KASTKKX PKXXSV1 A'AMA. 21() 



It probably spends its winter-quarters about 

 Orizaba, as numbers have been observed there at 

 this time, by Sumichrast; and most likely reaches 

 this latitude by entering Texas, and following the 

 courses of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. 



Like Vireo olivaccus in habits, and equally as 

 expert, it does immense service to man, in the 

 destruction of vast numbers of injurious insects, 

 as well as those that are beneficial. Its food is 

 principally of a dipterous and lepidopterous 

 character, and consists of Musca doincstica, Taba- 

 nus lineoia, T. cinctus, Tipula fcrrugiuca, Cnlc.v 

 tceniorJiynclius, and others among the two-winged 

 flies ; and Anisopleryx vcniala, A. pcmctaria, Zc- 

 renc catena-net, Ennomos subsignaria, EujitcJiia 

 ribearia, Angeronia crocataria, Limacodes scapJia, 

 among lepidoptera; besides, aphides, and the hy- 

 menopterous forms of Apis meUiftca, Selandria 

 rose?, and Megachile ccntnncularis. 



Its nest is usually placed in the vicinity of dwell- 

 ings as previously remarked, and very often over 

 frequented streets. We have known cases where 

 secluded localities have been selected, but very 

 rarely. Nidification commences ordinarily about 

 the 1 5th of May. The nest is an elaborately 

 woven basket-like structure, carefully, neatly, and 

 closely built, and suspended from a forked twig 

 near the top of a tree; and, occasionally, at the ex- 

 tremity of an upper branch, at an elevation of 

 thirty feet from the ground. The birds mostly 

 select a Maple for this purpose. The nest is se- 



