18S4-I Goss on the )'vl lozv-l li rod ted Vireo. I^S 



by sali\a and partially covered or dotted over with lichen, and 

 lined with small stems of weeds and <^rass. "J'he lieautifnl nest 

 was in plain sight, there being nothing near to hide it from view. 

 It contained three eggs and also one of the Cow Blackbird 

 {^Molothus ater). One of tlie eggs was broken by the bird in her 

 struggle to escape from the collector's grasp while in the nest. 

 The color of the eggs was pure white, with a few scattering, small 

 spots of reddish-brown towards the large end. They each mea- 

 sure .79 X -58 of an inch. Four taken from another' nest (a full 

 set) measure .78 X -SI ! -So X .58 ; .79 X -S^ ; .78 X -SI- 



I have since noticed these birds in the woodlands on several 

 occasions, and on the i8th of May, 1883, while strolling along 

 the south bank of the Kansas River, near Topeka, in the timber 

 skirting the stream, I had the pleasure to find a pair of them 

 building a nest in a honey locust, about sixteen feet from the 

 ground, and eight feet from the body of the tree. The nest was 

 fastened to the forks of a small horizontal branch. The frame 

 of the nest appeared to be completed. The birds were busy at 

 work, the female lining the nest with small hair-like stems, the 

 male covering the outside with soft lint-like fibrous strips from 

 plants (these closely resembling the limb and its surroundings), 

 and dotting it over with lichen. Happy in the thought that he 

 was not only beautifying the home of his lady bii'd, but protec- 

 ting her from view by his artistic skill (notwithstanding the fact 

 that she had selected an open and exposed position), he could 

 not refrain from expressing his joy at intervals during the work 

 in snatches of his sweetest notes. The female, more watchful, 

 sighted me and gave notice of the intrusion. Quick as thought 

 the birds were away. The male, alighting near the top of an 

 adjoining tree, at once poured forth his song in loudest notes, no 

 doubt thinking that by attracting ni}' attention to him I would 

 lose sight of the nest. Knowing it was now too late for 

 concealment, and that any attempt to hide away ^vould only 

 increase their suspicions and stop or delay the work, I carelessly 

 walked nearer, in order to have a better view, and lay down on 

 my back in an open space. In a short time the female returned, 

 hopped about in the tree, inspected me closely from the lower 

 limbs, and then flew away and returned several times before 

 bringing material or ventuiing to approach the nest. But the 

 moment she did so, the song- of the male ceased and the work of 



