BLUE-HEADED VIREO. 1 77 



It possesses all the unsuspicious habits of the genus, allow- 

 ing a near approach without alarm. It seldom rises beyond 

 the tops of the canes or low bushes amidst which it is com- 

 monly seen hopping in quest of its subsistence, which consists 

 of insects and berries. Its flight is generally tremulous and 

 agitated. According to Dr. Bachman, " it is every year be- 

 coming more abundant in South Carolina, where it remains 

 from about the middle of February to that of March, keeping 

 to the woods. It has a sweet and loud song of half a dozen 

 notes, heard at a considerable distance." 



About the beginning of May, in the oaks already almost 

 wholly in leaf, on the banks of the Columbia, we heard around 

 us the plaintive deliberate warble of this species, first noticed 

 by Wilson. Its song seems to be intermediate between that of 

 the Red-eyed and Yellow-breasted species, having the preai, 

 preai, etc., of the latter, and the fine variety of the former in 

 its tones. It darted about in the tops of the trees, incessantly 

 engaged in quest of food, now and then disputing with some 

 rival. The nest of this bird is made much in the same manner 

 as that of the Vireo olivaceus. One which I examined was 

 suspended from the forked twig of the wild crab-tree, at about 

 ten feet from the ground. The chief materials were dead 

 and whitened grass leaves, with some cobwebs agglutinated 

 together, externally scattered with a few shreds of moss 

 {Hypmim) , to resemble the branch on which it was hung; 

 here and there were also a few of the white paper-like cap- 

 sules of the spider's nest, and it was lined with fine blades of 

 grass and slender root-fibres. The situation, as usual, was 

 open but shady. 



This is a fairly common summer resident of northern New 

 England, and it breeds sparingly south to the Middle States, and 

 north to Hudson's Bay. It is a rare bird in the Maritime Prov- 

 inces and in Quebec, though common in parts of Ontario. 



Note. — The Mountain Solitary Vireo {V. solitarius alti- 

 cola), lately discovered by Mr. William Brewster in western North 

 Carolina, is described as " nearly uniform blackish plumbeous, with 

 only a faint tinge of green on the back." 

 VOL. I. — 12 



