File:The birds of America - from drawings made in the United States and their territories (1840) (14568587799).jpg

Identifier: birdsofamericafr04audu (find matches)
Title: The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories
Year: 1840 (1840s)
Authors: Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 Bowen, John T., ca. 1801-1856?, lithographer
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York : Published by J.J. Audubon Philadelphia : J.B. Chevalier
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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uch compressed, laterally grooved,very acute. Plumage soft and blended. Bristles very small. Wings ofmoderate length, rounded, third and fourth primaries longest, second littleshorter, first longer than sixth. Tail rather long, rounded. THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. -Mcteria viridis, Gmel. PLATE CCXLIV.—Males, Female and Nest. This singular bird is extremely plentiful in Louisiana, Georgia, and theCarolinas, during spring and summer. It arrives in the first of those Statesas soon as the blossoms of the dog-wood mark the return of the vernalseason. Many continue their migrations eastward as far as Connecticut, butbeyond this the species is seldom if ever seen. I have found it equallyabundant in Kentucky, particularly in the barrens of that State; and itascends the Ohio, spreading over the country, and extending as far as theborders of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania. It never enters what is properlycalled the woods, preferring at all periods of its short stay with us, the large N°49. PL 2244.
Text Appearing After Image:
THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 161 tangled and almost impenetrable patches of briars, sumach, prickly ash, anddifferent species of smilax, wherever a rivulet or a pool may be found. As in other migratory species, the males precede the females several days.As soon as they have arrived, they give free vent to their song at all hoursof the day, renewing it at night when the weather is calm, and the moonshines brightly, seeming intent on attracting the females, by repeating inmany varied tones the ardency of their passion. Sometimes the sounds arescarcely louder than a whisper, now they acquire strength, deep gutturalnotes roll in slow succession as if produced by the emotion of surprise, thenothers clear and sprightly glide after each other, until suddenly, as if thebird had become confused, the voice becomes a hollow bass. The performerall the while looks as if he were in the humour of scolding, and moves fromtwig to twig among the thickets with so much activity and in so manydirections, tha

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