LXXVI 



Red-eyed Vikeo; The Pkeacher 

 624. Vireosylva olivaceus (Gmel.) 



This bird is a common summer resident in the vicin- 

 ity of Kansas City, Missouri, and is known as the 

 Preacher Bird, owing to its habit, in early spring, of re- 

 peating all day long a song that seems to say, ''Preacher, 

 Preacher ! ' ' The Vireo is olive green above and its crown 

 is ashy. Above the eyes is a black line bordered with 

 white, while a dusky line runs through the eyes. The 

 under parts of the body are white with a tinge of yellow 

 on the side. The length of the bird is six inches. It is 

 an insect eater and, of course, is migratory. The eggs 

 are four in number, white with small brown specks. (Fig. 

 116.) 



Vireos prefer orchards and clumps of small elms and 

 maples as nesting sites. The range extends from the 

 Gulf of Mexico to Arctic regions. The bird selects a fork 

 of a horizontal or drooping small elm or maple, near the 

 ground. To this is snugly fastened the basket pensile 

 nest of grasses and plant fibres. The birds appear to 

 be very happy while at this work, as they keep singing 

 all the time, even in the heat of the day, ''Preacher, 

 Preacher!" The male incubates, and sings contentedly 

 while doing so. (Fig. 117.) 



The Cowbird slacker delights to sneak up to a 

 Vireo 's nest and, after depositing one of her eggs, re- 

 turn to her polygamous associates in a cow pasture near 

 by. The impostor usually succeeds in thus forcing the 

 Vireo to incubate and rear the parasite at the expense 

 of the death of her own progeny from overcrowding and 

 starvation, while the vagabond thrives on monopolized 

 Vireo diet. 



I once found this little restless bush-bird's nest in 

 the usual location, anchored to two small branches of an 

 elm sapling, about three feet from the ground. It was 

 a beautiful sample of exquisite bird architecture, a per- 



203 



