338 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



In this species the spurious quill is ahout half as long as the longest primary, hoth measured 

 from the carpal joint. The fourth and fifth quills are longest ; the third and sixth but little 

 shorter ; the second but little longer than the secondaries, and about .26 of an inch shorter than 

 the third quill. 



The bill is slender for a Vireo, broad at base, and considerably depressed. The tail feathers 

 are narrow, rounded at the end ; the tail very slightly rounded. The quills and tail feathers are 

 edged externally like the back. The bill appears black, the feet lead color. In its black head 

 this difiers so decidedly from any other North American species as to render any comparisons 

 unnecessary. 



The only specimens of this species hitherto collected were taken at the same time on the San 

 Pedro or Devil's river, of Texas, by J. H. Clark and Dr. S. W. Woodhouse. 



List of specimens. 



VIREO NOVEBORACENSIS, Bonap. 



White-eyed Vireo. 



JHuscicapa novcboracensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 947. 



Vireo novcboracensis, Bon. Obs. Wilson, 1825, No. 122.— Ann. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 328: V, 431, 433 ; pi. 63— Ib. 

 Birds Am. IV, 1843, 146; pi. 240.— Ndtt. Man. I, 1832, 306.— Gosse, Birds Jam. 1847, 192. 

 Vireo musicus, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 83 ; pi. 52. 

 Muscicapa cantalrix, Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 1810, 266 ; pi. 18. 

 Green jlijcatcher. Pennant, Arc. Zool. II, 389, 274. 



Sp. Ci(. — Spurious primary about liali" the second, whicli is about equal to the eighth quill. Entire upper parts bright 

 olivaceous green ; space around the eyes and extending to the bill greenish yellowr, interrupted by a dusKy spot from the anterior 

 canthus to the base of the gape. Beneath white ; the sides of the breast and body well defined, almost gamboge, yellow. Edges 

 of greater and middle wing coverts (forming two bands) and of inner tcrtiaries greenish yellow white. Iris white. Length, 5 

 inches ; wing, 2.50. 



Ilab. — Eastern United Slates to the Missouri and throughout Texas. 



The bill is short, thick, and curved, shaped like that of V. solitarius. The spurious first 

 primary is large and linear ; its exposed portion is half that of the second quill, and about 

 two-thirds the length of the same quill, both measured from the carpal joint. The fourth quill 

 is longest ; the fifth and third successively a little shorter ; the second is about .35 of an inch 

 shorter than the third. The tail is slightly emarginato and rounded. 



On the front of the head the olivaceous lightens into a yellowish tinge. The sides of the 



neck are olivaceous, tinged with ashy, which also occasionally glosses the olivaceous of the back. 



The yellow on the sides of the breast sometimes exhibits a tendency to meet in the middle. The 



,tips of some feathers on the sides are olive green. Tiie under wing coverts and axillaries are 



sulphur yellow. The bill is black, the cutting edges abruptly horn white. 



One specimen (3972) from Brownsville, Texas, is marked as having the iris black instead 

 of white. 



