nd yet； somewhere stored up in his diminutive body； is warmth enough to withstand zero weather。 With evident enjoyment of the cold； he calls out a shrill； wiry zee； zee； zee； that rings merrily from the pines and spruces when our fingers are too numb to hold the opera glasses in an attempt to follow his restless fittings from branch to branch。 Is it one of the unwritten laws of birds that the smaller their bodies the greater their activity？
When you see one kinglet about； you may be sure there are others not far away； for； except in the nesting season； its habits are distinctly social； its friendliness extending to the humdrum brown creeper； the chickadees； and the nuthatches； in whose company it is often seen； indeed； it is likely to be in almost any flock of the winter birds。 They are a merry band as they go exploring the trees together。 The kinglet can hang upside down； too； like the other acrobats； many of whose tricks he has learned； and it can pick off insects from a tree with as business…like an air as the brown creeper； but with none of that soulless bird's plodding precision。
In the early spring； just before this busy little sprite leaves us to nest in Canada or Labrador for heat is the one thing that he can't cheerfully endure a gushing； lyrical song bursts from his tiny throat a song whose volume is so out of proportion to the bird's size that Nuttall's classification of kinglets with wrens doesn't seem far wrong after all。 Only rarely is a nest found so far south as the White Mountains。 It is said to be extraordinarily large for so small a bird but that need not surprise us when we learn that as many as ten creamy…white eggs； blotched with brown and lavender； are no uncommon number for the pensile cradle to hold。 How do the tiny parents contrive to cover so many eggs and to feed such a nestful of fledglings？
SOLITARY VIREO （Vireo solitarius） Vireo or Greenlet family
Called also： BLUE…HEADED VIREO ＇AOU 1998＇
Length 5。5 to 7 inches。 A little smaller than the English sparrow。 Male Dusky olive above； head bluish gray； with a white line around the eye； spreading behind the eye into a patch。 Beneath whitish； with yellow…green wash on the sides。 Wings dusky olive； with two distinct white bars。 Tail dusky； some quills edged with white。 Female Similar； but her head is dusky olive。 Range United States to plains； and the southern British provinces。 Winters in Florida and southward。 Migrations May。 Early October。 Common during migrations； more rarely a summer resident south of Massachusetts。
By no means the recluse that its name would imply； the solitary vireo； while a bird of the woods； shows a charming curiosity about the stranger with opera…glasses in hand； who has penetrated to the deep； swampy tangles； where it chooses to live。 Peering at you through the green undergrowth with an eye that seems especially conspicuous because of its encircling white rim； it is at least as sociable and cheerful as any member of its family； and Mr。 Bradford Torrey credits it with 〃winning tameness。〃 〃Wood…bird as it is；〃 he says； 〃it will sometimes permit the greatest familiarities。 Two birds I have seen； which allowed themselves to be stroked in the freest manner； while sitting on the eggs； and which ate from my hand as readily as any pet canary。〃
The solitary vireo also builds a pensile nest； swung from the crotch of a branch； not so high from the ground as the yellow…throated vireos nor so exquisitely finished； but still a beautiful little structure of pine…needles； plant…fibre； dry leaves； and twigs； all lichen…lined and bound and rebound with coarse spiders' webs。
The distinguishing quality of this vireo's celebrated song is its tenderness： a pure； serene uplifting of its loving； trustful nature that seems inspired by a fine spirituality。
RED…EYED VIREO （Vireo olivaceus） Vireo or Greenlet family
Called also： THE PREACHER
Length 5。75 to 6。25 inches。 A fraction smaller than the English sparrow。 Male and Female Upper parts light olive…green； well…defined slaty…gray cap； with black marginal line； below which； and forming an exaggerated eyebrow； is a line of white。 A brownish band runs from base of bill through the eye。 The iris is ruby…red。 Underneath white； shaded with light greenish yellow on sides and on under tail and wing coverts。 Range United States to Rockies and northward。 Wnters in Central and South America。 Migrations April。 October。 Common summer resident。
〃You see it you know it do you hear me？ Do you believe it？〃 is Wilson Flagg's famous interpretation of the song of this commonest of all the vireos； that you cannot mistake with such a key。 He calls the bird the preacher from its declamatory style； an up…and…down warble delivered with a rising inflection at the close and followed by an impressive silence； as if the little green orator were saying； 〃I pause for a reply。〃
Notwithstanding its quiet coloring； that so closely resembles the leaves it hunts among； this vireo is rather more noticeable than its relatives because of its slaty cap and the black…and…white lines over its ruby eye； that； in addition to the song； are its marked characteristics。
Whether she is excessively stupid or excessively kind； the mother…vireo has certainly won for herself no end of ridicule by allowing the cowbird to deposit a stray egg in the exquisitely made； pensile nest； where her own tiny white eggs are lying and though the young cowbird crowd and worry her little fledglings and eat their dinner as fast as she can bring it in； no displeasure or grudging is shown towards the dusky intruder that is sure to upset the rightful heirs out of the nest before they are able to fly。
In the heat of a midsummer noon； when nearly every other bird's voice is hushed； and only the locust seems to rejoice in the fierce sunshine； the little red…eyed vireo goes persistently about its business of gathering insects from the leaves； not flitting nervously about like a warbler； or taking its food on the wing like a flycatcher； but patiently and industriously dining where it can； and singing as it goes。
When a worm is caught it is first shaken against a branch to kill it before it is swallowed。 Vireos haunt shrubbery and trees with heavy foliage； all their hunting； singing； resting； and home…building being done among the leaves never on the ground。
WHITE…EYED VIREO （Vireo noveboracensis） Vireo or Greenlet family
Male 5 to 5。3 inches。 An inch shorter than the English sparrow。 Male and Female Upper parts bright olive…green； washed with grayish。 Throat and underneath white； the breast and sides greenish yellow； wings have two distinct bars of yellowish white。 Yellow line from beak to and around the eye； which has a white iris。 Feathers of wings and tail brownish and edged with yellow。 Range United States to the Rockies； and to the Gulf regions And beyond in winter。 Migrations May。 September。 Summer resident。
〃Pertest of songsters；〃 the white…eyed vireo makes whatever neighborhood it enters lively at once。 Taking up a residence in the tangled shrubbery or thickety undergrowth； it immediately begins to scold like a crotchety old wren。 It becomes irritated over the merest trifles a passing bumblebee； a visit from another bird to its tangle； an unsuccessful peck at a gnat anything seems calculated to rouse its wrath and set every feather on its little body a…trembling； while it sharply snaps out what might perhaps be freely constructed into 〃cuss…words。〃
And yet the inscrutable mystery is that this virago meekly permits the lazy cowbird to deposit an egg in its nest； and will patiently sit upon it； though it is as large as three of her own tiny eggs； and when the little interloper comes out from his shell the mother…bird will continue to give it the most devoted care long after it has shoved her poor little starved babies out of the nest to meet an untimely death in the smilax thicket below。
An unusual variety of expression distinguishes this bird's voice from the songs of the other vireos； which are apt to be monotonous； as they are incessant。 If you are so fortunate to approach the white…eyed vireo before he suspects your presence； you may hear him amusing himself by jumbling together snatches of the songs of the other birds in a sort of potpourri； or perhaps he will be scolding or arguing with an imaginary foe； then dropping his voice and talking confidentially to himself。 Suddenly he bursts into a charming； simple little song； as if the introspection had given him reason for real joy。 All these vocal accomplishments suggest the chat at once； but the minute your intrusion is discovered the sharp scolding； that is fairly screamed at you from an enraged little throat； leaves no possible shadow of a doubt as to the bird you have disturbed。 It has the most emphatic call and song to be heard in the woods； it snaps its words off very short。 〃Chick…a…rer chick〃 is its usual call…note； jerked out with great spitefulness。
Wilson thus describes the jealously guarded nest： 〃This bird builds a very neat little nest； often in the figure of an inverted cone； it is suspended by the upper end of the two sides； on the 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 the name of the politician）； all these materials are interwoven with the silk of the caterpillars； and the inside is lined with fine； dry grass and hair。〃
WARBLING VIREO （Vireo gilvus） Vireo or Greenlet family
Length 5。5 to 6 inches。 A little smaller than the English sparrow。 Male and Female Ashy olive…green above； with head and neck ash…colored。 Dusky line over the eye。 Underneath whitish； faintly washed with dull yellow； deepest on sides； no bars on wings。 Range North America； from Hudson Bay to Mexico。 Migrations May。 Late September or early October。 Summer resident。
This musical little bird shows a curious preference for rows of trees in the village street or by the roadside； where he can be sure of an audie