THE RED-EYED VIREO. 271 



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- 

 iai in my preference, when I say, that, of all my feathered 

 acquaintances, this is the greatest favorite I have. 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 Yireo 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 larvae, 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 'wee cheweo turrullit chewSeo, 

 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, 



