Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
This and That
By Charles T.. TrdceDeu.
SILVER SPRING, Md.

Dear Sir:
II saw small bird the other day I
wish you would tell me what 1t Is.
1T was small neat looking bird,
greenish-gray on the back, with a
whitish stomach.
There was very noticeable light
streak through the eye. It was In the
thick branches of a tree, and 1t kept
craning it's neck in all directions.
IF it had been larger, and its stom-
ach more yellow, would have thought
it might be the yellow-breasted chat,
but it was too small. .
TT remained for quite a while, but I
did not hear it sing.
Sincerely yours, G. F.
X X X
This bird probably was the red-eyed
vireo, which is common here in the
summer.
1t is of good size, with most of the
white bar going across over the eye, but
with bit of it beneath, so that at
some distance it appears to go COM
pletely through the eye.
The red-eyed vireo is sometimes called
the preacher bird, on account of its in
cessant song. The bird is 6h inches
long, rather larger than the warbling
vireo, which somewhat resembles it.
The latter has the eye streak, but it is
not so noticeable.
The word "vireo" means II am green"
All the vireos are tree-top birds, some
of them seldom being seen at all
The red-eyed in some sections is called
just the preacher, and in others the
greenlet.
The song is very short, not more
than two or three notes, but so much
repeated that 1t almost has the flow
ing quality of the robins daily recita-
ton.
This is one of the birds whose nest is
often chosen by cowbirds in which to
put her eggs.
Though the vireos are properly
classed with the singing birds, they do
not strike most listeners as being very
musical, at least as far as song pattern
is concerned
The nest of the red-eyed is a hanging
construction, which has led to the bird
being called the little hang-nest in some
sections.
The foliage of shrubs and trees gives
the birds most of their food, consisting
mainly of insects, especially small sorts
which are overlooked by most birds.
Leaf rollers are regarded by them as
special tid-bit.
Usually the red-eyed vireo arrives
here during the last week of April, and
remains until October.
Nesting begins late in May. There are
several broods, the eggs ranging from
3 to 5 at time. These are white, speck-
led with reddish-brown.
The nests usually are placed about
10 feet from the ground, but often are
higher. They hang in the forks of
small trees, and are nicely made Of
strips of bark and grasses.
The outside is Observation-Disclosures seems
to be no other reason for it-With
pieces of spider and wasp nests, and
sometimes with bits of cocoon.
The red-eyed vireo is one of the most
fearless of aviators.
1t ranges all the way from Nova
Scotia to Brazil.
The warbling vireo is smaller, but so
seldom seen that its Southwest range Is
not known, though it is believed to
winter somewhere in Central or South
America 1t is exceptional when the
Southwest range of bird is not known.
The warbling vireo has a true warb-
ler-type song, made up of at least eight
notes, in which one expert has professed
to find distinct resemblance to a
phrase in Chopins Fantasia I'M
promptu,"
This warbling greenlet is smaller than
the red-eyed vireo-it is only 81 inches
long-and mostly stays in the tops of
trees, preferably oaks, elrns and NAPLES.