BLUE-HEADED VIREO

629. Lanivere solitarius. 5¾ inches

Crown and sides of head bluish slate; lores, eye-ring and underparts white; back and flanks greenish yellow; two whitish wing bars.

This species, to my eye, is the prettiest of the Vireos, all the colors being in just the right proportion and blending and harmonizing perfectly. They are solitary, in that they are usually found in deep woods, glens or ravines, and seldom is more than one pair found in a single woods.

Song.—Similar to that of the [Yellow-throated Vireo] but longer and more varied.

Nest.—A handsome, finely woven basket, with the outside covered with spider webs and often with lichens; eggs pale creamy white with chestnut specks.

Range.—Eastern N. A., breeding from the Gulf to New Brunswick and Manitoba; winters south of the United States.

Sub-Species.—629c. Mountain Solitary Vireo (alticola), head darker and back less greenish; Alleghanies from North Carolina to Georgia.