WOOD WARBLERS 
427 
orbital ring, and malar stripe, white; lores, and line under eye black. 
Young: upper parts olive; lores gray instead of black; throat whitish, 
chest, sides, and flanks grayish ; rest of under parts white. Male : length 
(skins) 6.26-7.28, wing 2.95-3.31, tail 3.01-3.39, bill .53-.59. Female: 
length (skins) 6.38-6.97, wing 2.87-3.15, tail 2.83-3.23, bill .53-.59. 
Distribution. — Transition and Upper Sonoran zones, from British 
Columbia south to Lower California and northern Mexico, and from the 
Plains to the Pacific coast; breeds south to Valley of Mexico; United States 
birds mainly migrate to southern Mexico. 
Nest. — In briery thickets, made largely of dry leaves, strips of grape¬ 
vine bark, and grasses, lined with finer grasses. Eggs: 3 to 5, white or 
pinkish, spotted with gray and shades of brown. 
Food. — Beetles and other insects, and berries. 
The ehat’s coming in the spring is like the arrival of a brass band. 
In Farmington, Utah, one May, when he appeared he fairly per¬ 
vaded the village — that is, his voice did — his yellow-fronted person 
was in sight just once, to my best knowledge. But as you went along 
the streets he fairly shouted in your ears — from inside dark thickets 
behind fences. And if you appeared in front of the bush on which 
he was singing, he would at once raise his voice from the next bush 
behind! And so he would lead you through bush and briar, skulk¬ 
ing out of sight and crying as if consciously deriding your awkward 
attempts at intrusion, So! ho ! tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut / One of 
his favorite amusements is to give a whistle, as if he were calling a 
dog and meant to be obeyed. When not whistling, or scolding like 
an oriole, calling like a cuckoo, or piping like a shrill-voiced rock 
squirrel, he will bark like a dog. 
The chat is not only moved to mock his neighbors, but performs 
in most remarkable manner in his own proper person —in air. Mr. 
Torrey gives a good description of chat antics. “ I caught the fel¬ 
low,” he says, “in the midst of a brilliant display of his clownish 
tricks, ridiculous, indescribable. At a little distance it is hard to 
believe that he can be a bird, that dancing, shapeless thing, bal¬ 
ancing itself in the air with dangling legs, and prancing, swaying 
motions.” 
GENUS WILSONIA. 
General Characters. — Bill not more than half as long as head, broad 
and flattened at base; rietal bristles distinct ; wings pointed, longer than 
tail; tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw. 
KEY TO ADULT MALES. 
1. Throat with black necklace ; crown gray . . canadensis, p. 428. 
V. Throat without black necklace ; crown black. 
2. Upper parts brighter green, forehead often orange. Great Basin to 
Pacific. pileolata, p. 428. 
2'. Upper parts duller green, forehead always yellow. From higher 
Rocky Mountains northeast. pusilla, p. 428. 
