360 



REVIEW OF AMERICAN BIRDS, 



[part I. 



(Califoruia.) 



Vireo pusillus. 



Vireo pusillus, Coues, Pr. A. N. Sc. Pliila. 1866. 

 ? Vireo hellii, Cooper, Pr. Cal. Acad. 1861, 122 (Fort Mohave). 



Uab. Cape St. Lucaa, San Diego, Fort Mohave, and Arizona. 



Somewhat similar in general appearance to Vireosylvia gilca and swainsoni, 

 but smaller. Bill very small ; tarsi lengthened. Wings about equal to the 

 tail, which is lengthened, graduated, and with the feathers narrow and pointed. 

 Exposed part of Ist primary about half that of the 2d, which is intermediate 

 between 7th and 8th ; the 4th and 5th longest. 



Above grayish-ash, witli a tinge of olive behind. Beneath, including the 

 inside of the wings, white, with a soiled tinge on the sides of the throat and 



across the breast. Ax- 

 illars and flanks, ex- 

 hibiting a faint trace of 

 greenish-yellow. Eye- 

 lids and a short line 

 from the nostrils to the 

 eye whitish ; no other 

 stripe apparent. A 

 dusky loral spot. Pri- 

 mary coverts edged in- 

 distinctly witli whitish, producing an obscure band (a second on the middle 

 coverts hardly appreciable). Quills and tail feather edged externally 

 with pale grayish-olive, the innermost secondaries with whitish. Bill dusky 

 above, whitish beneath. Legs plumbeous. Iris of two specimens marked as 

 "light brown," of another as " rufous." 



The details of structure' taken from No. 23,785, of color from 23,788. Length 

 of 23,785, 1 , 4.80 when fresh, of skin, 4.25 ; wing, 2.25 ; tail, 2.25 ; bill above, 

 .37; tarsus, 73; middle toe and claw, .50; hind toe and claw, .42. First 

 quill, .70; 2d, 1.40 ; longest (5th), 1.64. (Cape St. Lucas.) 



Since writing tlie preceding description, I have received a Vireo 

 (Xo. 31,893), collected by Dr. Cooper, at San Diego, which, al- 

 though considerably larger, I cannot distinguish specifically. The 

 diiference in size is what might be expected between specimens from 

 Cape St. Lucas and San Diego, and the occurrence of a Cape species 

 at the latter place is in accordance with the facts observed in other 

 instances where such birds as Sialia arctica, Polioptila vielanura, 

 etc., equally peculiar to the middle province, have found their way to 

 the California coast at San Diego, through the break in the coast 

 range of mountains. 



The larger specimen somewhat resembles V. pallens of Central 

 America, but has a much smaller bill and a longer tail, with but one 

 distinct white band on the wing. The bill is about the size of that 

 in V. huttoni ; but the white under parts and other differences of 



