VIEEONID^ — THE VIRE08. 189 



"Sp. Chab. (No. 10,193 male, Illinois.) First primary about half the length of second, 

 which is longer than secondaries, and about equal to the eighth; the fourth loneest; 

 third and fifth little shorter. 



"Above bright olive-green ; sides of neck, and a gloss on its upper surface ashy. The 

 middle concealed portion of feathers of lower back and rump pale sulphur- yellowish. 

 Beneath white ; the chin and lower cheeks with a greyish tinge ; the sides of breast and 

 body, with axiliars and base of crissum (more faintly), bright yellow; the inner wing- 

 coverts and rest of crissum much paler, almost white. A broad y llow line from nostrils 

 to and continuous with a yellow ring ■ ound the eye, which is encircled exteriorly by 

 olivaceous; aduskyloral, but no postocular spot. Wings with two covert-bands and 

 innermost secondaries extenally, broadly yellowish white; rest of quills edged exter- 

 nally with olive, except the two outer and tips of other primaries, which are grayish. 

 Kectrices edged externally with olive, except outermost, which is bordered by grayish. 

 All the long quills bordered internally by whitish. Bill blue-black, paler on the edges; 

 legs dark plumbeous. Iris white. Total length, 4.90; wing,2.40; tail,2.20. 



"Specimens vary slightly in a greater amount of ashy on the 

 head, and less brilliancy of the yellow of head and sides. Some- 

 times there is a decided ashy shade in the white of throat and jugu- 

 lum, which again has a very faint tings of yellowish." {Hist. N. 

 Am. B.) 



The White-eyed Vireo — popularly known usually as the "Little Green 

 Hanging-bird," or "Chickty-beaver," is an abundant species in 

 suitable localities, wliich comprise hazel thickets, blackberry patches, 

 bushy swamps, etc., where its presence is made known by its vocif- 

 erous notes, which in loudness appear out of all proportion to the 

 size of the little creature which produces them. These notes 

 are remarkable for their oddity as well as for their strength. 

 In Bermuda they are interpreted as "ginger-beer, — quick," while in 

 Illinois the writer has heard them translated by boys into "chick'ty- 

 beaver, — lim'ber, stick, with special emphasis on the first syllable of 

 each word. 



The White-eyed Vireo is an exceedingly unsuspecting bird, "per- 

 mitting a near approach, and when whistled to will often stop and 

 eye you with marked curiosity, and even approach a little nearer, 

 as if to obtain a better view, entirely unconscious of any danger. 

 This is not so, however, when they have a nest. On this occasion 

 they exhibit great uneasiness when their nest is visited, approach- 

 ing very near to the intruder, looking down upon him with marked 

 expressions of uneasiness, and scolding all the while with great 

 earnestness, and with a hoarse mewing that is very peculiar." 

 (Bkbwee.) 



The nests of this species are elegant specimens of bird architecture. 

 They are deeply pensile, composed of soft mosses, hchens, and other 

 substances, and suspended from the forks of a twig, usually at a height 



