)LOGrIST. 
G9 
Nesting of the Yellow-throated 
Vireo. 
Among the small birds there is no species 
more interesting to me than the Yellow- 
throated Vireo (Vireo fiiwifrm&D) from whatever 
point of view it is considered, from his first 
advent in the spring to his latest hour among 
us. Promptly he announces his arrival from 
the neighboring grove with his clear mellow 
whistle. The Warblers and the Finches may 
unite in a grand harmonious medley, and we 
listen to the melody as a whole and there is no 
distinctive feature, but when flavifrons joins, 
or rather when bespeaks, for his notes fail to 
unite in the chorus, so distinct is it, and 
though all the other birds are singing we hear 
only li is note, clear, firm, steady, vigorous and 
deliberate. 
He seems quite as much entitled to the ap- 
pellation “solitary” as his blue-headed relative, 
for one bird or at most a pair is the universal 
rule, hut as there is no rule without an excep- 
tion so here are occasionally seen two males 
paying court to one female. It, seems a very 
unsatisfactory state of things to the trio how- 
ever, and one of continuous conflict on the 
part of the aspirants to favor, and it soon ter- 
minates in the solitary status to at least one of 
the contestants. 
Having entered the matrimonial state, the 
pair are in no haste about nesting and family 
cares, but deliberately examine every tree, 
every branch, and every spray, not unusually 
for even weeks, for a suitable fork from which 
to suspend the cradle. Having fixed upon a 
site after the most mature deliberation days 
and even weeks are sometimes consumed in its 
construction, and a masterpiece of the art it is 
when the finishing touches are put on, and the 
bits of lichen that supply the trimming and 
ornamentation are platted firmly and neatly in 
their places. The whole structure is very 
compact and firm, and securely fastened in 
place. I have seen them labor for a number 
of days at a foundation, and then have a storm 
with wind rise and tear it all away — which 
result is usually followed by abandonment. 
I have been amused to see the female fly- 
ing back and forth from her building nest to 
tlie nearest old fence where she gathered 
lichens and spiders’ nests, materials largely 
used to secure the fragments to the spray and 
to each other, although not exclusively, for 
[ have observed them draw largely from 
the webbing of the nests of the common 
bag worm ( Clixiocampa americana) for that 
purpose, as does also her relation, the Red- 
eyed species. I have not seen the male bird 
ever attempt to take any part in building the 
nest, but he follows his mate deliberately 
about on her excursions after material, and ac- 
companies her back again, singing his best 
songs in his most vigorous manner at each 
resting place. I was exceedingly interested 
last year over the movements of a male bird 
which I observed singing his best from the 
summit of a lone hickory, and as I walked 
under tire shade of its low branches he de- 
scended from Ills lofty perch, and with a harsh 
gutteral note began scolding at my intrusion. I 
paused under a branch and watched his strange 
evolutions as he came down within a few feet 
of my head. I soon observed the cause, as 
his nest was there and the female sitting 
snugly, lie went directly to her and as she 
slipped quietly away lie placed himself firmly 
in the nest and gazed over its walls with a look 
which seemed to say “see me protect it, and 
die before I’ll surrender” — and indeed lie 
would not leave till I almost touched him, 
such was his devotion, and as lie at last moved 
to a contiguous spray lie turned his head with 
a look of fury in his evos which said as plain 
as looks could speak, “if I were only big 
enough I’d fight you to the last.” 
This species appears to be often afflicted 
with parasites. I have seen nests that 
70 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
[Vol. 15-No. 5 
swarmed with insects of that kind in such 
immense numbers as to destroy the young 
birds, or drive the parents away, so that they 
perished. 1 have also observed the bird singing 
in a tree pause between each song to peck 
among his feathers in a very ludicrous manner. 
I shall not soon forget an adventure I had 
in securing a set of eggs of this species, and 
which now adorns my cabinet. The site was 
a lonely place in the woods, and in passing 
through its shades my attention was arrested 
by a pair of the birds gathering materials for 
a nest. On pausing to observe I soon found 
the location was in a tall chestnut at least 
sixty feet from the ground, and in due time, 
equipped with a long rope, I essayed the cap- 
ture of the nest. The nearest limb was about 
eighteen feet from the ground, and the method 
of ascent proposed was to cast one end of the 
rope over this branch, making it into an im- 
provised ladder by tying short sticks into it at 
short intervals, and drawing it up and securing 
tiie other end to an adjacent tree. The project 
worked admirably, and the tree was easily 
mounted; the beautiful nest and eggs were 
made secure and the descent begun. Beneath 
was an uncanny place to fall — a dense thicket 
of heavy brush that seemed scarcely penetrable 
— hut the moment 1 trusted myself to the rope 
ladder in descent it parted. I tried too late to 
clasp the tree and tore my hands badly by con- 
tact with the rough hark. There was but a 
moment’s time to think, but that moment was ( 
sufficient to till me with the direst alarm as I 
recalled to mind the sort of landing place that 
awaited my coming. Only for an instant, how- | 
ever, and [ could scarcely realize that the dan- 
ger was safely passed and 1 was gently standing 
like a wedge in apparently the only standing 
place, supported on every side by the stubs 
and stakes the thought of whose sharp points 
had so recently alarmed me. 
A very singular set of this species was one of 
my captures a few years ago. There were only 
two eggs and there were a. number of days’ in- 
terval between their deposit. These were the 
largest eggs of this species I have ever seen, 
and one of them was of the purest white with- 
out a spot, the other heavily and boldy marked 
like a Kingbird’s. 
I should fail to do justice to these little birds 
if 1 neglected to extol their virtues. Their 
whole lives seem devoted to the service of 
men. Their food consists of the insects in 
their various stages which infest our orchard 
and forest trees, and the capture of an es- 
pecially fat caterpillar denuding the orchard of 
its foliage is a feast that calls forth their loud- 
est songs of rejoicing — which is high praise, 
for herein they rank without a peer. 
John N. Clark. 
Old Saybrook, Conn. Q &0> XV, May . 1890 
