390 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ritoiy. In his account of it Mr. Audubon states that it is usually found in 

 the bottom-lands along the shores of the Upper Missouri Eiver, from the 

 neighborhood of the Black Snake Hills, as far as they ascended that river. In 

 its habits he describes it as more nearly allied to the White-eyed Vireo than 

 any other. 



Dr. Woodhouse, in his report of the Zuni Eiver Expedition, mentions find- 

 ing this species abundant in Texas. Mr. Dresser also speaks of it as not 

 uncommon, during the summer, near San Antonio, and remaining there to 

 breed. He mentions finding a nest on the 2d of July in a wcsatche bush 

 near the San Pedro, containing three eggs of this species. and one of the Cow- 

 Bunting. Being anxious to procure the parent bird he left it, but on his 

 return the nest had been torn and the Yireo's eggs smashed. Dr. Heermann 

 found a nest on the Medina about the same time. He describes this nest as 

 beautifully formed of fine grasses, and hung from the small twigs of a tree. 

 The eggs, four in number, were very small, white, with an occasional reddish 

 dot at the larger end. The nest found by Dr. Heermann was attached to the 

 pendent twigs of a willow. The stomachs of these Vireos were found to 

 contain small green caterpillars. 



Dr. Coues met with this species near Fort Riley, May 23. It appeared to 

 be quite common, and was found inhabiting thickets and clumps of bushes, 

 like V. noveboraccnsis, but having a very different song, the peculiarity of 

 which first attracted his attention. Mr. Ridgway found it to be a common 

 summer resident in the thickets and copses of Southern Illinois, especially in 

 the prairie districts. He first met with it on the 8th of June, 1871, on Fox 

 Prairie, in Richland County. His attention was drawn to it by its peculiar 

 song, which has a general resemblance to that of the White-eyed Vireo, hav- 

 ing the same odd delivery, but being more sputtering, reminding one some- 

 what of the song of Troglodytes cedon. 



This Vireo appears to have quite an extended distribution during the 

 breeding-season, or from Texas to the Upper Missouri, and even as far as the 

 eastern edge of Southern Illinois. It breeds also as far to the east as East- 

 ern Kansas. Its western limits are not so clearly defined. It was not found 

 by Mr. Ridgway in Nevada or Utah, nor by Dr. Coues in Arizona. 



A nest of this species, found in June, near Neosho Falls, Kansas, by Mr. 

 B. F. Goss (S. I. Coll., 1,875), is pensile ; suspended from two small twigs, which 

 make the basis of three fourths of its rim. Over these is strongly bound 

 a finely felted webbing of the flax-like fibres of plants, interwoven with 

 slender stems. With these are connected and interwoven also the materials 

 that make up the periphery of the nest itself This is composed of long 

 and slender strips of bark, fragments of dry leaves, bits of wood, and various 

 other fragmentary substances. The nest, unlike others of this family, is 

 lined with down, and tlie fine long hair of some animals, instead of with 

 vegetable stems. The diameter as well as the height of this nest is about 

 two and a half inches. 



