As I heard it in Washington, I wrote it _swee, swee, ker-swee, sick_, or _swee, swee, swee, per-swee-ee, sic_. Dr. Walter P. Taylor writes it in his notes _zee zeegle, zeegle, zeegle, zort, tseeee_. Grinnell and Storer (1924) describe it as "a rather lazy, drawling utterance, deep-toned rather than shrill. _W[=e][=e]-zy, w[=e][=e]-zy, w[=e][=e]-zy, w[=e][=e]-zy-weet_; _tsewey, tsewey, tsewey, tsewey-tsew_; _zu[=e][=e], zu[=e][=e], zu[=e][=e], soop; s[)i][)i]]-w[=e][=e]zy, w[=e][=e]zy we-tsú_; _ow[=e]z[=e]-w[=e]z[=e]-w[=e]z[=e]-w[=e]z[=e]-ch[=u]r_, are syllabifications written by us at different times when individual birds were singing close at hand. There are modifications in the song; sometimes the terminal syllable is omitted and again only three of the two-syllabled notes are given. The ordinary call is a rather low, one-syllabled _chit_." Mrs. Bailey (1902) says that "its song is a simple warbler lay, _zee-ee-zee-ee, ze, ze, ze_, with the quiet woodsy quality of _virens_ and _caerulescens_, so soothing to the ear." Bowles (1902) heard an unusual song that "was on the principle of a yellow-throated vireo or a scarlet tanager; but the quality of a blue-headed vireo in addition, making a very strong and rich song." _Field marks._--The gray back, white breast with a few black streaks, two white wing bars, and, particularly, the conspicuous black and white pattern of the head and throat will make this warbler almost unmistakable. The tiny yellow spot in front of the eye is visible only at close quarters. Young birds and adults in the fall show the same characters more or less obscured by brownish edgings. The female has a white throat instead of a black one. _Enemies._--Jays of different species and crows evidently take heavy toll of the eggs and young, as they are persistent nest hunters and often have their own broods to feed near by. Bowles (1902) says that "one pair of California jays seemed to have located every nest that was built in a gulch where they were building their own nest." One of the Grinnell and Storer (1924) party "interrupted an attack by a California Striped Racer upon a brood of Black-throated Gray Warblers. The female parent was much excited, flying from twig to twig, calling, and fluttering her wings. Near by, on the ground, was one of the young warblers. There was good evidence that the snake had already swallowed another member of the brood." This warbler seems to have escaped any interference by cowbirds. _Fall._--The southward migration begins in September and is mainly accomplished during that month; Washington is generally vacated during September, but migration continues through California during the first half of October; after the middle of October even southern California is deserted, and the black-throated gray warblers have gone to their winter haunts in Mexico. DISTRIBUTION _Range._--Western North America from central British Columbia to southern Mexico.