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INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 
The Red-Eyed Yireo is one of the most favorite of all 
the adopted nurses of the Cow-bird, and the remarkable 
gentleness of its disposition and watchful affection for 
the safety of its young, or of the foundling confided to 
its care, amply justifies this selection of a foster parent. 
The male, indeed, defends his nest, while his mate is 
sitting, with as much spirit as the king-bird, driving 
away every intruder, and complaining in a hoarse mew- 
ing tone when approached by any inquisitive observer. 
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 
were heard, and the male sang all day as cheerful as 
before. In a few days, unwilling to leave the neigh- 
bourhood, they had made a second nest in a beech at 
the opposite side of the same premises; but now the 
male drove away every feathered intruder with the great- 
est temerity. The young of this species are often hatch- 
ed 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 supposi- 
titious bird appeared by far the most assiduously attend- 
ed, and in this case the real young of the species seemed 
to be treated as puny foundlings. 
In the month of August, the young fed greedily on 
the small berries of the bitter cornel, and astringent 
Viburnum dentatum , as well as other kinds. One of these 
inexperienced birds hopped close round me in an adjoin- 
ing bush, without any fearful apprehension ; and, as late 
as the 26th of October, two young birds of the Red-Eye 
were still lingering in this vicinity, and busily engaged 
in gleaning subsistence. Eager after flies, about the 
25th of August, a young bird with hazel instead of red 
