SINGING BIRDS. 
184 
the sensitive mind. Yet while this heavenly reveiy strikes on 
the human ear with such peculiar effect, the humble musician 
himself seems but little concerned ; for all the while, perhaps, 
that this flowing chorus enchants the hearer, he is casually 
hopping from spray to spray in quest of his active or crawling 
prey, and if a cessation occurs in his almost untiring lay, it is 
occasioned by the caterpillar or fly he has just fortunately cap- 
tured. So unaffected are these delightful efforts of instinct, 
and so unconscious is the performer, apparently, of this pleas- 
ing faculty bestowed upon him by Nature, that he may truly be 
considered as a messenger of harmony to man alone. Wan- 
tonly to destroy these delightful aids to sentimental happiness 
ought therefore to be viewed, not only as an act of barbarity, 
but almost as a sacrilege. 
The Red-Eyed Vireo is one of the most favorite of all the 
adopted nurses of the Cowbird ; and the remarkable gentle- 
ness of its disposition and watchful affection for the safety of 
its young, or of the foundling confided to its care, amply justi- 
fies this selection of a foster-parent. The male, indeed, de- 
fends his nest while his mate is sitting, with as much spirit as 
the King Bird, driving away every intruder and complaining in 
a hoarse mewing tone when approached by any inquisitive 
observ'er. By accident the eggs were destroyed in a nest of 
this species in the Botanic Garden, in a sugar-maple about 20 
feet from the ground. At this time no complaints rvere heard, 
and the male sang all day as cheerful as before. In a few 
days, unwilling to leave the neighborhood, they had made a 
second nest in a beech at the opposite side of the same prem- 
ises ; but now the male drove away every intnrder with the 
greatest temerity. The young of this species are often hatched 
in about 13 days, or 24 hours later than the parasitic Troopial ; 
but for want of room the smaller young are usually stifled or 
neglected. I have, however, seen in one nest a surviving bird 
of each kind in a fair way for being reared ; yet by a singular 
infatuation the supposititious bird appeared by far the most 
assiduously attended, and in this case the real young of the 
species seemed to be treated as puny foundlings. 
