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 July, 1919 A SHORT PAPER ON THE HUTTON VIREO 163 very much in the manner of a flycatcher; but on his return to the protection of the green foliage his flycatcher propensities desert him and he usually goes full tilt into the cover rather than show himself longer than necessary. During the fall and winter this Vireo's liquid note is seldom heard and then but a contented bar or tvo while feeding. But at the first breaking of winter into spring his notes become more frequent. The nuptial song is a con stant repetition of a single note, often for a prolonged period. It is like the twanging of a bov string in one key, quid, quid, quid, repeated indefinitely. The above is not an attempt to reproduce the note, as it has more liquid quality and there is a slight cadence in it ranging higher towards the. end of the note. In some individuals it is given a slight ti-ill like water over stones. The earliest [ have heard heir song, i f song it could be called, is in the first week of Febru- ary, and it is to be heard from then on until late summer. One always associates the I-Iutton Vireo in his mind with the live oaks. i always think of this little fellow as the spirit of the live oak tree. The tree stationary, unconscious until livened by its spirit, in whose nfolding bosom the ,,.pirit lives and dies. If trees can love, how they must cherish the cheery sprite that spends its life in fond protection of their bodies. The body seldom dies and the spirit is constantly renewed, the asociation is eternal. The spirit wander, but ever returns to its castle, and I can think that nothing would please it better than to die nestled at the foot of its live oak. About the first and second weeks in March home-building is begun. The site.being properly chosen, both birds begin the task. The round, deep-cupped strncture is built entirely of Spanish moss, the first strands being woven on both sides of the chosen crotch, with loose ends hanging down; as the building goes on these hanging ends are woven ogether at the bottom and the nest be- gins to take shape. As the structure progresses the moss that goes to build it bccomes finer and finer and each strand is woven in with a weaving motion of the bill. When the nest will upport the xveight, each bird, after it has placed the material it has brought, pops in and works with feet and body to round out and cup the structure. Most of the material for the nest is collected within a radius of thirty-five to fifty yards of the nest, but seldom in the immediate vicinity of the site and never from the same tree. In approaching the nest, usually from two to three stops are made before the last flight direct to the nest. On leaving the birds generally fly direct to a neighboring tree. Building progresses slowly or rap- idly, as the weather permits. I noted one pair commence and complete a nest in about four days; normally a week, two, or even a greater length of time is required on account of the frequent showers we have in March and April. Sometimes a few days elapse between the completion of the nest and the depos- iting of the first egg, but usually the female immediately commences to lay and does so daily until the setting is complete. Incubation is begun at once. Incubation is performed by both parents, and it is during this period that they are most wary against the detection of their treasures. I have seen one bird dive into the nesting .tree, make the change at the nest and the other bird leave, so rapidly, that it seemed as though but the one bird had entered and left the tree. The nest is usually built back from some open or clear sace. It is almost useless to look in the first fringe of trees about the clearing; usually the nest is to be found in the second or third row of trees from the opening. The only exception I have ever noted was a nest in a live oak in the middle of