126 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



white eyes showing like tiny marbles in the 

 sides of their heads. 



Many bird students have gone quite into 

 ra])tures over the song of the white-eye. Mr. 

 Burroughs thinks he mimics the songs of other 

 birds, and that in this respect only the mock- 

 ing bird goes ahead of him. Another writer 

 says that in July and August this little bird 

 sometimes sings with so much power and 

 variety that you think at first there must be 

 three or four songsters in the bushes, each try- 

 ing to distance the other. He also declares 

 tliat the white-eye imitates the notes of other 

 birds, among them those of the robin, wren, 

 catbird, flicker, goldfinch, and song sparrow. 



In my neighborhood, and, indeed, in the 

 entire State of Ohio, except, perhaps, in the 

 extreme northern pai't, the blue-headed or soli- 

 tary vireo is only a migrant ; so I have had 

 no chance to study its breeding habits. It has 

 several times favored me with a song in the 

 s})ring, and even in the autumn it occasionally 

 breaks into a queer strain that is half music 

 and half squeak. Its true song in its northern 

 summer home is said to be very fine, and its 

 nest a handsome little structure, hung in the 

 fork (^f a branch in some quiet and secluded 

 place. 



