RED-EYED VIREO OR FLYCATCHER. 315 



ed in width to the size intended ; the front is then car- 

 ried upwards in the same manner to complete the circu- 

 lar frame, the whole being sufficiently agglutinated into 

 a thin pouch, to which is attached all the other necessary 

 parts of the fabric. The external circular layers or 

 loops consist of thin strips of grape-vine, paper-birch, or 

 red cedar bark and bass, agglutinated together. These 

 coarse materials are then well tied over each other, out- 

 side with slender strings of bass, and others of caterpil- 

 lars' webs, or the silk of cocoons of the larger moths, all 

 rendered more or less manageble by the assistance of the 

 adhesive saliva. Refractory fragments of rotten wood, 

 coiled ends of white-birch bark, and spiders' nests com- 

 monly remain outside, as if for ornament; but some of 

 them are often only the extra remains of materials or 

 their ends, parts of which are interwoven or filled into 

 the nest. At other times the outside appears wrought 

 evenly, and without any attempt at fanciful decoration. 

 The inside of the nest is closely and elegantly lined 

 with fibrous grass, minute wiry leaf-stalks, and some- 

 times very slender hemlock fir twigs, but chiefly with 

 fine, dry pine leaves, and almost similar minute strips or 

 strings of grape-vine bark. These nests, like little cir- 

 cular baskets, are put together with so much neatness and 

 firmness, that they sometimes survive the action of the 

 weather for a year ; and Wilson knew an instance where 

 the nest of the Yellow-bird was built in the cavity of one 

 which had survived the season. When thus left, they are 

 sometimes also taken possession of very economically by 

 the mice, who make use of other nests likewise for the 

 same purpose. The eggs are about 3 or 4, white ; with 

 a few distinct small spots of blackish brown, of 2 shades, 

 disposed at the greater end. They often raise 2 broods 

 in the season. 



