278 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



This species is very irregularly distributed in New Eng- 

 land as a summer inhabitant. In Maine, New Hampshire, 

 and Vermont it is rare ; and, while it is quite abundant in 

 the eastern parts of Massachusetts, it is rare in the western. 

 Says J. A. Allen of it, at Springfield, — 



" I have never known the White-eyed Vireo taken here ; and if 

 occurring, as it very probably does, being not very uncommon in 

 the eastern parts of the State, it must be excessively rare. In 

 about a thousand specimens of the smaller land birds taken at 

 Springfield during the last three years by different collectors, not 

 a single White-eyed Vireo has been. found." 



This species arrives from the South, usually in pairs, from 

 about the 25th of April to the 1st of May. It generally 

 frequents low thickets and swamps. I do not remember of 

 ever meeting with one in deep, high woods ; but have often 

 found a pair in a brier-patch in the middle of an old field or 

 pasture. In such localities, its peculiar note ''chip cheweio, 

 'chip 'chip cheweeo, is often heard ; together with another 

 rattling, scolding note, difficult of description. When the 

 bird is approached, it meets the intruder with this scolding 

 rattle ; and, if the nest is approached, the Vireo becomes 

 almost outrageous in its remonstrances. The nest is usually 

 placed in a thicket of briers or vines, often in the gardens 

 and fields. It is constructed of fibres of the inner bark of 

 trees, fine twigs, grasses, pieces of hornets' nests, and frag- 

 ments of paper. These are built in a pensile form, sus- 

 pended by the upper edge, and lined with slender strips of 

 grape-vine bark and roots. The eggs are usually four in 

 number, and can hardly be distinguished from those of the 

 Red-eyed Vireo in shape or color ; the average dimensions 

 being a trifle smaller. Several eggs collected in different 

 localities exhibit, as an average measurement, .82 by .59 

 inch. A nest complement of four eggs, collected in Milton, 

 Mass., vary but a trifle from this size ; their measurement 

 Deing .83 by .59 inch, .82 by .59 inch, .82 by .58 inch, .80 



