I 



5(30 BELLS' VIREO. 



in fact I fnuiul tlieiu even more abuiulaiit than during my previous visit. Upon h(jth oc- 

 casions I found them on high land and in full sung. That is tliey were uttering the 

 fniinnentarv notes similar to those so cliaracteristic of the White-eye. the Bahama and of 

 Allen's Vireos. These notes, however, were exceedingly \a,rialile and reminded me more 

 of theBalmma Vireo than of the White-eye and it is proha.hle that like t'lis specie.'^, the 

 Key West Vireo utters a conti-iuous song in the spring. 



1 found them quite almndant at Miami, and in the virinit\ from Januar\- until April 

 during that same winter and secure, a large numSer of specim^'iis there. 1 did not find them 

 on the keys which I visited between Miami and Key West. It is higldy probable, how 

 ever that the Vireo is not restricted to the i.-^land of Key West in this direction as Stock 

 Key lies only a mile distant; otlier keys are near this; in fict, the whole chain of Florid; 

 keys are closely connected, quite to the main land, and the exact distribution of the birds 

 upon tliem is still a cpiestion to be settled. 



VIREO BELII 

 Bell's Vireo. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Ch. Size, small with the general coloration of the Warbling Vireo but with decided wing bars. 

 Spurious quill present. Color, above, olive green, brightest on the rump, with the head markings similar to 

 those of V. gilvus. Wings, grayish brown, with two rows of coverts tipped with whitish. Benerth. white, 

 tinged on breast and tail coverts with sulplmry yellow. Sides and Hanks sulphur yellow tinged with olive. 

 Iris, brown, bill, brown, paler on lower mandible. Feet, bluish. 



OBSERVATKJNS. ♦ 



Known by the small size and presence of wing bars. Occurs from Illinois and Minnesota west to the 

 Reeky Mountains. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length, from 4.75 to 4.00; stretch, 7.00 to T.lo; wing, 2.10 to iMo; tail; 1.80 to 1.00; bill, .38 to .40; 

 tarsus, .68 to to G7. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, deeply cup-shaped, placed in trees and bushes, composed of hemp like fibers of plants and bits 

 of leaves, lined with fine weeds and grass, sometimes with hairs. Eggs, four in number, oval in form, white 

 in color, thinly dotted around the large end with dark reddish brown. Dimensions, from .08 by .48 to 

 .70 by .50. 



HABITS. 

 According to description, this species appear to inhal)it the thickets in the open coun- 

 try where it has much the same habits as those of the White-eye, Init the song is not quite 

 so emphatically given. , 



FAMILY COEREBIDAE. THE FRUIT CREEPERS. 



Primaries, nine. Bill, slender and curved, not notched at tip which is very sharp. Wings when closed, 

 reaching to the middle of the tail' Tongue, deeply bifid and provided with a long terminal cilia. ( See Fig. 

 79.) 



