614 THE BIEDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



At least one species of Shrike is common and breeds, building its nest largely of 

 the stalks of a species of Gnnphaliumin the branches of the low, scrubby oaks that 

 cover the sand-hills (Cliristy). 



219. Vireo olivaceus. Red eyed Vireo. 



Abundant surainer resident of woodlands : Abundant at Pembina, 

 breeding (Coues). Northwest to Lake Winnipeg (Brewer). Winnipeg: 

 Summer resident, tolerably common (Hine). Portage la Prairie : Com- 

 mon summer resident (Nash). (Jarberry : Abundant summer resident 

 in woodlands, breeds (Tliompson). Very abundant about Lake Mani- 

 toba, breeding (Macoun). Cumberland House, June 2, 1827 (Eichard- 

 son). 



On August29, 1882, C. T. caught a Eed-eyed Vireo down by the Slough. 

 It was hurt in the wing, at least it seemed incapable of flight. It fought 

 fiercely, biting at the fingers and snapping like an owl. When I laid 

 it down, it threw itself on its back and fought like a hawk ; on hold- 

 ing my finger towards it, it seized hold with its foot and allowed itself 

 to be carried so. It seemed to have an insatiable appetite. It will eat 

 as many dragon flies of the largest kind and as fast as we can catch 

 them for it, and they are far from being a rare insect ; six of the smaller 

 kind it swallowed whole in rapid succession, the larger ones he holds 

 to the perch with his foot, and breaks them up before swallowing. One 

 of the latter was given to him alive and caused hiiu some trouble; they 

 had quite a struggle on the floor of the cage before he mastered it, for 

 the dragon fly w.as nearly as long as himself. 



August 31. The Vireo readily eats raw meat. His dietary to-day, in- 

 cludes three dozen house-fl.es, the entrails of a sparrow, six dragon 

 flies, a couple of large grasshoppers, a couple of crickets, and tlie greater 

 part of another sparrow. 



September 1. Each day the Vireo disgorges a pellet of the indigesti- 

 ble part of its food. This is globular and about one quarter of an inch 

 in diameter. This morning he devoured the entrails of a bobolink, a 

 few crickets, and a number of naked caterpillars; the latter he readily 

 eats, but he refuses to touch the hairy ones. 



September 3. The Vireo is dead, it proved a male ; length, oj ; ex- 

 tent, 9:^. An examination showed clearly that in spite of the enormous 

 meals it had daily made, it had died of starvation. The stomach was 

 quite empty, the fat everywhere totally absorbed, and the breastbone 

 nearly cutting the skin. From this we may form an idea of the enor- 

 mous quantity of insect food gathered by this bird when at liberty and 

 providing for its young as well as itself. 



July 17, 1883. To-day the nest of a Ftcdeyed Vireo found June 27, 

 contained one young one ready to fly, another but half grown, and an 

 egg which was near being hatched. The nest was composed outwardly 

 of was]) nest paper. As usual with this species, the old birds did not 

 appear to be much concerned about me. They hopped quietly about 



