PLUMBEOUS VIREO 311 



There is another set of four eggs in my collection, taken by O. W. 

 Howard in these same mountains on May 31, 1901; the nest was in a 

 mai^le tree, hung from the fork of a small branch near the extremity 

 of a limb, about 40 feet above ground. 



Mr. Willard (1908) says of nests that he has seen in the Huachuca 

 Mountains : 



The nests are usually close to the ground, frequently within reaching distance. 

 Oaks, ash, maples and sycamores are selected as nesting sites. Each pair lias 

 its claim staked out and ejects all intruders of the same species, altho the other 

 two species are unmolested by Plumbeus even when nesting in close proximity. 



In nest building they go as far as a quarter of a mile for material. They feed 

 closer to the nest, however, probably at not over half this distance. The female 

 does all the nest-building but is assisted somewhat by the male in the duties of 

 incubation. He also feeds his mate on the nest, but this is done rather infre- 

 quently. My present observations give the time at intervals of from twenty 

 minutes to half an hour. When doing so he sings close by the nest after 

 feeding her and this has helped me locate several. The male also sings when 

 the nest is approached, aud once this year I saw one sitting on the nest and 

 singing. Toward evening the male frequently flies down close to the nest and 

 sits within a few inches of it for long periods, being perfectly quiet and motion- 

 less all the time. 



The nest is a very pretty cup-shaped affair as is usual with this family. It is 

 composed of grass-tops woven into a framework aud filled in with oak down and 

 greenish colored oak blossoms and bits of spiders web. The lining is of fine 

 grass tops from which all the seeds have been removed. The general appearance 

 of a normal nest is greenish in color. One nest built in a sycamore was made 

 entirely of white goat hair and fine grass. The hair hung down some inches 

 in a fringe all over and made a handsome ornament. 



In Zion National Park, Utah, according to Russell K. Grater (MS.), 

 "nesting begins late in April and continues into June. The nests are 

 uniformly close to the ground, usually being onlj'^ about 4 to 6 feet up. 

 Made up of fine grasses, bits of small shredded leaves, and the cotton 

 from the poplar trees, it is one of the most perfectly constructed nests 

 found in the region. The nest is invariably on the tip of a long branch, 

 suspended from a fork, and is usually well shaded by other parts of 

 the tree's foliage. The parent birds call incessantly, even while bring- 

 ing food to the young, becoming silent only when within a few feet 

 of the nest." 



Eggs. — The plumbeous vireo lays ordinarily three or four eggs, 

 most commonly four, and rarely five. These are similar to the eggs 

 of the species elsewhere. The measurements of 30 eggs in the United 

 States National Museum average 20.2 by 14.9 millimeters; the eggs 

 showing the four extremes measures 21.7 by 15.0, 21.4 by 15.5, and 

 18.3 by 14.2 millimeters. 



In other respects all the habits of the plumbeous vireo seem to be 

 very similar to those of the eastern blue-headed vireo and need not be 

 reported here. 



