in the same 

 plate, bespeaks it at once to be of a different tribe. Besides, the 

 Tanagers seldom lay more than two or three eggs — the Chat usually 

 four; the former build on trees; the latter in low thickets. In 

 short, tho this bird will not exactly correspond with any known 

 genus, yet the form of its bill, its food, and many of its habits, 

 would almost justify us in classing it with the genus Pipra (Mana- 

 kin), to which family it seems most nearly related. 



The Yellow-breasted Chat is seven inches long, and nine 

 inches in extent; the whole upper parts are of a rich and deep 

 olive green, except the tips of the wings, and interior vanes of the 

 wing and tail feathers, which are dusky brown; the whole throat 

 and breast is of a most brilliant yellow, which also lines the inside 

 of the wings and spreads on the sides immediately below; the belly 

 and vent are white; the front slate-colored, or dull cinereous; lores 

 black ; from the nostril a line of white extends to the upper part of 

 the eye, which it nearly encircles; another spot of white is placed 

 at the base of the lower mandible ; the bill is strong, slightly curv- 

 ed, sharply ridged on the top, compressed, over-hanging a little at 



Bb 



