VIREONID.E — THE VIREOS. 365 



are in striking contrast to tlie capparent indiffeience or unconsciousness of the 

 little vocalist who, while thus (.lelighting the car of tlic listener, seems to be 

 all the while chictly l>ent on procuring its daily supply of food, which it 

 p»ursues with unaluited ardor. 



This Vireo builds the neat [)cnsile nest of its race, suspending it from the 

 fork of two or more twigs of a tbrest t'ce, at varous heights of from five to 

 fifty feet from the ground. It is cup-like in shape, and always dependent 

 from small twigs, avouiid which its upper edges are firmly bound. Exter- 

 nally it is woven of various materials, fine strips of bark, the hempen fibres 

 of vegetables, and webs of spiders and of various caterpillars. These are 

 compactly pressed and woven, and, as some suj^pose, agglutinated by the 

 saliva of the builder. Sometimes the unmanageable materials give to the 

 outside of the nest a rude and unfinished appearance, at others they are 

 evenly and smoothly wrought. They are very strong, uninjured by tlie 

 storms of winter, and are often made use of by other birds, by mice, and 

 even by the same bird a second season. 



A nest of this bird (8. I. Coll., ?.,3r)'3) was obtained at the Cumberland 

 House by Mr. Kennicott. It is pensile, like all others, but is com})osed 

 almost exclusively of pine-needles, — a dry and hard material, difficult of 

 management in making such a nest. With these are intermingled a few bits 

 of moss, fine strips of bark, and fiax-like vegetable fibres. Within this rude 

 basket is an inner nest, made up of fine dry grasses, strips of bark, and pine 

 leaves. The external fabric is loosely put together, — an unusual feature, — 

 but the inner portion, in the firmness and strength witli which it was made, 

 is in remarkable contrast. 



The Ked-eyed Vireo's nest is often chosen by the Cowbird for the deposi- 

 tion of her parasitic eggs, and these foster-parents are singularly devoted in 

 the care of their alien guests, whom they tenderly nurture, even to the neg- 

 lect of their own ofi'spring. In one instance three eggs of a Cowbird were 

 deposited in the nest of the Yireo before any of her own, and, without laying 

 any, the female Vireo i)roceeded to sit upon and hatch the intruders. In 

 another case, Mliere two of the Vireo's had been laid, two Cowbird's eggs 

 were added. The Vireo stopped laying, and proceeded to incubate. In each 

 instance the femrle Vireo seemed to ibrego her own natural aspirations, and 

 at once conform to the new situation. 



The male Vireo often evinccis great coinage and spirit in the defence of his 

 nest, when the young are hatched driving away intruders, and even fiying in 

 the face of a man who approaclies too near 



Mr. Nuttall states that the young of the Ilcd-eyed A'ireo feed eagerly upon 

 the berries of the cornel and the Vihuninm dentattnn, and other shrubs. A 

 young bird kept in confinement soon became very gentle, and readily ate flies 

 and grasshoppers from his hand, and viburnum berries. A tame Kingbird 

 in the same room was very jealous of and tyrannized over him, so as to 

 compel him to seek protection from his captor. The Viroos, like Flycatchers, 



