340 



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



VIREO SOLITARIUS, Vieillot. 



Blue-headed Flycatcher. 



Muscicapa solilaria, Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 1810, 143; pi. 17, f. 6. 



Vireo solitarius, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. 1817.— Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 147 : V, 1839, 432 ; pi. 23.— Ib. Syn. 1839.— 

 Ib. Birds Anier. IV, 1842, 144 ; pi. 239.— Nutt. Man. I, 1832, 305. 



Sp. Cn. — Spurious primary very small, not one-fourth the second, which is longer than the si.xth. Top and sides of the head 

 and upper part of neck dark bluish ash ; rest of upper parts clear olive green. A vifhite ring round the eye, interrupted in the 

 anterior canthus by a dusky lore, but the white color extending above this spot to the base of the bill'. Under parts white ; the 

 sides under the wings greenish yellow. Two bands on the wing coverts, with the edges of the secondaries, greenish white. 

 Outer tail feather with its edge all round, including the whole outer web, whitish. Length about 5^ inches ; wing, 2.40. 



Uab. — United States from Atlantic to the north Pacific, (Washington Territory only .') 



In this species the bill is sliort, broad, and much curved above. The spurious quill is very 

 short and narrow ; the exposed portion less tlian half an inch ; less than half the second quill 

 (both measured from the carpal joint) by .30 of an inch. The third quill is longest ; the fourth 

 very little shorter ; the second about .30 of an inch shorter than the third and considerably 

 shorter than the fifth, but much longer than the secondary quills. 



The white rings round the eye are not continuous anteriorly ; the extensions of the upper 

 portions to the base of the bill are separated on the forehead by a very narrow interval. The 

 whitish margin to the quills is seen only on the two innermost feathers. The bands on 

 the wing cross the ends of the greater and middle coverts. The wing and tail feathers, except 

 as described, are margined with the color of the back. The back is sometimes tinged with 

 ashy. The under tail coverts are tinged with sulphur yellow. The feathers on the sides of the 

 body are yellow towards the base ; the tips olive green ; lighter than the back. 



List of specimens. 



VIREO CASSINII, De Vesey. 



Cassia's Vireo. 



Virco cassinii, De Veset, Pr. A. N. So. Phila. May, 1858. 



Sp. Gil. — Third and fourtli quills nearly equal, fifth shorter, second longer than seventh. Spurious primary very narrow, 

 falcate acute ; less than one-third the second quill, and a little more than one-fourth the third. Above, including edges of wing 

 and tail feathers, clear olive green, becoming dusky ashy on the top and sides of head. Beneath fulvous white, tinged with 

 ill-defined olive grei n on the sides, (scarcely on the crissum.) Two broad bands on the wing coverts and the outer edges of 

 tlie innermost secondaries greenish wliite ; the outer edge of outer tail fe.itlier, with a broad ring round the eye, extending to a 

 rental band, dull white. Length about 5 inches ; wing, 2.75 ; tail, 2.30. Ilab. — Fort Tejon, Cal. 



