V.IREO SOLITARIUS. SOLITARY VIKEO. 



While passing through a pine grove in the town of 

 Raynham, on the afternoon of May 30th, 1885, my 

 companion, Mr. F. W. Andros, drew my attention to a 

 vireo's nest hanging from the dead limb of a pine. 

 The decorated pensile nest was a prominent object 

 against the black limbs of the tree, and the position 

 seemed at variance with the accepted typical situations 

 of the homes of our vireos. The nest was just finished, 

 but an inspection proved it to be empty. No birds 

 were seen. 



On the afternoon of June 6th, in company with Mr. 

 Andros, I again visited the spot, and saw the tail of the 

 bird as she sat in the nest. She was not easily flushed, 

 but as she exposed herself to view, I at once recognized 

 her as a Blue-headed Vireo, a familiar bird of my experi- 

 ence in the Maine woods, but a rarity in the breeding 

 season in Bristol County. The nest at this time con- 

 tained three eggs which exhibited no conspicuous valua- 

 tion from those of the Red-eyed variety. The nest was 

 very much ornamented on the outside with bits of paper 

 and cobwebs. The above notes constitute the only 

 recorded instance of the breeding of soHtarms in this 

 country. 



SPIZA AMERICANA. BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 



On June loth, 1886, I received a letter from Dr., H. 

 F. Dexter of Dartmouth, Mass., informing me that he 

 had found the nest of a sparrow, which he was unable 

 to identify. In response to his urgent invitation, I 

 visited the Doctor's farm June 12th, and we proceeded 



to the briar-grown edge of his cornfield, down which we 

 had walked but a short distance, when we flushed a 

 small bird from her nest. I caught but a fleeting 

 glimpse as the occurrence was unexpected, my friend 

 not having warned me of the close proxiinity in which 

 we were to the nest. The bird soon reappeared and as 

 she balanced herself for a moment upon a large rag- 

 weed, I identified it as spisa amcricana. The nest was 

 very bulky, being composed of both coarse and fine 

 grasses, placed in a small clump of blackberry vines. 



The eggs were five in number, of the well-known 

 type of this species, which is very common in more 

 western States. 



DENDROICA, CCERULESCENS. BLACK-THROATED 

 BLUE WARBLER. 



Mr. David Stone, a farmer residing in Dighton, 

 brought to me on June 13, 1884, a set of four eggs in a 

 nest of soft plant fibres and cotton. The eggs and nest 

 were undoubtedly those of some warbler, and informing 

 the finder that I could not identify without the birds, I 

 paid no attention to the matter save to preserve the 

 eggs and nest. Next day I was surprised by Mr. Stone 

 who brought to my residence a male Black-throated 

 Blue Warbler, which he said was one of the birds which 

 built the nest delivered to me on the previous day, he 

 having shot it, as it remained about the spot from which 

 the nest was taken. The eggs can be readily attributed 

 to that species, but I leave the record resting solely on 

 the foregoing evidence. The occurrence of this warbler 

 in the breeding season is alone worthy of record. 



