Home › R › Range (Eastern North America breeds) (XXXIII)

Range (Eastern North America breeds) (XXXIII)

Eastern North America; breeds from Connecticut (and southward along the crest of the Alleghanies) northward to New Brunswick and Manitoba; winters from Florida southward.

Washington, common T. V., Apl. 10 to May 10; Sept. to Oct. 26. Sing Sing, tolerably common T. V., Apl. 23 to May 14; Sept. 8 to Oct. 20. Cambridge, common T. V., rather rare S. R., Apl. 25 to Oct. 5. Nest, pensile, of pine needles, plant down, etc., firmly interwoven, suspended from a forked branch five to ten feet up. Eggs, three to four, white, with a few specks or spots of black, umber, or rufous-brown, chiefly at the larger end, 80 x 53.

This large and handsome Vireo-a bird of the woods-is the first of its family to reach the Northern States in the spring and the last to depart in the autumn. Like its congeners, but unlike birds in general, it sings at its work. In form its music resembles the Red-eye's, the Philadelphia's, and the Yellow-throat's; but to me it is more varied and beautiful than any of these, though some listeners may prefer the Yellow-throat for the richness and fullness of its "organ tone." The Solitary's song is matchless for the tenderness of its cadence, while in peculiarly happy moments the bird indulges in a continuous warble that is really enchanting. It has, too, in common with the Yellowthroat, a musical chatter-suggestive of the Baltimore Oriole's-and a pretty trilled whistle. Its most winning trait is its tameness. Wood bird as it is, 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; but I have seen others that complained loudly whenever I approached their tree. Perhaps they had had sad experiences.

BRADFORD TORREY.

A single specimen of the PLUMBEOUS VIREO (629b. V. s. plumbeus), a western species, has been taken at Peterboro, N. Y. (Miller, Auk, xi, 1894, p. 79). 629c. V. s. alticola Brewst. MOUNTAIN SOLITARY VIREO.-Similar to the preceding, but with a much larger bill, and the back generally with more or less slaty blue. W., 3·15; T., 2.25; B. from N., 35; depth of B. at Ν., 20.