Red -eyed Vireos, Awake and -Asleep 



115 



did not disturb the tranquillity of these little workers, who would not even 

 wince when a cannon firecracker was exploded in the street belcw. 



When the young Vireos were a week old I began to watch their nest- 

 ing habits at night more closely, and found that, while the male apparently 

 roosted near by, the female invariably slept on the nest. At from fifteen to 

 twenty minutes after sundown she was regularly at her post, and even at 



THK BIRU SHOWN IN HREChDlNG PICTURE, ASLEEP ON HER NEST 



Photographed after sundown with exposure of five minutes, July 5, 7.05-7.10 p.m. The head turned to the left 



side (and directed to the right of the picture), is buried up to the eyes in the feathers of the back 



this hour usually fast asleep. So profound, indeed, were her slumbers, 

 that I could often enclose her in my hand and stroke her feathers without 

 awaking her. She slept with her head twisted back and buried deep in the 

 feathers between the shoulders. An apparently headless trunk or a little 

 ball of feathers was all that could be seen, and the only motion discern- 

 ible came from the regular pulsations of breathing. 



In this manner the mother apparently passed the night, unless disturbed. 

 When aroused by a ruder movement of the hand, she would peck feebly 

 at a raised finger, but if not further molested the eyes would gradually 



