136



Lady William Cecil,



family, usually inhabits rather swampy woods. It has a wonder¬

fully sweet song full of musical notes. It builds a very curious nest

of fir-needles, leaves, and twigs, lined with lichen, and bound all

round with spiders’ webs. It is generally placed in some inaccessible

place, and I have never been fortunate enough to get one myself, but

there are very perfect specimens in several ornithological collections

in America.


The Solitary Yireo is olive-green above with a bluish-grey

head, from which it is sometimes called the Blue-headed Yireo. It

has a broad white mark round the eyes and across the hill; the under

parts are white, with slight brownish-green on the sides, shading to

pale yellow.


The Plumbeous Vireos (V. plumbeus) take the place of the

Solitaries from the central plain to the Pacific coast. They can

hardly be mistaken, for the Plumbeous are much greyer, with a grey

back and head, rather brighter on the crown, the same white eye¬

line as the Solitary, but a darkish loral stripe is added. They are

nearly white underneath, with a very little brownish-green shading ;

they have white wing-bars and white lines on the dark wings

and tail.


I do not know this bird’s nest. Its voice is very much like

that of the Solitary. The Plumbeous Yireos are very common in

Colorado and Montana and in the southern Rockies. Some ornitho¬

logists consider this bird only a local variety of the Solitary, but it

looks decidedly different, at least in colouring, as it appears so much

more “ slatey ” and grey.


One of the prettiest members of this family is the White-eyed

Yireo (V. noveboracensis). It is also olive-grey, but its colour is

much more distinct and brighter than most of its relations. It has

bright yellow “ spectacles,” and the dark feathers of its wings and

tail are edged with clear yellow. It may always be easily distin¬

guished by its curious white eyes and almost black legs and feet.


Its song, though of course not nearly so loud, is much like that

of the Mocking-bird, as it imitates the notes of all sorts of other birds,

and mixes them up together with a peculiar and sweet little song of

its own. It also has an angry and most emphatic note when

frightened or disturbed, like that of an English Robin in a rage.



