Evening star., 1946-05-23
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceDeH.


The "peek-a-boo- bird" is what he is
called in one household
Maryland yellow throat is the correct
name.
This is the small yellow fellow with
the black mask
He loves to fly in and out OF shrub
berry, from which he peers down with his
odd facial adornment
The forehead and sides of head are a
uniform black. forming a conspicuous
mask Of the true villain type.
He is not highwayman, however
in any sense Of the word. but one OF
the prettiest and most useful of the
warblerS
He is likely to be seen easier than any
of the other warblers, but it takes
some sharp looking, at that
Altheas and other leafy shrubs are
his favorite hiding places, although he
likes the tree tops, too.
He actually seems to be interested in
humans, and when you look at him, he
looks back at you with what has all
the appearance Of genuine interest. Per-
haps he is doing nothing more than
looking for insects, but most observers
will be willing to believe that such a
charming creature has some interest
in them
This is the bird that Is supposed to
say "Witchery, witchery, witchery,
witchery," but one must take those
, syllables with the proverbial grain of
salt.
Let us say that he has an intriguing
song, but mostly 1t is not heard here
abouts, but only in the north, but
occasionally hereabouts, since 1t may
breed here.
The nest is sometimes put on the
ground, and this is why it is called the
ground warbler, name which orni-
biologists do not like, since the bird is
more characteristic in bushes, and
spends most of his time in them. The
nest is mostly close to the ground, but
not on it. The bird makes a platform
of leaves, on which the large nest is
placed 1t is made of grass, leaves,
rootlets and hairs, and contains four
shiny white eggs, blotched with various
colors.
This bird winters in the south, as far
as the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba and
Guatemala.
This is one of the warblers whose
nest is selected by the cowbird to lay
her eggs in. The cowbird mother-and
what poor mother she is-uses keen
discernment in selecting the yellow
throat's nest, because neither the
mother nor father yellow throat de-
tects the imposition.
The yellow warbler, on the other
hand, often discovers the fraud, and
builds another nest over the cowbird
egg. These particular warblers have
been known to build four layers. losing
their own eggs, of course, each time.
The little Maryland yellow throat sell
dom finds out, even when the cowbird
baby is Matched. The large baby gets
most of the food, SO that the rightfu]
heirs OF the nest starve, or die.
1t would seem odd. that the mother
yellow throat is imposed on in this
manner, and yet human beings are
often imposed on, too, in ways which
might strike birds as strange, if they
could read and write.
The yellow-breasted chat is anothe,
bird which stands for no nonsense from
the cowbird. His underparts are yell
low. but he lacks the black mask of his
relative. The chat is the largest of ali
the warblers, being 71s inches long, as
compared with the slightly under five
inches of the yellow throat.
The chat is generally regarded as
being, with the blue Jay, one of the
two birds with genuine sense OF
humor.
The word 'chat" comes from chatter
The bird has a beautiful fight song, as
it is called, delivered as it rises from
the. ground, and comes back to its perch
The Maryland yellow throat also has
this singing habit.