CHARACTER IN BIRDS, 



In a delightful article called "Char- 

 acter in Birds," Mr. Torrey gives many 

 instances of bird traits that show dis- 

 tinct differences of nature in various 

 species, and which lead one to recall 

 others that have fallen under observation. 

 Mr. Torrey does not mention, for in- 

 stance, a peculiarity of the redeyed vireo, 

 which is as marked as its persistent and 

 rather tiresome note; that is, its almost 

 intolerable curiosity and fussiness, quali- 

 ties which it carries to such an extreme 

 that they become absolutely comic. I 

 think I have never seated myself to 

 watch the nest of any bird, that a red- 

 eyed vireo has not appeared on the scene 

 and scolded me; and the moment a bird 

 utters a cry of alarm a redeyed vireo is 

 sure to appear with his fretful air of 

 '*Oh, dear, what is the matter now?" 

 ready and willing to take a hand in any 

 rows that may be going and quite sure 

 to make more fuss than the really 

 agrieved party ; and oddly enough seem- 

 ing, in one instance at least, even to 

 resent the noise that the troubled bird 

 was making, for one day when an indigo 

 bird, that I had tormented by watching 

 its nest, had chippered and chattered 

 until he had brought every bird in the 

 neighborhood to see what was the matter, 

 a redeyed vireo, after prancing around 

 for a time, flew at the distracted indigo 

 "bird with a very cross squawk, which said 

 as plainly as words, *'Do be quiet, can't 

 you?" 



The vireo's action in this case was in 

 marked contrast to that of a thistle bird 

 which came up warbling and gave me a 

 •careless glance, and then flew away still 

 singing, but as the noise continued he 

 came back presently and perching on a 

 twig above me, bent his bright head to 

 look at me, saying, "swee-et" in a long- 

 drawn, inquiring way, with a little break 

 in his voice which was singularly en- 

 dearing, as are all the ways of these 

 •charming creatures ; after inspecting me 



again he disappeared, but at a renewed 

 outcry from the indigo birds he came 

 warbling back once more. This time he 

 paid little attention to me, having ap- 

 parently satisfied his curiosity on that 

 point on his former visit; but seeming 

 to divine that there must be some reason 

 why the indigo bird should make so 

 much fuss, he began to examine the 

 tree which held the nest. Suddenly he 

 discovered the nest, and after a start 

 which expressed surprise and interest, he 

 flew up and hovered over it for an instant 

 and then flitted away, warbling. Red- 

 eyed vireos seem to be always restless 

 and irritable, and perfectly sure that you 

 mean to do them or their nests some 

 harm, and it is sometimes quite distract- 

 ing to go into a certain piece of woods 

 where they are very plentiful; the mo- 

 ment you enter it they begin their dis- 

 tressful "please, please," uttered half 

 pleadingly and half crossly. One is 

 sure they must be near a vireo's nest, 

 yet may pass beneath it day after day, 

 and though looking for it fail to find it, if 

 there are no young ones, so skillful are 

 they in concealing their beautiful nests. 

 These are among the most fascinating 

 of bird cradles, particularly in this piece 

 of woods where there are many birch 

 trees, from which the vireo obtains fine, 

 silky shreds of the beautifully tinted 

 bark and weaves into the nest with the 

 most exquisite effect, giving unusual del- 

 icacy of color and texture. The redeye 

 has also the most remarkable habit of 

 arranging the nest so that it shall be 

 quite hidden by the leaves, often with 

 one leaf which serves as a roof and pro- 

 tects the young or eggs from sun and 

 rain ; and if they would only keep quiet 

 they would usually be quite safe, but in- 

 stead, the moment any one appears they 

 make so much noise that attention is at- 

 tracted to them at once, and you begin 

 naturally to look for the cause. Even 

 then it may be some time before the nest 



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