RED-EYED VIREO. ' 77 



varying intensity of volume — each couplet of notes being louder 

 than the preceding couplet — and to vary it still further he lays 

 an einpliatic accent on the first note of each couplet, thus : tve'-chee 

 WE'-CHEB WE'-CHEE. 



RED-EYED VTREO. 



"The Preacher," this bird is called by the country folk. There 

 are preachers and preachers, and many of thom do miss the end of 

 their sermons, and the red-eyed vireo seldom knows when his song 

 is finished. He keeps on hour after liour, through the entire day, 

 even through the mid-day gliire when other birds are silent ; though 

 he makes a short day of it, I think, as I have never detected his 

 voice in that joyous carillon with which the sylvan choir greets the 

 day-break ; nor is he heard in the grand chorus at their vesper 

 service. But pass his way at any other time — pass near where 

 his mate is patiently sitting and swinging in her hammock home — 

 and you will be almost sure to hear his sweet voice in the tender, 

 dreamy strain. Nor does he stop, as many birds do, when the days 

 of waiting and watching are over, and the young brood demands his 

 care. He gives them that care without stint, for he is a devoted 

 parent, as he is also a devoted mate, but he keeps on singing just 

 the same as before. If he gathers a dainty fly or blushing berry he 

 hurries oflF to the nest, and his beak free from the burden, out 

 pours the song — the dream in song, it might be termed, its 

 theme is so incoherent and fragmentary, and the singer appears 

 so unconscious of his singing. He is not always deep in wool- 

 gathering, however, for let an intruder approach the nest and he 

 will find " the preacher" very much awake. At such time another 

 side of this unique fellow's character is turned to view, for as a 

 fighter he is second only to the king bird. But the battle over, he 

 takes up the strain again just where he dropped it and delivers it 

 in precisely the same key without the least sign of either anger or 

 exultation. Always it is the same calm, pensive, wool-gathering 

 lay. As a melody the song cannot be given high rank, for it lacks 

 theme and consists of broken and disconnected phrases of two or 

 three, sometimes of four, and at rare intervals of five notes. A few 



