298 THE WARBLING VIREO. 



family, because of its comparatively recent discovery and general rarity. It 

 frequents woodlands and the wooded borders of streams. I have seen a 

 single individual in my garden. In the spring they are found single or in 

 pairs, sometimes in high ash trees, but usually in the branches of undergrowth 

 in beech woodland. In the fall I have found them in flocks, in company with 

 Red-eyed Vireos and Bay-breasted Warblers. Fall specimens are decidedly 

 yellow below. A little acquaintance will enable an observer to determine 

 the species at sight as readily as the family to which it belongs. Its smaller 

 size and olive-green, without marked ashiness of the upper parts, readily 

 separate it from the Warbling Vireo, while the absence of wing-bars as read- 

 ily distinguishes it from the White-eyed Vireo. So far as I can ascertain they 

 are mute when on their migrations." 



Thus Dr. Wheaton writes twenty-five years ago. The birds must be 

 not uncommon, since they are known to breed to the north of us through a 

 wide range of country. They are. however, exceedingly inconspicuous, and 

 the only recent appearance which has been noted in Ohio, is that of two birds 

 seen by myself at Columbus, April 22, 1902, on the grounds of the State 

 Universitv. 



No. 131. 



WARBLING VIREO. 



A. O. U. No. 627. Vireo gilvus (Vieill.). 



Description. — Adult : Above, dull ashy, almost fuscous, with the palest 

 possible tinge of olive-green, the latter color brightest on interscapulars, rump, 

 and edgings of secondaries and rectrices; wings and tail fuscous, the primaries 

 with faint whitish edgings ; no wing-bars ; first primary spurious, — only about a 

 third as long as the others : point of wing formed by third, fourth, and fifth 

 primaries; second shorter than sixth; below white with slight tinges on sides, — 

 buffy on sides of head and neck, olive-fuscous on sides of breast, sulphur-yellow 

 on sides of belly and flanks, and sometimes vaguely on breast ; lores and space 

 about eye whitish, enclosing obscure, dusky line through eye ; bill dusky above, 

 lighter below; feet blackish. Length 5.00-6.00 (127.-152.4) ; wing 2.91 (73.9); 

 tail 1.94 (49.3) ; bill from nostril .30 (7.6). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size ; general absence of positive characteris- 

 tics, — altogether the plainest-colored bird of the American avifauna. 



Nest, a pensile pouch of bark-strips, grasses, vegetable fibers, and trash, care- 

 fully lined with plant-down ; hung usually from fork of small limb, at any height. 

 Eggs, 3 or 4, white, sparingly and distinctly dotted or spotted, or, rarely, blotched 



