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THE HABITS OF THE RED-EYED VIREO. 



( Vireo olivaceus. ) 



All the vireo family are natives of 

 America only, and the majority of the 

 species are inhabitants of tropical and 

 sub-tropical regions. Among the vireos 

 inhabiting the United States and Canada, 

 the Red-eye is by far the most aboundant 

 and ranges from the eastern border of the 

 United States westward to the Rocky 

 Mountains, and from the Gulf states 

 northward through Canada. 



The prevailing colors of the vireos are 

 various shades of olive green and gray, 

 which harmonize admirably with their 

 surroundings. The nests of the different 

 species do not differ greatly from each 

 other in construction or situation, and 

 vireos' eggs are often indistinguishable 

 from each other. Of course, many vireos 

 or greenlets, as they are called, are pecu- 

 liar to certain localities, consequently the 

 material used in constructing some nests 

 may vary. This may apply to two nests 

 of the Red-eyed Vireo, one taken in the 

 state of Maine and the other in Missis- 

 sippi. 



In many country places, where huge 

 shade trees overhang the village streets, 

 the vireos and orioles revel among the 

 foliage, each vying with the other in 

 building their handsome pensile nests 

 among the drooping branches of some 

 stately elm, sycamore or maple. The nest 

 of the oriole, owing to its size and more 

 open situation, is apt to catch the eyes of 

 the village people who look with admira- 

 tion upon the skillful weaver and her 

 brilliantly colored mate as he darts about 

 overhead, whistling his ventriloquial 

 medley. But, as the old saying goes, 

 ''many a flower is born to blush unseen ;" 

 so it is with Madam Red-eye. How many 

 people have I encountered who ask me to 

 name "the bird that sings all day long in 

 the trees about our lawn" ! Catch a 

 glimpse of the red-eyed songster and 



you will be surprised to learn that the 

 clear volume of song which has enter- 

 tained you throughout the day, even dur- 

 ing the torrid heat of July and August, 

 issues from the throat of so small a bird. 

 Seek an introduction to this Vireo and 

 you will find him equally curious to see 

 you. But as to forming an acquaintance, 

 that is another question, and he continues 

 to sing in a manner which would indi- 

 cate, from the rising inflection of his 

 voice, that a closer acquaintance is not 

 desired. 



The domicile of the Red-eyed Vireo is 

 usually concealed under a clump of 

 leaves. It is suspended from a forked 

 twig at the extremity of a branch, or 

 hangs amid a clump of shoots, close to 

 the trunk, from six to twenty-five feet 

 above the ground. 



Not until the frost has- denuded the 

 trees of their foliage does the casual 

 observer see what appears to be a beau- 

 tifully woven cup-like nest which is 

 unlike any other that he has ever seen. 

 At this season of the year the Vireos are 

 enjoying the climate of Central America, 

 to which they migrate in September. 



A typical nest of this Vireo is com- 

 posed of bark and plant fibers, stems and 

 grasses securely interwoven, and has 

 exterior decorations of spider webs, wool, 

 twine and paper. The inside is lined 

 with finer material of the same kind, 

 together with horse hair. 



The eggs, three or four in number, are 

 layed during May and June. The eggs 

 have a pure white background, and are 

 rather sparsely speckled about the larger 

 end with dark brown or black. ,When 

 fresh, the yolk of the ^gg lends a pinkish 

 tinge to the delicate texture of the shell. 

 A normal ^%g measures eighty-five hun- 

 dredths of an inch in length and fifty-six 

 hundredths in width. 



Gerard Alan Abbott. 



