HUTTON'S VIREO 247 



for a long- period. He says that, at a distance, tlie note "sounds 

 somewliat lilve tcher-ree^ tlie first syllable being- quickly given but pro- 

 longed and somewliat accented, the second with a rising inflection; 

 and the repetition of this note or call was so rapid and so long con- 

 tinued that I timed the bird. I found that it was repeated at the rate 

 per minute of 61 — 67 — 62 — 75 — 25 — 20 — 57^ — 71 — a slight intermission 

 and then 40, this representing a succession of minutes." Several 

 other somewhat similar records were made, sometimes in a higher and 

 sometimes in a lower key, for periods of six consecutive minutes, the 

 last of Avhich w^as the most rapid and protracted of them all. "Fol- 

 lowing the lapse of seven minutes, the notes again began to be given 

 in a slightly higher key. This record was per minute, 52 — 78 — 78 — 

 71 — 74 — 73 — 71—63—60 — 71 — 66 — 15, covering a time of eleven min- 

 utes and a few seconds. The total time of this was 675 seconds, durintr 

 which the note was given 781 times, this proving a complete record or 

 performance, as the bird was not again heard for quite a long time. 

 When once more heard it was some distance away. These notes were 

 given with much regularity and rapidly, and at times some were of 

 less strength than at others, though all were clear. When quite close, 

 the note sounds much like ser-ree. During my stay both birds were 

 quite often heard and seemed to be calling to each other." 



Mr. Cogswell writes to me: "Hutton's 'song' is usually a repetition 

 of two notes, the second either higher or lower than the first, with the 

 accent on the higher note — 



dice- cli^e- icceiK ivcen, 



icec, wee, etc., or chu~ ohu- elo. 



When not singing, these vireos often give a simple, light Jvip, k/p, kip 

 call note, and this or their song is sometimes preceded by an odd mew- 

 ing twittering. In addition, they give a nasal grating (scolding^- 

 note. Many times, though, a bird will sing repeatedly for as much as 

 15 or 20 minutes, and then become completely silent for as long a period 

 or more." 

 Mr. Van Fleet (1919) writes: 



During the fall and winter this Vireo's liquid note is seldom heard and then but 

 a contented bar or two while feeding. But at the first breaking of winter into 

 spring his notes become more frequent. The nuptial song is a constant repeti- 

 tion of a single note, often for a prolonged period. It is like the twanging of a 

 bow string in one key, quid, quid, quid, repeated indefinitely. The above is not 

 an attempt to reproduce the note, as it has more liquid quality and there is a 

 slight cadence in it ranging higher towards the end of the note. In some in- 

 dividuals it is given a slight trill like water over stones. The earliest I have 

 heard their song, if song it could be called, is in the first week of February, and 

 it is to be heard from then on until late summer." 



Other published accounts of the vocal efforts of Hutton's vireo do 



