RED-EYED VIREO. 127 



The mother did not seem to be there, so I sat 

 down with my dogs near by to wait for her. I 

 supposed she was off worm-hunting and would fly 

 back in great excitement on discovering the in- 

 truders. But all at once, almost over my head, I 

 heard a low, CYOoningjiohee-ah ! I turned in sur- 

 prise, and there was my mother bird looking down 

 at me with all the composure of an old friend. 

 Wha-wha-wha, she said, as she saw the dogs and 

 took in the group again. As we kept still, and 

 did not offer to molest her children, she soon be- 

 gan looking about for worms, saying ter-ter-eater 

 in the most complacent tone as she worked. She 

 would turn her head and look down at us now and 

 then with mild curiosity ; but although I went 

 back to the nest to test her she seemed to have 

 perfect confidence in me, not showing the least 

 alarm. 



Afterward I heard the vireo song from her, and 

 concluded that she was the father of the family, 

 left on guard while the mother was taking her 

 rest. I thought perhaps that accounted for some 

 of the indifference, but after that, when I went to 

 see them, I found both old birds, and always met 

 with the same trustfulness. Indeed, they would 

 talk to me in the most friendly manner, answering 

 my broken bird talk with gentle sympathetic seri- 

 ousness that said very plainly they knew I meant 

 well, and what a sweet winsome sound it had, 

 uttered in their low caressing tones ! 



