THE YELLOW- THROATED VIREO, 



(bFP^p 



popular name of this species 

 of an attractive family is 

 Yellow Throated Greenlet, 

 and our young readers will 

 find much pleasure in watching its 

 pretty movements and listening to its 

 really delightful song whenever they 

 visit the places where it loves to spend 

 the happy hours of summer. In some 

 respects it is the most remarkable of 

 all the species of the family found in 

 the United States. "The Birds ot 

 Illinois," a book that may be profitably 

 studied by the young naturalist, states 

 that it is decidedly the finest singer, 

 has the loudest notes of admonition 

 and reproof, and is the handsomest in 

 plumage, and hence the more attractive 

 to the student. 



A recognized observer says he has 

 found it only in the woods, and mostly 

 in the luxuriant forests of the bottom 

 lands. The writer's experience accords 

 with that of Audubon and Wilson, 

 the best authorities in their day, but 

 the habits of birds vary greatly with 

 locality, and in other parts of the 

 country, notably in New England, it 

 is very familiar, delighting in the 

 companionship of man. It breeds in 

 eastern North America, and winters in 

 Florida, Cuba and Central America. 

 The Vireo makes a very deep nest, 



suspended by its upper edge, between 

 the forks of a horizontal branch. The 

 eggs are white, generally with a few 

 reddish brown blotches. All author- 

 ities agree as to the great beauty of the 

 nest, though they differ as to its exact 

 location. It is a woodland bird, lov- 

 ing tall trees and running water, 

 "haunting the same places as the 

 Solitary Vireo." During migration 

 the Yellow-throat is seen in orchards 

 and in the trees along side-walks and 

 lawns, mingling his golden colors with 

 the rich green of June leaves. 



The Vireos, or Greenlets, are like 

 the Warblers in appearance and habits. 

 We have no birds, says Torrey, that 

 are more unsparing of their music; 

 they sing from morning till night, 

 and — some of them, at least — con- 

 tinue theirs till the very end of the 

 season. The song of the Yellow- 

 throat is rather too monotonous and 

 persistent. It is hard sometimes not 

 to get out of patience with its ceasless 

 and noisy iteration of its simple tune; 

 especially if you are doing your utmost 

 to catch the notes of some rarer and 

 more refined songster. This is true 

 also of some other birds, whose occas- 

 ional silence would add much to their 

 attractiveness. 



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