THE RED-EYED VIREO. Ott 
DESCRIPTION. 
Second and third quills about equal, and longest; first a little shorter than the 
fourth, but considerably longer than the fifth; back, rump, and edges of wing and 
tail feathers bright olivaceous-green ; side of head and neck paler; crown dark-ash, 
sharply defined; a well-defined whitish line from the bill, over the eye, nearly to the 
occiput; a dark line separating it above from the ashy crown; a dusky line through 
the eye; beneath white; under tail coverts pale sulphur-yellow; iris, red. 
Length, about six and fifty one-hundredths inches; wing, three and fifty one- 
hundredths. 
I feel that no description of mine can begin to do justice 
to the genial, happy, industrious disposition of this one of 
our most common, and perhaps best-loved birds. From the 
time of its arrival, about the first week in May, until its 
departure, about the first week in October, it is seen in the 
foliage of elms and other shade-trees in the midst of our 
cities and villages, in the apple-trees near the farm-houses, 
and in the tall oaks and chestnuts in the deep forests. 
Everywhere in these States, at all hours of the day, from 
early dawn until evening twilight, his sweet, half-plaintive, 
half-meditative carol is heard. I know that I am not singu- 
lar in my preference, when I say, that, of all my feathered 
acquaintances, this is the greatest favorite Ihave. I always 
loved it; and I can never look upon one, after it is killed, 
‘no matter how naturally it is preserved, without a sad feel- 
ing, as if it were one of my own most dear friends dead 
before me. 
The Red-eyed Vireo is one of the most industrious of 
our birds. Whenever we see him, we notice that he is 
busily searching in the foliage of trees for caterpillars and 
noxious larve, or pursuing winged insects that have taken 
flight from the trees. While thus engaged, he utters at 
short intervals his warbling song. This consists some- 
times of a few syllables like ’wée chewéo turrullit chewéeo, 
given in a singularly sweet tone. This is only a part of its 
song; and the whole is so difficult of description that I can- 
not put it on paper. 
Says Nuttall, — 
