195 



Yellow-throated Viheo. 



The home of the Yellow-throated Vireo is usually swung 

 from the fork of a branch ranging from ten to forty feet 

 above ground, while that of the Red-eyed species is usually 

 found less than ten feet up. The nests of the two species 

 are constructed so nearly alike that they cannot be distin- 

 guished from one another positively, but the eggs of the 

 present species have a very few, small reddish-brown spots 

 while those on the eggs of Red-eye are black. 



The song of the Yellow-throated Vireo is very different 

 from that of the Red-eye, although anyone would readily 

 recognize it as that of some sort of a vireo. It is lower in 

 pitch, tlie tones are not clear, there being a distinct under- 

 tone, the song is more deliberate and the pauses much long- 

 er ; he is very apt, too, to break off' into a chatter in tiie 

 midst of his song. 



The two young vireos of this species, that are pictured 

 here, were so unfortunate as to be blown from their cradle, 

 swinging forty feet up in an oak tree, by a very high wind. 

 Thej' liappened to fall without injury and were so good as 

 to allow us to take their portraits. We also made several of 

 the mother bird feeding these, but none of them came out 

 satisfactorily because of the gale that caused tent and 

 camera to vibrate and nearly blew the feathers off' the birds. 

 It is my onlj' attempt at picturing these birds, but good re- 

 sults should be secured under favorable circumstances, as 

 both the young and tlie adults were very tractable. 



Califorxi.^ Bush-tit 

 These little birds rank next to the hummingbirds as being 

 the smallest birds found in our country. Diminutive as 

 they are, being but four inches long, half of which length 

 is comprised in the tail, they fashion beautiful hanging 

 nests that are bulk}' enough for birds four times their 

 size. Tliese purse-shaped nests, constructed of mosses, 

 lichens, plant fibres and feathers, and with the entrance a 

 little hole on one side near the top, vary in length from six 

 to sixteen inches. 



