276 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



the best of glasses our untrained eyes can discern "nothing but 

 leaves."* 



Its insect food also includes moths, butterflies, ants, beetles, 

 weevils, grasshoppers, katydids, locusts, chinch bugs, dragon- 

 flies, horseflies, and mosquitoes. Many spiders are consumed 

 and a large quantity of wild fruit, such as raspberries, black- 

 berries, mulberries, pokeberries, elderberries, and wild 

 grapes, as well as seeds of the magnolia, dogwood, sassafras, 

 and prickly ash. 



PHILADELPHIA VIREO: Vvreosylva philadelphica, 



Cassin. 



State records. — The Philadelphia vireo is one of the rarer 

 vireos ; it occurs in the Mississippi Valley as a regular though 

 uncommon migrant and will doubtless be found occasionally 

 in Alabama. Thus far there is but one definite record of its 

 occurrence, that of a specimen which I collected May 6, 1912, 

 in oak woods on top of a bluff bordering the Tennessee River 

 at South Florence. 



General habits. — This species closely resembles the red- 

 eyed vireo in habits and song, but has more the appearance 

 of the warbling vireo. It may be recognized by the pale, 

 greenish-yellow color of the underparts. 



WARBLING VIREO : Vireosylva gilva gUva ( Vieillot) . 



State records. — The warbling vireo, although a common 

 summer resident in the Northern States and found throughout 

 the Mississippi Valley, apparently is of rare occurrence in 

 Alabama. Saunders records having heard one singing at 

 Sylacauga, April 16, 1908.t One was secured by J. L. Peters 

 near the Tennessee River, north of Leighton, April 24, 1914, 

 and one by E. W. Graves on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter) , 

 May 4, 1914. Further investigation doubtless will show it to 

 be more or less regular in occurrence at that season. 



General habits. — This vireo shows a decided preference for 

 tall shade trees, particularly elms. It remains near the tops 

 of the trees and is therefore difficult to observe. Its song is 



*Forbi3sh. E. H., Useful birds and their protection, p. 205, 1907. 

 tSaundcTB, A. A., The Auk, vol. 26, p. 421, 1908. 



