552 BLACK-WllISKEUED YIEEO. 



TliL've weix' lew birds iiinuiig tliu.so kuuwu to inhabit the IJalianias, which 1 looked 

 forward to finding with greater interest than this species. And (hning tlie migration of 

 small birds on Andros and the neighlioring keys, I kept eager watch for its appearance. 

 It was not, however, until our return to New- Providence on Ma\- 18th, 1884, that we 

 saw our first specimen of the Black-whiskered Vireo. Their loud, peculiar songs could be 

 heard in all directions, not only in the scrnl). but also in the gardens and in the trees 

 along the streets of the city of Nassau. Indecil, the lirst specimen that I saw was 

 perched on a high limb of one of the Hue almond trees which grew among many others 

 on a small jnililic park, known as tiie Pai-ade, .situated to the eastward of the city. 



In habit this species is ((uite peculiar in some wa^ys. They keep well in the tops of 

 the trees, seldom, if ever, feeding in the low scrub. They are exceedingly agile in move- 

 ment, having a pecidiar briskness of action which is (piite nn\ii'eolike. They are, almost 

 witliout exce])tion, shy, and when they ])erceive an intruder, whicli they are apt to do 

 very ([uickh', as they are e\'er (jn the alert, the\' erect the feathers of the head, droop the 

 wing.'^, spread the tail and utter a .series of scolding notes (j\iite unlike those of any other 

 Vireo I ever heard. Then after tl\ing restlessl\- from bougli to bongli for a moment or 

 two, thev utter a sinill .-scream of anger and off they go, generally tl\ing several hundred 

 vards in a straight line before alighting again. Even while feeding by themselves, they 

 are exceedingly restless l)irds, and a ])air will not remain long on one tree. Quickly 

 searching it over, they will leave it. almost invariably taking a long tiight before selecting 

 another feeding ground. 



On the -!7th of Mav I fomul the Black-whi.-^kered Vireo mated, the female beina, if 

 anvthing, more sliy than tlie mule and vmnsnally silent. As late as June 3rd T did not 

 find anv evidence of enlargement of the ovaries of the female and only a slight change in 

 tlie organs of the male. 



Altliougli clo.-^ely re.semlding tlic Red-eyed Vireo in form anil color, neithei' in song 

 nor habit does the Black-whiskered even suggest this spei-ies. S) wide is this 

 \ariati()n anil so im])i-essive, that even when 1 held the freshly-.shot red-eyed, green-backed 

 birds in my hand, the associations connected with them were so nuich at variance with 

 our familiar New England Vn-eo. that I could never familiarize myself with the idea that 

 tlie two species are closely-allied. Even now every time I compare the skins of the 

 Black-wliiskcred Vireo witli those of the Ked-eyed I am actually surprised at their close 

 i'eseml.)linice. How evident it is that in order to thoroughly understand his science an 

 ornithologii^t nuist have a wide field e\])erience, for only in this way can the varied 

 methods, which natuie employs in e\()h'ing species be a{)preciated. In some instanceswe 

 find species widely ditlerent in coloration agreeing so nearly in habit as to be indi.s- 

 tinguishable in this respect, but with the Black-whiskered Vireo we find that a slight 

 enlai'gement of the l)il], a few dusky-tijiped feathers in a maxillary line, and a streak of 

 moi-e l)ril]iant cnloi-ation se])aratesit from the Red-e\"e, yet we have as good and dislinct^ 

 a species as was ever turned out of Nature's Laboi-atory. 



The song of the Black-whiskered Viieo is loud and clear, noticealile in this character 

 among all i)ther of the smaller species of Bahaman Birds. '• Win'p Tom Kelly," is the 



