BIRDS OF KANSAS. 531 



Vireo atricapillus Wooph. 



BLACK-CAPPED VIREO. 

 PLATE XXXI. 



Quite a common summer resident in tlie gjpsnm hills, at or 

 near the south line of the State; at least, I found them very 

 common in southeastern Comanche county. Arrive the last of 

 April; begin laying the last of May to first of June; leave in 

 September. 



B. 247. R. 142. C. 185. G. , 268. U. 630 



Habitat. Southern portion of the Great Plains; north into 



southwestern Kansas; south in winter into Mexico. 



Sp. Chak. Adult male: Top and sides of head deep black, the lores and 

 orbital ring pure white; lower parts pure white, the sides and flaults olive 

 greenish, tinged with yellow; upper parts olive greeu, the wings and tail black, 

 with pale olive yellow edgings. Adult female: Similar to male, but black of 

 head usually duller, more slate-colored. Young, in first autumn and winter: 

 Top and sides of head dull grayish brown; lores, orbital ring, and lower parts 

 dull buffy white, or pale dull buffy, the sides brown olive; upper parts more 

 brownish than in adult. {Bidgicay.) 



stretch of 

 Length. wing: IVing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 4.65 6.95 2.15 1.80 .73 .39 



Female... 4.40 6.80 2.10 1.70 .73 .38 



Iris light brick red; upper mandible black, lower mandible 

 blue, edges and tips of both whitish; legs, feet, claws deep blue. 



These birds are very local in their distribution, and, until of 

 late, very little has been known in regard to their habits. They 

 inhabit the oak woods upon the uplands, and the bushes and 

 trees in the ravines on bluffy prairie lands. They have been 

 found breeding in Comal, Medina, Comanche and Cooke coun- 

 ties, in Texas- — invariably in trees and near the ground. They 

 search for their food, which consists of small forms of insect 

 life (and, no doubt, small berries in season), chiefly in the higher 

 branches, and dart from their perch and capture on the wing. 



While collecting and observing birds in southeastern Coman- 

 che county, Kansas, from May 7 to 18, inclusive, 1885, I cap- 

 tured three pairs of Vireo atricapillus., and saw quite a number, 

 all in the deep ravines in the gypsum hills, on the Ked or Salt 

 Fork of the Arkansas Kiver. The birds were quite bold and 

 noisy, but this may be the case only during mating and the early 



