364 BULLETIN 19 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The nests of the Warbling Vireo, while they resemble closely those of the other 

 species in all the characteristics of this well-marked family, are yet, as a rule, 

 more carefully, neatly, and closely built. They are usually suspended at the 

 height of from thirty to fifty feet, in the fork of twigs, under and near the ex- 

 tremity of the tree-top, often an elm, protected from the sun and storm by a canopy 

 of leaves, and just out of reach of most enemies. They vary little in size, being 

 about two inches in height and three and a half in their greatest diameter, nar- 

 rowing, toward their junction with the twigs, to two inches. They are all secured 

 In a very firm manner to the twigs from which they are suspended by a fplting of 

 various materials, chiefly soft, flexible, flax-like strips of vegetable fibres, leaves, 

 stems of plants, and strips of bark. With these are interwoven, and carried out 

 around the outer portions of the nest, long strips of soft flexible bark of 

 deciduous trees. They are softly and compactly filled in and lined with fine 

 stems of plants. 



William Brewster (1906) writes: "The nest of the Warbling Vireo 

 is ordinarily built at least thirty or forty feet above the ground, at the 

 end of a long, slender branch. Silver-leaved poplars are preferred 

 to all other trees, but where these are not available the birds content 

 themselves with large, spreading white ash trees, or with elms, lindens 

 or maples, while they occasionally choose apple or even pear trees." 



A. C. Bent (MS.) writes of a nest which he collected "25 feet from 

 the ground in the top of a pear tree, attached to some small, leafy 

 twigs close to an outer, topmost branch. The nest was deeply hollowed 

 and well made of strips of inner bark of shrubs, various soft fibers, 

 leaves, feathers, spiders' nests and cobwebs; it was lined with fine 

 grasses and horse hair." And Coues (1878) points out that "the 

 nest is quite deeply cupped, with a somewhat contracted brim, for 

 the still greater safety of its precious freight." 



M. G. Vaiden (MS.), of Rosedale, Miss., sends to Mr. Bent the 

 following data on nests of the warbling vireo : "A nest 60 feet from 

 the ground, out on a limb, in a crotch of a small limb branching from 

 a larger one. However, the nest was only 14 feet from the trunk 

 of the tree. The nest was very similar to that of the red-eye vireo, 

 but a little heavier material had been used, and there was less work- 

 manship on the outer side, not so much inner bark strips or moss, 

 although there was a dab here and there." Another nest: "At the 

 very top outer branches of a pecan, 90 feet high." A third nest : "In 

 young sycamore tree, out on limb and semipensile, not over 15 feet 

 from the ground on a branch over a little-used dirt road. This was 

 the tallest tree (20 feet) in the vicinity." And A. Dawes Du Bois 

 (MS.) sends the following: "About 40 feet from the ground in top 

 of willow tree on bank of river ; about 40 feet up in red oak tree 30 

 yards from our house; IOY2 f^et from the ground in apple tree in 

 orchard." Of the second nest he says: "While I was watching the 

 singing bird on the nest, his mate came and replaced him. The 

 change was made as quick as a flash; as he slipped off the nest, his 

 mate slipped instantly into it. A rather stiff wind was blowing, so that 



