f% SOME CANADIAN BlUDS. 



of these plirases arc similar to some that the robin gives UR, but 

 most of thom are htJard <»iily from a viroo'a throstle. N(jr is the 

 song attractivo to tho casual wcjodland stroller, and indeed few of 

 these over notice the song, it is so unobtrusive as well as simple. 

 T(» many bird-lovers the song is tiresome because of its incessant 

 reiteration ; but others never tire of it, and after listening to it 

 again and again .ask for more -and T confess I am one of these. 



The hiil)it of these birds of keeping almost constantly amid the 

 dense foliage of the upper branches, where they Hnd their insect food, 

 has prevented the red-eye and all the vireo clan from l)eing well 

 known, while the (piiet colors of their plumage has had a share in 

 secreting thuir identity. The up[)er parts of the red-eye are olive 

 green with a tinge of gray, which dee[)ens to an ashy tint on the 

 crown and to a dusky hue on w^ings and tail. The under parts are 

 dull white, tinged with olive on the sides. The bill is compressed, 

 and is curved and notched at the point like a shrike's. 



This description, with some sliglit variations, will serve for all of 

 the six species of vireo that are fcmnd in this country. I can do 

 little more here than name them. Two of these, the warbling and 

 the solitary or blue-headed vireo, are rather counuon and of wide 

 distribution, while the range of the rarer yellow-throated is 

 restricted to Southern Ontario and the groves near Montreal. Of 

 the distribution in Canada of the Philadelphia vireo and the white- 

 eyed, there is much to be learned. Very few examples of either 

 have been seen here, but the Philadelphia has been taken in 

 Northern New Brunswick and in Ontario, and the white-eyed, 

 though taken in New Brunswick, is not mentioned in Mcllwraith's 

 Birds of Ontario. 



In habits, as in plumage, our vireos diflfer but little and their 

 songs are much the same, though it must be said of the warbling and 

 the solitary that they add to their typical vireo chant a melody 

 peculiar to themselves. The warbling vireo sings an exquisite 

 song, a little after the style of the purple finch, but much sweeter 

 and more tender. 



The nests also of these birds are quite similar. That of the 

 red-eye will serve as a model of all. It is purse-shaped and pensile, 

 suspended from the crotch of two small twigs to which it is 



