on the Vireos (or Greenlets) of North America. 135


up, so we had to hurry on to reach shelter, for a tropical thunder¬

storm is no mean thing by which to be caught in the open !


The Warbling Vireo (V. gilvus) has the very sweetest of

melodious notes, which often may be heard early in the morning in

the trees in a village, or country town ; for though he builds in the

quiet woods, he is a sociable little person, and seems to like human

neighbours. It is easy enough to stand under a tree and listen to

him without in any way disturbing^his song, but it is very difficult to

catch sight of him, as he hides so cleverly among the leaves.


I listened a long time to one which was singing high up in a

maple tree, and though I was actually watching the branch on which

he was perched, it was some time before I could discover him, so

“ protected ” was he by his colouring of greyish-green, pale yellow,

and pearl-shaded white.


An apparently smaller and paler, and, according to some

ornithologists, a distinct variety, known as Swainson’s Vireo ( V.

stoansonii ), takes the place of the Warbling Vireo in the Rocky

Mountains and westward. A pair of Swainsons, or what I believe to

be these, were building in a secluded corner of Beacon Park, British

Columbia, weaving a very elaborate nest, quite out of reach. These

birds certainly seemed decidedly smaller that the Warbling Vireos of

the Eastern States, though their colouring appeared much the same.

Perhaps they were rather lighter in general tone, and with even less

distinct shading. Their song had the same tender sweetness as that

of the Eastern variety. Both birds of this little couple helped very

energetically in nest building.


Bell’s Vireo (V. bellii) is a still smaller bird, measuring well

under five inches ; it has a greenish-greyjhead shading to olive and

greenish-brown on the hack, rather brighter towards the tail; a

whitish throat and chin, and a rather bright yellow breast, and one

clear and one indistinct white bar on the wings. He is a cheery

little fellow, with a clear voice very loud for his size.


Bell’s Vireos may be seen and heard almost any spring and

summer day in the open country and sparsely-w r ooded districts any¬

where between “ Kansas and the Rockies ” ; I have never heard them

or seen them in thick or dark woods.


The Solitary Vireo ( V. solitarius), unlike the rest of th



