70 
ICTERIA VIRIDIS. 
the bird itself remains unseen, the voice shifts 
place to place, among- the bushes, as if it proceeded fr®'* 
a spirit. First is heard a repetition of short dO*‘T 
resembling the whistling of the wings of a duck orti’*' 
beginning loud and rapid, and falling lower and slo"'*', 
till they cud in detached notes; then a succession f 
others, something like tlie barking of young puppies; f 
followed by a variety of hollow, guttural sounds, ef , 
eight or ten times repeated, more like those proceed!^ 
from the throat of a ijuadruped than that of a bit" 
which are succeeded by others not unlike the meui"! 
of a cat, but considerably hoarser. All these are uttef'f 
with great vehemence, in such diflFerent keys, and 
such peculiar modulations of voice, as sometimes 
seem at a considerable distance, and instjintly as if .1^ 
beside you ; now on this hand, now on that ; so tW‘ 
from these mantjeuvres of ventriloquism, you are uttef'* 
at a loss to ascertain from what particular spot 
quarter they proceed. Tf the weather be mild 
serene, with clear moonlight, he continues n-abblinlT 
the same strange dialect, with very little intermissio"' 
during the whole night, as if di.spntiug u ith his o>'" 
echoes; but probably with a design of invitin'r tb' 
passing females to his retreat ; for, when the season 
tkrther advanced, they are seldom heard during 
night. ” 
About the middle of May they begin to build. Th«'^ 
nest is usually fixed in the upper part of a bramble bu*^' 
in an almost impenetrable thicket; sometimes in a tbi*'' 
Tine or small cedar; seldom more than four or five ft' 
from the ground. It is composed outnardly of ‘K- 
leaves, uithin these are laid thin strips of the bark . 
grape-vines, and the inside is lined with fibrous ron^ 
^ 1 - j ITTUss. The female lays four cj!?* 
shghtlj' flesh-coloured, and speckled all over with spnf 
of brown or dull red. The young are hatched 
twelve days ; and make their first excursion from 
nest about the second week in June. A friend of niinf' 
an amateur in canary birds, placed one of the ch.i(' 
eggs under a hen canary, who brought it out; but'' 
