BELL’S VIREO STUDIES ( VIREO BELLI AUD.) 
WALTER W. BENNETT. 
( WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE WRITER.) 
There exists in the central United States, from South Dakota - 
and Illinois to Texas and Mexico, a bird which has interested 
students in that region to no small extent. It has been interest- 
ing not because of any phenomenal habits or any beautiful 
colors, but because of its modesty of dress and its elusive habits. 
Although common in its range it seems to have been little studied 
by the bird student. 
In the following few paragraphs the results of a miscellaneous 
series of studies of this bird are related. They extend over a 
period of eight years, from 1908 to 1915 inclusive, and were 
largely made in the vicinity of Sioux City, Iowa, where the 
species is rather common. They are entirely field studies pur- 
sued with definite objects in view. Some are still incomplete 
but In those cases the results thus far obtained are put down 
with the idea of encouraging further effort on the part of 
someone else. 
SPRING ARRIVALS. 
The Bell’s Vireo, Vireo belli Aud., is not an early spring 
arrival from Mexico and Central America but rather appears 
quite late. Records of five different years at Sioux City, Iowa, 
show it to come during the second and third weeks in May. 
The first ones have been noted on May 17, 16, 14, 14, and 18. 
This would average up at May 16, with the earliest noted on 
the 14th. Because of the bird’s retiring habits in late summer 
the fall departures have not been easily noted but it has been 
observed at Sioux City as late as September 16. 
DATES OF NESTING. 
Records of the nesting of the species at Sioux City show 
the eggs to be laid during the first or second weeks in June. 
