376 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



about twelve feet from the ground. The external depth of this nest was 

 only two and a half inches, the diameter three and a quarter, and its cavity 

 one and three quarters inches deep, and two inches wide at the rim. It was 

 constructed externally of strips of yellow and of gray birch-bark, intermin- 

 gled with bits of wool and dry grasses. The external portion was quite 

 loosely put togethei', Ijut was lined, in a more compact manner, with dry 

 leaves of the wliite i)ine, arranged in layers. Another nest,, found in Hing- 

 liam, was but two feet from the ground, on a branch of a hickory sapling. 

 In its general structure it was the same, only differing in shape, being made 

 to conform to its position, and being twice as long as it was broad. It con- 

 tained four young, when found, about the 10th of June. One nest alone, 

 built on a bush in Lynn, exhibits even an average degree of compactness in 

 its external structure. This is largely composed of cocoons, which are 

 woven together into a somewhat homogeneous and cloth-like substance. 

 Within, decayed stems of grasses take the place of the usual pine-needles. 



In the summer of 1870 a pair built their nest in a dwarf pear-tree, within 

 a few rods of my house. They were at first very sliy and would not permit 

 themselves to be seen at their work, and suspended all labor when any one 

 was occupied near tlieir chosen tree. Soon after the construction of the nest 

 two Cowbird's eggs were deposited, which I removed, although the female 

 only laid two of her own before she began to sit upon them. By this time 

 she became more familiar, and would not leave her nest unless I attempted 

 to lay hands upon her. 8he made no complaints in the manner of the 

 White-eyed, nor souglit to attack like the Yellow-tiiroated, but kept within 

 a few feet, and watched me with eager eyes, until I left her. Unfortunately, 

 her nest, was pillaged by a Black-billed Cuckoo, and I Avas unable to observe 

 her feed her young, as 1 had lioped to do. 



The eggs are of an ol)long-oval sliape, moderately pointed at one end, and 

 of a wliite ground, less crystalline than in the other species of its kind. They 

 are spotted pretty uniformly over tlie entire egg with dots of dark red and 

 reddish-brown. Thev are usuallv five in number. 



Lanivireo solitarius, var. cassini, Baird. 



CASSIN'S VIREO. 



Fireo cassini, Xantus, Pr. A. N. S. Phil. May, 1858, 117. —Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 340, pi. Ixxviii, fig. 1 ; Review Am. B. I, 1865, 347 (sub F. solitaria), Ridgway. 



Sp. Char. Third and fourth quills nearl}' equal, fifth shorter, second .longer than 

 seventh. Spurious primary very narrow, fiilcate, acute ; less than one third the second quill, 

 and a little more than one fourth the third. Above, including edges of wing and tail- 

 feathers, clear olive-green, becoming dusky ashy on the top and sides of head. Beneath 

 fulvous-white, tinged with ill-defined olive-green on the sides (scarcely on the crissum). 

 Two brojid bands on the wing-coverts and the outer edges of the innermost sec- 

 ondaries greenish-white ; the outer edge of outer tail-feather, with a broad ring round 



