Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



77 



THE SPOTTED FL Y-C ATC HER. 



THE VIREOS. 



.state, and usually fixes its nest in the up- 

 right forks of a small tree, at a height of 

 from 8 to 30 feet from the ground. The 

 eggs, from 4 to 6 in number, are wliite 

 and unsjjotted. It feeds, like the other 

 species of this genus, upon bees, flies and 

 moths. 



THE SPOTTED FLY-CATCIIER. 



Muscicapa canadensis. — Linn. 

 Description. — Male witli the upper 

 parts ash-gray; the feathers of the wings 

 and tail brown, edged with gray ; the 

 head spotted with black ; loral space, a 

 band beneath the eye proceeding down 

 the side of the neck, and a belt of trian- 

 gular spots across the lower part of the 

 fore neck, black ; lower parts, and a bar 

 from the nostril over the eye pure yellow ; 

 lower wing and tail coverts wliite ; the 

 third quill longest, the second and fourth 

 but little shorter; tail rounded. Female 

 similar to the male, but the colors fainter. 

 Young with the neck unspotted. Length 

 5, spread 9. — Jludiihon. 



History. — This bird, according to Au- 

 dubon, gives a decided preference to 

 mountainous districts, and particularly to 

 such as are covered with a thick growth 

 of underwood and shrubbery. We are 

 informed by the same high authority that 

 its nest is placed in the fork of a bush, 

 made of moss and lined with grass — that 

 the eggs, usually 5, are v.'hite, with a few 

 spots of bright rod towards the large end. 

 It probably breeds in Vermont, but 1 have 

 no positive proof of the fact. 



Genus Vireo. 

 Generic Characters. — Bill rather short, a 

 litlte compressed, and furnished with bristles at 

 its base ; upper mandible curved at the extremity 

 and st-ronoly notched ; the lower shorter and re- 

 curved al the tip ; nostrils basal, rounded ; tongue 

 cartilaginous and cleft at the point ; tarsus longer 

 than the middle toe ; wings rather acute, the 2d 

 or 3d primary longest. Female resembles (he 

 male, and both srxes more or less tinged with 

 olive green. 



THE YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 



Vireo fiuvifrons. — Vie ii. lot. 



Description. -Color yellow-olive above, 

 belly white ; throat, breast, frontlet and 

 line round the eye yellow; lesser wing- 

 coverts, lower part of the back and rump, 

 ash ; wings nearly black with two white 

 bars ; tail blackish, a little forked ; pri- 

 maries edged with pale ash, secondaries 

 with white ; exterior tail feathers edged 

 with white ; legs, feet and bill grayish- 

 blue ; iris hazel. The yellow of tiie fe- 



male and 3'oung duller. Length 5^, 

 spread 9. — JS'utlall. 



History. — This species rears its young 

 in the south part of the state. Its nest is 

 suspended upon the limb of a tree, and is 

 constructed of strips of bark and fibrous 

 substances, which are cemented together 

 with saliva. The eggs are about 4 in 

 number, are white and spotted towards 

 the larger end with blackish. 



THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. 



Vireo novehoracensis. — Bonaparte. 



Description. — Yellow olive above, 

 white beneath ; sides, line round the eye 

 and spot near the nostrils yellow ; wings 

 dusky, with two yellow bands ; tail dusky 

 brown, forked; bill, legs and feet light 

 bluisli-gray ; iris white. Length 5rJ ; 

 spread 7. — jYuit. 



History. — This species constructs its 

 nest very much in the manner of the pre- 

 ceding, but usually builds nearer the 

 ground. It lays 4 or 5 eggs, which are 

 white, spotted towards the large end with 

 brown. 



THE RED-EYED VIREO. 



Vireo olivaceous. — Bona p. 



Description. -General color above yel- 

 low olive ; crown, dark ash ; a light gray 

 line from the upper mandible passes over 

 the eye and widens behind it, with a dark 

 line above and another below, extending 

 from the eye to the rictus ; all beneath 

 whitish, tinged witli light yellow under 

 the wings and on the sides ; wing and 

 tail feathers brownish black, with their 

 outer margins yellow olive ; 2d and 3d 

 primaries longest ; bill brown above, light- 

 er beneath, straight, abruptly bent and 

 notclied at tlie point ; nostrils roundish, 

 basal ; a few weak bristles at the angle of 

 the mouth ; iris bright brick red ; legs 

 bluisii graj^ ; tail slightly forked. Length 

 G inches; tail 2.4 ; folded wings 3.3; bill 

 above .5, to the angle of the mouth .75; 

 tarsus .7. 



History. — This is probably the most 

 common species of Vireo found in Vm- 

 mont. They arrive early in Way, and 

 take up their residence in the forests and 

 the lofty trees around our fields and gar- 

 dens. Their song is loud, lively, and en- 

 ergetic. They feed principally upon in- 

 sects and catterpillars. Their nest is con- 

 structed of strings, strips of bark, and fi- 

 brous substances, agglutinated together 

 into the form of a pouch. The eggs are 

 3 or 4, v/hite, with a few blackish brown 

 spots towards the large end. The cow 

 black-bird lays its egg in the nest of this 



