VIREONID^ — THE YIREOS. 3g5 



are in striking contrast to the apparent indifference or unconsciousness of the 

 little vocalist who, while thus delighting the ear of tlie listener, seems to be 

 all the while chiefly bent on procuring its daily supply of food, Mhich it 

 pursues with unabated ardor. 



This Vireo builds the neat pensile nest of its race, suspending it from the 

 fork of two or more twigs of a forest tree, at various heights of from five to 

 fifty feet from the ground. It is cup-like in shape, and always dependent 

 from small twigs, around wliich its upper edges are firmly bound. Exter- 

 nally it is woven of various materials, fine strips of bark, the hempen fibres 

 of vegetables, and webs of spiders and of various caterpillai"s. These are 

 compactly pressed and woven, and, as some sui^pose, agglutinated by the 

 saliva of the builder. Sometimes the unmanageable materials give to the 

 outside of the nest a rude and unfinished appearance, at others they are 

 evenly and smoothly wrought. They are very strong, uninjured by the 

 storms of winter, and are often made use of by otlier birds, by mice, and 

 even by the same bird a second season. 



A nest of this bird (S. I. Coll., 3,353) was obtained at the Cumberland 

 House by Mr. Kennicott. It is pensile, like aU others, but is composed 

 almost exclusively of pine-neecUes, — a dry and hard material, difficult of 

 management in making such a nest. With these are intermingled a few bits 

 of moss, fine strips of bark, and flax-like vegetable fibres. Within this rude 

 basket is an inner nest, made up of fine dry grasses, strips of bark, and pine 

 leaves. The external fabric is loosely put together, — an unusual feature, — 

 but the inner portion, in the firmness and strength with which it was made, 

 is in remarkable contrast. 



The Iicd-eyed Vireo's nest is often chosen by the Cowbird for the deposi- 

 tion of her parasitic eggs, and these foster-parents are singularly devoted in 

 the care of their alien guests, whom they tenderly nurture, even to the neg- 

 lect of their own offspring. In one instance three eggs of a Cowbird were 

 deposited in the nest of the Yireo before any of her own, and, without laying 

 any, the female Yireo proceeded to sit upon and hatch the inti'uders. In 

 another case, where two of the Vireo's had been laid, two Cowbird's eo-gs 

 Avere added. The Vireo stopped laying, and proceeded to incubate. In each 

 instance the female Vireo seemed to forego her own natural aspirations, and 

 at once conform to tlie new situation. 



The male Vireo often evinces great courage and spirit in the defence of his 

 nest, when the young are hatched driving away intruders, and even flying in 

 the face of a man who approaches too near. 



]\Ir. Xuttall states that the young of the Red-eyed Vireo feed eagerly upon 

 the berries of the cornel and the Viburnum dcnlatum, and other shrubs. A 

 young bird kept in confinement soon became very gentle, and readily ate flies 

 and grasshoppers from his hand, and viburnum berries. A tame Kingbird 

 in the same room was very jealous of and tyrannized over him, so as to 

 compel liim to seek protection from liis captor. The Vireos, like Flycatchers, 



