VIREOS 105 



the Vireos in plumage, form and size. All are 

 excellent architects, suspending from the fork 

 of a convenient branch at some distance from 

 the ground deep basket-like nests of fine bark, 

 paper, plant-down and rootlets. They are prob- 

 ably, so far as fine work is concerned, our best 

 and most artistic nest builders, and so much 

 alike are their structures it is not easy to iden- 

 tify them unless the nest is associated with its 

 maker. 



The Warbling Vireo. A daily visitor to the 

 shade trees of our lawn is this plainly dressed 

 little Vireo. We are very grateful to him for 

 his many careful gleanings of leaf-destroying 

 insects, and w^e should welcome him as a resi- 

 dent but he prefers a nesting site in a thick- 

 topped maple in a neighbor's dooryard. But 

 he sings for us daily, even in the midday heat 

 when most birds are silent. His song, as sug- 

 gested by the name, is a warble, and w^hile in 

 no way to be compared with the splendid per- 

 formance of the Purple Finch, it is a pleasing 

 melody, flowing and mellow, that suggests to 

 you contentment. The most common call note 

 is a harsh, squally utterance, much like the call 

 of the Catbird, seemingly quite out of harmony 

 with the song and general makeup of this other- 

 wise attractive bird. 



The Warbling Vireo is a plainly dressed little 

 bird, rather smaller than the Song Sparrow. 

 The upper parts are ashy olive-green, w^ith head 

 and neck somewhat lighter. The whitish under 

 parts are washed with yellow, brighter on the 

 sides. This bird arrives in early May, ranges 



