60 - [APRIL;, 



Aj)ra 27th. 

 Vice President Bridges in the Chair. 



The Committee on the following paper by Dr. "Woodhouse, reported 

 in favor of publication in the Proceedings. 



Descriptions of new species of Biyds of the genera Virco, Vieill.f and Zo?^o- 



trichiaf Stvains . 



By S. W. Woodhouse, M. D. 



The specimens described in the present paper were procured by me in Texas, 

 whilst attached to the expedition under the command of Captain L. Sitgreaves, 

 Topographical Engineer U. S. Army, which explored the rivers Zuni and Colo- 

 rado of the West. 



Vireo atricapilla, nobis. 



Form. Robust, wings short and slightly rounded, first quill short, third long- 

 est; tail extending about one inch beyond the closed wings. 



Dimensions. Total length, 4 5-10, extent of wings, 71, from flexure, 2 1-10, 

 length of tail 1 6-10 inches. 



Colors. Head above black, which color extends over the cheeks and ears to 

 the base of the lower mandible ; a white ring encircles the eye, and then forms 

 a broad band extending to the nares. The plumage of the back is dark olive 

 green, slightly tipped with black, and gradually becoming lighter over the rump 

 and tail-coverts. Wings and tail dark brown, inclining to black, with their 

 outer margin light olive ; greater and lesser wing-coverts broadly tipped with 

 dingy white. 



The primaries have a white line extending along their inner edge. Throat, 

 belly, and feet white. Sides very light yellow. Iris bright red. Bill, tarsi and 

 feet, black. 



Habitat. Western Texas. 



Obs. I procured this bird on the 26th of May, 1851, on the Rio San Pedro, 

 two hundred and eight miles from San Antonio, on the road leading from that 

 place toEl Paso del Norte. 



I was first attracted by its singular note, which I am unable to imitate. It 

 was feeding in the dense cedars, and resembled in its habits our Sylvias, being 

 continually in motion, which rendered it rather diflicult to shoot. I procured 

 two specimens, both of which, on dissection, proved to be males. 



Zonotrichia Cassinii^ nobis. 



Form. Bill slender and conical, with a well marked ridge between the nos- 

 trils, extending about half way down the bill ; wings short and rounded, first 

 quill shortest, third and fourth about equal. Tail long and rounded. 



Dimensions. Total length of skin from tip of bill to end of tail 5 5 10 inches, 

 wing from flexure 2 6-10 inches. Tail extending beyond the closed wings about 

 1 5-10 inches. Total length, 2 5-10 inches. Bill along the ridge 5i-10 inches. 

 From gap to tip 5-10 inch ; tarsus IJ-IO inches. 



Colon. Head and back cinereous brown; throat and breast very light cine- 

 rous brown ; sides light brown, with longitudinal brown stripes next the shafts, 

 and at their extremities and the surrounding portions of the feather, brownish 

 white. Belly and vent dingy white, a strip of dingy white^extending from the 

 base of the upper mandible, over and behind the eye. Primaries brown, with 

 their outer edges light brown ; secondaries and scapulars brown, with a white- 

 ened band encircling them ; wing at the flexure light yellow; the tail, with 

 the exception of the two middle feathers, brown, tipped with white, the mid- 

 dle feathers light brown and slightly barred; in the outer feathers the white 



