RED-EYED VIREO 125 



cup was hung up beside the nest, but the bird was 

 never seen to drink from it, although when water 

 was put in her own tin she would sit on the nest 

 and ' drink like a chicken,' which is interesting, 

 as it is said that Vireos usually quench their thirst 

 daintly with dew or rain-drops on the leaves. 



The people of the village flocked to see their 

 trustful little neighbor, and when the good woman 

 of the house wanted to show her friends the Vi- 

 reo's eggs she had only to hold the food-cup far 

 enough from the nest to tempt her away from the 

 eggs, or else give her an unusually large piece of 

 cracker, when she would quietly fly off with it. 

 If, when she was being fed, the wind blew her 

 branch away from the cup, the friendly Vireo 

 would crane her neck to reach after the food. 



The little creature was so kindly treated she 

 lost all fear of her neighbors, and actually let one 

 of them stroke her feathers while she sat on the 

 nest. But just as her friend was thinking of the 

 pleasure she would have watching the brood when 

 they hatched, suddenly all the eggs disappeared, 

 leaving the Vireo cradle hanging empty on its 

 branch. It was a sorry ending of the pleasure of 

 the spring, and the villagers came to condole with 

 the good woman who was so suddenly bereft. " I 

 felt as if there had been a funeral," she said sadly, 

 in telling me of it. 



