VIEEOS, 165 



week of May ; but as to their general distribution and migra- 

 tions I have not clearly made up my mind. Massachusetts 

 has been generally considered their northern limit, but I feel 

 quite confident of having seen them, in past years, apparently 

 migrating through this State, in April and October. I have 

 once or twice seen the Solitary Vireos in the latter month, 

 when they were obliged to feed upon berries, as the " Red- 

 eyes " do in September, and I find in my note-book that I ob- 

 served a " White-eye " (or a species, hitherto undescribed, 

 much resembling it) on the 18th of October, traveling with 

 many other birds in a " wave." 



These "bird-waves " are extremely interesting, and, to show 

 their nature, I shall quote from my Journal : — 



" Nov. 15th, 1873. This morning, while wandering about 

 the place under the delusion that the passage-birds (or most 

 of them) had fairly gone, an immense flock of birds suddenly 

 appeared, evidently traveling from the north southward, 

 and were soon scattered over the place. Among them were 

 many Snow-birds, White-throated, Fox-colored, Tree, and 

 Song Sparrows, Ruby-crowned ' Wrens,' Golden-crowned 

 ' Wrens,' Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, and Chickadees. 

 Never have I seen an assemblage of birds exhibiting such a 

 variety of species. At noon most of them had disappeared." 

 The White-eyed Vireos frequent lightly timbered woods, 

 particularly those which are in low land and contain a second 

 growth about the taller trees, and also swamps, thickets, and 

 the " scrub." They have a habit of moving their tails, much 

 like the Shrikes. They keep nearer to the ground than our 

 other Vireos, and are so shy that, if they were silent, they 

 would rarely be seen as they busy themselves in the common 

 pursuit of their family, that of insects. 



d. When, however, their nest is approached, they display 

 themselves, and are usually very vehement in their expres- 

 sions of anger (unlike their relations, particularly the Solitary 

 Vireos), and utter a harsh scold or chatter, and sometimes a 

 peculiar mewing, or other querulous cry. Their song is very 

 peculiar or even eccentric, and is very loud for such small birds. 

 It is full of character, energy, and vehemence, though some of 



