136 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



its congeners, and is the last of tlie vireos to make its 

 appearance in the places it frequents. It commonly 

 reaches this locality by the end of the first week of May, 

 and proceeds to take j^ossession of its former domains 

 with its accustomed vivacity of spirit. It begins to nest 

 soon after the middle of May, and the duties of incubation 

 usually claim the attention of the female in the last week 

 of this month. The nests are suspended by the brim from 

 the twigs of the bushes it frequents, and are oftenest in 

 low situations between a foot and four feet from the 

 ground, though sometimes nests are found in higher situ- 

 ations. The typical nesting site of the vireos is in a 

 drooping or horizontal fork, but the nest of Bell's vireo 

 often depends from more than two twigs. It is generally 

 well concealed by surrounding leaves, and only by pulling 

 aside the foliage can one ordinarily find the nest, or else 

 b}^ getting down where one can look through the stems 

 with the view unobstructed by the leaves. 



Both male and female, being so seldom far away from 

 their lowly home, are jealous watchers of its privacy, and 

 strongly object to an investigation by intruders. The 

 female is a restless sitter, and therefore is easily startled 

 from her nest. When disturbed, both birds flit about the 

 spot, uttering a scolding, wren-like noise represented 

 almost exactly by the syllable " pa," pronounced like the 

 sound of pa in pair, repeated rapidly, at times more rap- 

 idly by the female than one can follow by counting. In 

 their nervous anxiety to protect their property and em- 

 bryonic offspring, they do not hesitate to perch close to 

 the disturber, and their bright eyes flash with outraged 

 dignity and righteous indignation. At such times we can 

 note their resemblance to the warbling vireo, yet their 

 smaller size is seen at once, and their colors are brighter 

 than those of the larger species. 



Many nests examined show a similarity in location and 

 construction. They are made chiefly of grayish vegetable 

 bark fibers, a sort of light, clean, husk-like leaf in small 

 fragments, fine dried grass, pieces of leaves and paper, and 

 bits and threads of gossamer. Outwardly the nest has an 

 unfinished appearance, the bark fibers and pieces of husk 

 being allowed to hang loosely from the under side of the 



