80 
VIREO NOVEBORACENSIS. 
the middle of November; and probably winters in 
Mexico and tbe West Indies. 
This bird builds a very neat little rfest, often in the 
figure of an inverted cone ; it is suspended by the 
upper edge of the two sides, on tbe circular bend of a 
prickly vine, — a species of smilax that generally grows 
in low thickets. Outwardly, it is constructed of various 
light materials, bits of rotten wood, fibres of dry stalks 
of weeds, pieces of paper, commonly newspapers, an 
article almost always found about its nest, so that some 
of my friends have given it tbe name of the politician; 
all these substances are interwoven with the silk of 
caterpillars, and the inside is lined with fine dry grass 
and hair. The female lays five eggs, pure white, 
marked near the great end with a very few small dots 
of deep black or purple. They generally raise two 
brood in a season. They seem particularly attached to 
thickets of this species of smilax, and make a great 
ado when any one comes near their nest ; approaching 
within a few feet, looking down, and scolding with 
great vehemence. In Pennsylvania they are a numerous 
species. 
The white-eyed flycatcher is five inches and a quarter 
long, and seven in extent ; the upper parts are a fine 
yellow olive, those below, white, except the sides of 
the breast, and under the wings, which are yellow; 
line round the eye, and spot near the nostril, also rich 
yellow; wings, deep dusky black, edged with olive 
green, and crossed with two bars of pale yellow ; tail, 
forked, brownish black, edged with green olive ; bill, 
legs, and feet, light blue ; the sides of the neck incline 
to a greyish ash. The female and young of the first 
season are scarcely distinguishable in plumage from 
the male. 
