210 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



They prefer to spend their time chiefly in the shaded parts 

 of the foliage of the tree, seldom in the lower portion, and 

 not often in the highest parts, except on the migrations 

 and in the later days of their summer residence. 



The movements of this gentle songster do not often 

 attract attention, except when it is nesting within view, 

 and it thus obtrudes itself upon our notice. In the tall 

 maples it is never exposed to observation, for though it is 

 seldom at rest for any time, its movements are leisurely 

 and composed, and its graceful, dignified deportment is cer- 

 tain to win favorable opinion. Thomas Mcllwraith thus 

 writes of it on this point: "It has little excitement in its 

 nature, and keeps its usual composure under circumstances 

 which would drive most other birds off in alarm. I once 

 saw one warbling forth its pleasing ditty in a shaded tree, 

 quite close to which a large fire was in progress. Firemen, 

 engines, and crowds of people were all around, but the 

 bird was to windward of the blaze, and seemed to be com- 

 menting on the unnecessary excitement which prevailed." 



The warbling vireo begins to nest in this locality about 

 the middle of May, and its tasty little habitation is usu- 

 ally furnished with its complement of eggs in the last 

 week of the month. Nests with fresh eggs are also found 

 through the most of June. The site is in one of the trees 

 frequented by the birds, at a height varying from seven 

 to forty feet from the ground, even higher in exceptional 

 instances. Most nests are situated between ten and thirty 

 feet from the ground, and the structure is ordinarily below 

 the upper third of the foliage part of the tree. The inva- 

 riable location is a horizontal fork in the twigs near the 

 extremity of a branch, the fork being commonly formed 

 by the main branch and a diverging twig, and in this site 

 the nest is suspended by the brim. The pretty, cozy affair 

 is made of grayish-white fibers covering strips of dried 

 weed-bark, and lined with fine grass and a few horsehairs. 

 The cavity is a trifle less than two inches in diameter and 

 an inch and one-half deep. Various other material in 

 small bits is frequently woven into the nest, such as frag- 

 ments of dried leaves and pieces of gossamer in flakes, 

 and shreds from old cocoons. The eggs number three or 

 four, and they have a j^uro white ground, being specked 



