CHAPTER XLII. 



October 9 October 15. 



THE RED-EYED VIREO. 



Order Passeres Suborder Oscines 



Family Vireonidae Genus Vireo 



Subgenus Vireosylva Species Vireo olivaceus 



Length 5.50 to 6.50; wing, 3.10 to 3.80; tail, 3.15 to 3.30. 

 Migration North, April ; south, October. 



"Apostle of the grove. Thy song divine 

 The God of Nature gave thee note by note, 



To gladder, fuller make the message thine, 

 Rippling in beauty from thy dainty throat. 



'You see it. You know it. Do you hear me? 

 Do you believe it?' 



Would that apostleship so sweet were mine?" 



According to Apgar, the family Vireonidae, having in it 

 about fifty species, is composed exclusively of American, small, 

 olive-backed birds of woods and thickets, with narrow, stout, 

 notched and hooked bills. Our largest species is about the 

 size of the English sparrow. The vieros are insect-eating birds, 

 but, unlike many warblers and all the true flycatchers, they 

 gather their prey while perching. With rather slow move- 

 ments they patiently search over and under leaves, on twigs 

 and bark, for spiders, beetles, caterpillars, etc. All our species 

 are good singers, and some are noted for their vocal powers. 

 They build beautiful basket-like nests, which are suspended from 

 forked twigs, sometimes near the ground and sometimes from 

 the highest parts of forest trees. They are usually to be found 

 on trees or bushes, very rarely on the ground. 



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