BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 369 



and uttered with the utmost clearness and rapidity, I am sure 

 you cannot hear short of the haunts of the genuine Mocking 

 Bird. If not fully and accurately represented, there are at 

 least suggested the notes of the Robin, Wren, Catbird, High- 

 hole, Goldfinch and Song-sparrow." 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Spurious primary about half the second, which is about 

 equal to the eighth quill. Entire upper parts bright olivaceous- 

 green; space around the eyes and extending to the bill, green- 

 ish-yellow, interrupted by a dusky spot from the anterior 

 can thus to the base of the gape; beneath white; sides of breast 

 and body well defined almost gamboge yellow; edges of greater 

 and middle wing coverts (forming two bands) and of inner 

 tertiaries, greenish-yellow-white; iris white 



Length, 5; wing, 2.50. 



Habitat, eastern United States, west of the Rocky mountains. 



VIREO BELLII (Audubon). (633.) 

 BELL'S VIREO, 



I cannot quite understand how a bird which has been fairly 

 common for many years now, could have escaped my collecting 

 basket so effectually for nearly ten years after I became a resi- 

 dent here, yet so it did; but I have in late years found them 

 relatively common during the seasons when the other members 

 of the genus were. They arrive about the 10th of May, and 

 build their nests from the 25th to the 30th of that month in low 

 bushes in the woodlands. The vicinities of our beautiful, syl- 

 van lakes are favorite breeding localities. The nest is much 

 like that of the other vireos, pensile and extremely well built, 

 of strips of bark by which it is secured in the forks of a hori- 

 zontal limb, and further composed of caterpillars' silk, wasps' 

 nests, spiders' nests, with bits of bark from milkweeds, &c. , &c. 

 The structure is basket-form, very firmly woven, embracing in 

 its materials, bits of almost any pliable substances, and is lined 

 with grass, fine strips of grape vine, and bits of leaves. White 

 birch, which abounds about our lakes, is very often prominent. 

 The eggs are pure white, slightly spotted with specks of brown- 

 ish-black, mostly at the larger end, and four in number. No 

 bird of song is habitually more hidden in its habits of conceal- 

 ment amongst low brush. 



The song is not obtrusive like the Red-eyed, but is sweet and 

 very plaintive while far from languid in the earnestness of its 

 delivery. They are not an overly shy bird by any means, for 



