PHILADELPHIA VIREO 349 



and others, between 1863 and 1876, including his own introduction to 

 the species at Lake Umbagog in 1872, He says of its haunts there : 



Although in the breeding season the species * * * seems to be generally dis- 

 tributed throughout the wooded region about Umbagog, it occurs less commonly 

 in the heavily timbered portions. As upon its first arrival, it chiefly affects the 

 younger growths which have sprung up in the clearings and over old burnt lauds. 

 Its favorite haunts are the coppices of wild-cherry and gray birches by road- 

 sides ; rocky knolls tufted with black and yellow birches ; the various small ti'ees 

 and tall shrubs that fringe the wood-edges ; and deserted farms, where cool 

 groves of vigorous young paper-birches and glaucous-foliagcd poplars are 

 grouped over the neglected acres, with intervals of sunny openings between. But 

 wherever found, like most of the members of the Vireosylvia group, it makes its 

 home in the tops and upper branches of the trees, rather than in the thickets 

 beneath. 



Then, 17 years later, came Dr. Jonathan D wight's (1897) full and 

 interesting account of the Philadelphia vireo, as he had observed it 

 near Tadousac, Quebec, on the Saguenay River. He w\as struck with 

 the close resemblance between the red-eyed vireo and the Philadel- 

 phia, saying: "Both frequent the same localities in the wilderness, 

 but the Philadelphias rather shun civilization and rarely appear, like 

 the Red-eyes, in the village trees. Both prefer to sing in the upper 

 branches, but I have seldom found the Philadelphias in the rambling 

 groves of birches which are the especial delight of the Red-eyes, and 

 they are more partial to the low, bushy, second growth or copses of 

 alders si^rinlded with stray trees." 



The Philadelphia vireo is now known to breed in the Canadian Zone 

 in southern Canada, from Alberta to New Brunswick, and in the 

 Northern States, from North Dakota to Maine, in all suitable wilder- 

 ness localities. L. M. Terrill writes to me : "The Philadelphia vireo 

 is common and well distributed in suitable localities wherever I have 

 been in Gaspe, especially in the extensive alder growths in bottom- 

 lands and along streams. I also found it among dense patches of 

 mountain maple (Acer spicatwn) and alders well up on mountain 

 slopes, but it was not as common here as along streams." 



Syring. — From its winter home in Central America this vireo 

 migrates northward in spring over most of the United States, at least 

 from the Mississippi Valley eastward. It does not seem to be abun- 

 dant anywhere, and generally not even common. It is, however, 

 easily overlooked, as it sings very little on migration and often fre- 

 quents the tree tops, where it moves about in a very leisurely manner 

 and where its colors blend well with the fresh foliage ; for these reasons, 

 it may be commoner than is generally supposed. It passes through 

 the States in May, coming along with waves of the later migrating 

 warblers. It is generally seen at this season in the small trees, thickets, 

 and shrubbery bordering streams or marshes, but sometimes in the 

 tree tops of the more open woodlands or in scattered trees. 



