BIRDS OF BERMUDA. 191 
Hab.—United States west to base of Rocky Mountains; south to 
Guatemala; Very rare in Cuba. Abundant and resident in the Ber- 
mudas. (B. B. & R.) 
The smallest and one of the commonest resident Bermuda birds, 
familiar to all through its sprightly ways, loud song, and astounding 
impudence. It is termed locally, “chick-of-the-village,” or, “ chick- 
choo-willie,” from its note. This is, however, very variable, and hardly 
any two birds give it the same rendering. One hasaprefatory ‘“ chick,” 
in addition; another tacks the extra “chick” on at the end of his ver- 
sion; while others cut it short, or jumble it all up together at random. 
One particular variety is “ ginger-beer-quick,” a call very much adapted 
to the climate of Bermuda. In short, there is no end to the variations; 
and a stranger might well imagine, as I did myself at first, that there 
was more than one species present. It was some little time before I 
settled the matter to my own satisfaction by careful observation of every 
“chick” I heard singing, as I expected to meet with V. gilvus or V. 
belli among the numerous musicians. The color of the iris increased 
mny difficulty, as I found it to be brownish, brownish-gray, or gray— 
rarely white, as stated by authors. I presume it is only fully adult 
birds that show the real white iris; young birds have it decidedly 
brownish, and I have seen a female sitting on eggs with an undeniable 
brownish-gray ‘‘cast ” in her bright little eye. It would be a waste of 
time and valuable space to describe the pretty pensile nest of this 
species, so familiar to all ornithologists. I have found it usually from 
three to twelve feet above the ground, in cedars, mangroves, Bermuda 
“holly,” pomegranate, and lemon trees, but most commonly in cedars. 
I never met with more than three eggs or young in one nest in the 
islands; authors assign four or five to the genus. The eggs average .71 
inch by .52 inch, white, with a few dark-brown or black dots; some are 
entirely white. The young at first have the yellow of the wing bars 
and forehead very pale and dingy. This is a sad little torment to the 
collector. It comes hissing and scolding within a foot of one’s head, 
puffing itself out with malignant fury. I have touched one with my 
gun in the thick bushes before it would budge aninch. And when one 
is on the qui vive for rarities among the big cedars, the little wretches 
will come from all parts to irritate and deceive one, playing all sorts of 
antics on the topmost branches, apparently imitating the movements of a 
Dendroéca or other Sylvicolide, in order to induce one to waste a charge 
on them. Several times they succeeded with me; and on one occasion, 
