Warbling Vireo. 211 



irregularly with dark reddish-brown, sometimes more 

 thickly at the larger end with heavier spots. They are 

 about .75 of an inch in length by .55 in width. 



Like the other vireos, the warbling vireos do not wander 

 far from their established homes, and the nest of a pair 

 can generally be located by the regularity of their singing 

 in the nesting season. The tree containing the nest can 

 usually be determined by their incessant warbling in and 

 near it, and sometimes the nest itself can be found by 

 tracing the music to its source, for the fact that these 

 birds frequently sing on the nest has been mentioned. I 

 found my first nest of the warbling vireo in an orchard, 

 tracing the songs of the pair to the tree and then to the 

 nest, in which the female was sitting lightly, conversing 

 musically with her spouse, who was seated near her and 

 warbling in response. Even when I stood within a few 

 feet of her she continued her soft melody, and left the 

 nest only when I made a threatening demonstration. 



These vireos, as well as others of the family, are exceed- 

 ingly watchful of the homes they have swung among the 

 twigs, and they scold volubly at the approach of friends 

 or foes, uttering a harsh note of anger, resembling the 

 syllable **gay." This call of anger and alarm is a key to 

 the identification of the species, and will aid to distinguish 

 it from the red-eyed vireo, for the latter has a scolding 

 note, uttered in similar tone and manner, but sounding 

 more like "gway," suggesting to the imaginative observer 

 the words ''go 'way," pronounced in one sharp syllable. 

 These chiding, angry notes of the vireos are heard almost 

 constantly in the nesting time in the vicinity of their 

 nests, whether the intruder be a skulking blue jay intent 

 on mischief, a strolling neighbor who happens to alight 

 near the guarded portals of their home, or a rambling 

 ornithologist desirous of knowing something of the habits 

 and manners of his feathered friends. In fact, the scold- 

 ing notes are uttered by the birds when there is no appa- 

 rent occasion for their jealousy, being heard more fre- 

 quently as incubation and the consequent growth of the 

 family advances. After the eggs are hatched, the harsh 

 scolding of the birds takes the place of their warbling 

 almost entirely. They are fearless in defending their 



