2-42 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



materials. The bark fibers are passed in and out, around 

 and under, inside and outside, in a manner so wonderful 

 that we can not fail to praise the skill of the little builder. 

 Frequently she is assisted by the male, who fetches mate- 

 rials for her to arrange into the nest, and sometimes when 

 she becomes impatient to occupy her new home before it 

 is completed, and begins to deposit her eggs, the male 

 continues to bring materials, which she adjusts according 

 to her fancy. The exterior of the snug little structure is 

 sometimes partially covered with soft, grayish lint and 

 vegetable worsted, though there is great variety in the 

 nests in regard to finish and embellishment. 



The red-eyed vireos have a propensity to scold, and their 

 harsh, angry "g'way" is a common sound in the vicinity 

 of their nests, for whoever or whatever enters the claimed 

 limits of a pair of these birds is certain to be well berated 

 for even unconscious trespass. Their jealousy is easily 

 aroused when they are nesting, and the commonest sound 

 of the woodlands in summer is the almost continual scold- 

 ing of these vireos. The blue jays are very likely to pro- 

 voke the anger of the watchful householders, and with 

 a storm of excited *'g'way " abuse, the owners greet the 

 offending intruder and demand his withdrawal from 

 the spot. One summer I saw a blue jay skulking in 

 the vicinity of a nest of these vireos. I was attracted to 

 the place by the sharp, rapidly repeated cries of the 

 vireos, and I detected the blue jay when be was about 

 two feet from the nest. He was on the branch supporting 

 the nest, but he had evidently not touched the guarded 

 spot. Both birds were nervously excited and "crying 

 angry," uttering their maledictions so rapidly that these 

 seemed almost continuous. Each of the little defenders 

 would dart upon the head or back of the marauder, and 

 striking him with a loud, angry snap of the bill, would 

 quickly dart out of his reach. When the jay turned his 

 head to follow the movements of the retreating bird, the 

 other parent would attack him from another direction 

 with a similar loud snap and angry outcry, and thus they 

 so galled the big fellow by their savage and persistent 

 attacks that he was forced to desist from his evil designs. 

 The blue jay tried to be indifferent at the beginning of 



