VIREOS. 73 



Hollister), and Van Buren (5 specimens, December 7-30; Hanna). 

 I found it at only two localities, McGehee and Wilmot, in each of 

 which it breeds in small numbers. Specimens taken at these places, 

 as well as those from Delight and Van Buren, are referable to the 

 subspecies migrans. The typical form seems not to occur in the 

 State. The shrike is a decidedly useful bird, feeding in summer 

 largely upon injurious insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, cater- 

 pillars, cankerworms, and cutworms. It captures mice at all seasons, 

 and in winter these rodents form about half of its food. At this sea- 

 son small birds are occasionally eaten. Shrikes frequently impale 

 their prey upon thorns or barbed wire and apparently many more 

 victims are impaled than are eaten. 



Red-eyed Vireo. Vireosylva olivacea. 



The familiar red-eyed vireo is one of the commonest and most 

 evenly distributed of our woodland song birds, being found in all 

 timbered regions both in the lowlands and on the mountains. Mi- 

 grants arrive at Helena from the south about April 10 (earhest, 

 March 30) and depart in autumn about the first of October (last, 

 October 5). The species has been observed at Fayetteville, Clinton, 

 Mammoth Spring, Lake City, Wilmot, Womble, Rich Mountain, 

 Pettigrew, Conway, and other places. A nest with young was found 

 at Eldorado July 4. By reason of its abundance and its well-known 

 habit of searching every leaf on the trees for caterpillars and the like, 

 this bird must be reckoned as one of our most valuable assistants in 

 the work of conserving the forests. 



[Philadelphia Vireo. Vireosylva philadelphica. 



This vireo, which resembles the warbling vireo in appearance but sings much like 

 the red-eyed, is a rare but regular migrant in the Mississippi Valley. In Missouri it 

 occurs in May and in September and October and in Arkansas should be found during 

 the same months.] 



WarbUng Vireo. Vireosylva gilva. 



The warbling vireo has a pecuhar distribution in the lower Missis- 

 sippi Valley, occuring as a breeder, so far as known, only in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the Mississippi River. The only record of the 

 species in Arkansas is from Helena, where it is reported by Mrs. 

 Stephenson as a common summer resident, arriving from the south 

 about March 30 and departing in early October (latest, October 5). 

 The bird is a lover of tall trees and is often found in elms or other 

 shade trees along country'' roads and village streets. 



Yellow-throated Vireo. Lanivireo flavifrons . 



This vireo is a common summer resident in all parts of the State. 

 It lives in upland timber tracts in company with the red-eye and is 

 partial also to small groves and to shade trees on village streets. 



