374 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



involving the edge of the eyelid, and a space beneath the eye, dusky plumbeous. Beneath 

 white; the sides yellow, overlaid with olive, this color not extending anterior to the 



brea-st. Axillars and base of crissum 



pale sulphur-yellow, the long feathers 



of the latter much paler or nearly 



white. Wings with two bands and 



outer edges of innermost secondaries 



olivaceous- white ; the quills dai-k 



brown, edged externally with oUve- 



green, internally with white; tail-feath- 



Lanivireo solitarius. g^g similarly marked, except that the 



lateral feather is edged externally also with white, the central without internal border. 



Bill and legs blackish-plumbeous. Ii'is brown. 



First quill spurious, rather more than one fifth the second, which is intermediate Ije- 

 tween the fifth and sixth ; third longest. 



Fresh specimen : Total length, 5.40 ; expanse of wing, 9.00. Prepared specimen : To- 

 tal length, 5.25 ; wing, 2.95 : tail, 2.35. 



Hab. United States, from Atlantic to Pacific ; Cape St. Lucas. Not recorded from 

 Southern Rocky Mountains, where replaced by L. plumbeus. South to Mexico and Gua- 

 temala. Vera Cruz (winter, Sumicurast). Very rare in Cuba. 



Spring specimens show sometimes a gloss of plumbeotis on tlie back, 

 obsctiring the olive, the contrast of colors being greater in the antuninal and 

 young birds. Sometimes the crissum appears nearly white. The length of 

 the spurious primary varies considerably, from .45 to .75 of an inch. 



In autumn the colors are similar, but slightly duller and less sharply de- 

 fined, while the back is considerably tinged with ashy. 



Habit.s. The Solitary Vireo appears to be found, irregidarly, throughout 

 the United States. Nowhere abundant, so far as I am aware, it seems to be 

 more common in California than on the Atlantic, while there are also large 

 tracks of intervening territory in wliich we have no knowledge of its pres- 

 ence. On the Atlantic it has been met with tiom Georgia to tlie Bay of 

 Fundy. In Massacliusetts it has been found in a few restricted localities ; 

 in one or two of them, they are as abundant as the Wliite-eyed. Mr. Dresser 

 found it in Texas, near San Antonio, late in the autunni, and early in 

 spring, but none remained to breed. Mr P.oardman gives them as a summer 

 visitant at Calais, but not common, and Professor Yerrill makes a similar 

 statement for Western Maine, where it arrives in the second week of May. 

 According to Mr. Allen, it reaches Western Massaclnisetts by May 1, 

 but it is there quite rare. A few are presumed to stop and breed. 



Ill California, Mr. Gambel states that it is quite abundant in the latter 

 part of summer, and throughout the winter, frequenting low bushes and 

 thickets. Dr. Heermann also frequently met with it. Both at the East and 

 the West it is undoubtedly only migratory to about tlie 40th parallel, and 

 does not, except in mountainous localities, breed south of that line. Pro- 

 fessor Baird found it breeding in the South j\Iountains, near Carlisle, Peun., 

 in May, 1844. It occurs in Guatemala in the winter. 



