THE WHITE-EYED VIREO. 255 



and tail being dusky, with feathers edged with greenish; 

 throat light-ash; sides of the head, breast, and flanks bright 

 yellow; thus having more yellow than any other Vireo except 

 the Yellow-throat; wing-bars yellowish- white; vent white; iris 

 ■white. On the whole, this is rather a southern bird, and 

 barely reaches Western New York and Southern New 

 England. Partial to thickets, especially about swamps, it is 

 local in its distribution, and may be associated with the 

 smilax or green-briar. The vocal habits of this bird are 

 wholly different from those of the rest of the Vireos. Mr. 

 Burroughs says: "The song of this bird is not particularly 

 sweet and soft; on the contrary, it is a little hard and shrill, 

 like that of the Indigo-bird or Oriole; but for brightness, 

 volubility, execution, and power of imitation, he is unsur- 

 passed by any of our northern birds. His ordinary note is 

 forcible and emphatic, but, as stated, not especially musical; 

 chick-a-re r-chick, he seems to say, hiding himself in the low, 

 dense undergrowth, and eluding your most vigilant search, 

 as if playing some part in a game. But in July or August, 

 if you are on good terms with the sylvan deities, you may 

 listen to a far more rare and artistic performance. Your 

 first impression will be that that cluster of azaleas, or that 

 clump of swamp-huckleberry, conceals three or four differ- 

 ent songsters, each vying with the others to lead the chorus. 

 Such a medley of notes, snatched from half the songsters of 

 the field and forest, and uttered with the utmost clearness 

 and rapidity, I am sure you cannot hear short of the 

 haunts of the genuine Mockingbird. If not fully and accu- 

 rately repeated, there are at least suggested the notes of the 

 Robin, Wren, Catbird, High-hole, Goldfinch and Song- 

 sparrow. The pip, pip of the last is produced so accurately 

 that I verily believe it would deceive the bird herself; and 

 the whole uttered in such rapid succession that it seems as 



