THE VIREO. 
61 
cate, approaching nearer the Warblers in that re- 
spect. The Vireos are more musical than the Ty- 
rants, the latter being as a family quite destitute of 
song. Their motions upon the wing are also quite 
dissimilar; the flight of the former being gliding, 
and with little motion of the wings, while that of the 
latter is accompanied frequently by rapid fluttering. 
A position in the family of Shrikes is now believed 
to be the most natural. There are a number of spe- 
cies of the Vireos found in our woods, but the two 
mentioned above are the most conspicuous on ac- 
count of the peculiar sweetness of their notes. Be- 
sides them we have the Solitary Vireo, the Yellow- 
throated Vireo, and the White-eyed Vireo ; the latter 
has sometimes been called the Politician, in conse- 
quence of their nests being seldom found without 
containing one or more pieces of newspaper in their 
texture. The nests of all these little birds are par- 
ticularly neat in their structure, being mostly com- 
posed of fine materials, and arranged with the utmost 
skill. That of the White-eye is built in a low bushy 
vine, a species of Smilax which is very abundant. 
It is in the form of an inverted cone, and besides 
the newspaper, we find small dry twigs, grasses, and 
pieces of hornet’s nests ; the whole is lined with fine 
fibrous roots. In this snug little cavity is often 
found the egg of the Cow-bird, several of the species 
of the Vireos being honored with the task of assist- 
ing to perpetuate this singular race. 
The next bird w T e shall present is the Cedar-bird, 
or Waxwing. Arrayed in a plain and modest suit, 
6 
