where near. A search from various points of view had 
failed to locate it until a venture was made into a poison 
oak tangle up the hillside. From that spot, on the topmost 
twigs of the highest branch of the oak, screened by the 
shining leaves, could be seen the swinging cradle. _ 
The father bird poked his long bill and head (with the 
white streak through the eye which distinguishes this bird 
from the Cassin Vireo), out into sight again and again, as 
_ the air thrilled with his warble. He slipped off the nest as 
his mate approached and took a trip about the tree singing, 
between breaths, as he craned his neck over the edges of 
leaves, doing his police duty. She yawned as she watched 
him and gave a little dainty song of refusal, as he Jahee near 
and offered to change with her. 
They seemed to think those eggs must be always 
covered, and he did his fair share of brooding, until the 
young were heard. Even then he never shirked, but carried 
his insects to the nest as often as she did. His songs grew 
shorter and less constant, as the nest bulged with its burden 
during the twenty days of watching, but they kept their 
quality of concentrated joy. One morning, as he sang, the 
younglings leaned far out over the edge teasing for just 
one more bite. As the father approached a babykin flapped 
his wings above the basket, and almost fell the forty feet 
below, but caught himself in time to save an accident. 
The next daybreak their venture into the big world 
must have been made for not one fatherly song could be 
heard from that time to hint at the hiding place of 
the family, although harsh cries of “Ye-Ye-ape” sounded 
monotonously in the spirea thicket near the home tree. It 
took hours of searching that July 3rd day over every leaf 
and twig before these aristocrats of birds, in appearance, 
could be found and gently touched, as they croaked their 
locations to their parents. These calls seemed a wise pro- 
vision, because the young birds blended so well into their 
surroundings in their pearl-white and grayish-buffy coats, 
187 © 
