454 



LAND BIRDS 



634. GRAY VIREO. — Vireo vkiniar. 

 Family : The Vireos. 



Length: 5.60-5.75. 



Adults: Similar to least vireo, bat lores and eye-ring entirely white ; 



wings brownish, with wing-band indistinct or wanting. . 

 Young: Similar to adults, but upper parts with brownish tinge and 

 wing-bar buffy white. 

 Geographical Distribution: Southern California, Arizona, 

 New Mexico,' Western Texas, and Mexico. 



California Breeding Range : 

 Southern California along 

 the San Bernardino moun- 

 tains. 

 Breeding Season : March to 



June. 

 Nest: Made of coarse dry 

 grasses and shreds of bark ; 

 lined with finer grasses ; 

 placed in thomy bushes or 

 trees, 4 to 6 feet from the 

 ground. 

 Eggs : 3 or 4 ; white, thinly 

 spotted with reddish brown , 

 chiefly at the larger end. 

 Size 0.72 X 0.53. 



The level mesas and 



the wide canons of 



Southern California are the haunts of 



the Gray Vireo. Lacking the calm 



patience of its family, this species hunts 



nervously among the scant foliage for 



food, flying restlessly from one clump 



of the sparse growth of brush to an- 

 634. Gray Vireo. ., j . . ., . , , , 



other and singing its quaint roundelay 



" The best songster of all . . , , - 



themreos:" whenever it stops long enough to do 



