The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-07-13

just how far she would allow me to go, l took hold of the twig she was on and bent it in towards me. She seemed not in the least disturbed even when drew the nest in quite close to my face l put out my hand and stroked her back, and then gently lifted her from the nest. She never struggled. and When, after seeing the two scantlly- spotted white eggs, l put her back, she nestled down as unconcerned as any old barn-yard hen. Of course, at the tune, l thought I was a specially favored individual, but since then have heard of experiences with yellow throated vireos to which mine was tame, One gentleman of my acquain- tance was fortunate enough to have a pair of birds of this species hang their little basket in an apple tree near his ! house. He was soon on such good terms with them that he was allowed to put a ladder against the tree and to carry up little offerings of food to the sitting bird. She would take ants readily from his fingers, and as she came to regard his visits with greater | and greater approval she would hop
 
 him. She finally became so tame that she would hop all the way down the ladder, one rung at time, and perch on his finger while she ate her break fast
 The yellow throated vireo is beauti- ful bird. with bright olive-green back and wings, bright yellow throat and breast, and with two conspicuous white Wing-bars His song is loud, clear and musical and usually consists of two or three distinct phrases or little sen tences. Put into words, they sound to me like "Ah! there! How are you? I'm all right"
 The song of the red-eyed vireo is sim liar in construction, but it has a great CT number of phrases and is neither as loud nor as musical as that of the vel loW-throat. The phrases are short and distinctly separated, and the deliberate. earnest way in which they are uttered has caused the bird to be nick-named '"The Preacher" Some of his phrases have been translated: You see it. yeu know it--do you hear me?-do you believe it?" The red eye is one of our commonest birds, and he sings inces- sanity, even in the hot weather, when few other birds are in song. Apart from his voice he can be distinguished by the blackish lines on either side of his head.
 A bird of the same general appear ance as the Preacher is the warb1ing vireo, perhaps the sweetest singer of his family hereabouts. His song is a sweet, clear, continuous warble, lasting for several seconds and is usually de- livered from near the top of a leafy shade tree, where the small musician is hidden from view. The absence of black lines on the head and the pres ence, of tinge of yellow in the under parts will serve to distinguish this vi- rec from the red-eye when the birds are not in song.
 The white eyed vireo is not only splendid songster, but an excellent mimic, and often amuses himself by initiating the, birds about him. But unfortunately, like many other clever people, he is of a rather disagreeable disposition, and one never feels quite at ease when calling upon him. AL though he is scarcely larger than your thumb, when he jumps upon a twig quite close ito your face, with his strange whitsseyes blazing with anger, at the same time screaming at you like a little fury, you cannot help thinking that he is saying things not fit for publication. But he is only the excep tion which proves the rule.
 The blue headed or solitary vireo is another of the very tame ones. Per haps no or1esflas had more delightful | experiences with birds of this species 1 than MT Bradford Torrey. At least | twice he has found solitary vireos | which would not only allow him to | stroke them as they sat upon their eggs, but which daily accepted food | from his hand with as little fear as a tame kitten.
 The vireos all make little hanging nests, and usually suspend them on the under side of a forked twlg Some species make rather large and deeper nests than others. but the general shape is about the same, The materi- ils used are grasses, fiberous bark bits If dead wood, plant down, spiders silk md pieces of paper, and in the cases of certain species, birch bark and pine needles respectively
 ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.