ANIMAL LIFE IN THE WOODS 165 



their eggs in the nests of other and generally smaller birds, 

 whose young then have to starve, because the stronger cow- 

 bird does not let them have any of the food brought by 

 their parents. Cowbirds are often called blackbirds by 

 farmers ; their call note is, clucksee ! 



15. The Red-eyed Vireo. Vireo olivaceus. 



This bird is a little larger than the yellow warbler and 

 the American goldfinch. Unless you come very close to it, 

 you will see none but plain shades of brown and gray on its 

 plumage, .colors which predominate on hundreds of our 

 small birds. You cannot fail to identify it by its song, 

 which is superior to that of other birds of its size. In 

 almost every grove in the city, as well as in the country, 

 its song is heard from early morning until the evening twi- 

 light. Wilson Flagg calls him the Preacher. " You see it 

 you know it. Do you hear me? Do you believe it?" 

 he hears the vireo say in an emphatic staccato. If you 

 remember these words, you will recognize the bird every 

 time you hear it. Its red eyes and the pensile nest will 

 also help you to pick it from its many gray and brown 

 coated neighbors. 



The nest closely resembles a small cup. It is always 

 typically pensile from a slender, forked branch, and may be 

 looked for from three to twenty-five feet from the ground. 

 It is made of different bark fibres, bits of paper, pieces of 

 wasps' nests, vegetable down, and similar material. The 

 three to five eggs are white, marked with brown spots on 

 the larger end. 



16. Closing Remarks on Birds. 



We have had many occasions to observe that most of our 

 common song birds are the best friends of farmers and 

 gardeners, and of all. persons who are interested in the 

 preservation of shade trees and shrubbery. 



