AYES. 533 



that the third and fourth longest of all). Tail even or subemar- 

 ginate. 



a) With nine primaries. ( Vireosylvia BoNAP., PhyUomanes Caban.) 

 Wings with second quill (which in the others is the third) longest of all. 



Sp. Vireo olivaceus Vieill., Miiscicapa olivacea L., WiLS. Am. Ornith. PI. 

 12, fig. 3; common in the forests of North America. — Vireo virescens 

 Vieill., Gray Gen. of Birds, PI. lxv.; the south-west of North America, 

 Guyana. 



b) With ten primaries. ( FiVeo Bonap.) 



Sp. Vireo novehwacensis, Muscicapa noveboracensis Gm., WiLS. Ain. Ornith. 

 PI. i8, fig. 6; — Vi7'eo solitarias Vieill., Wils. ib. PI. 17, fig. 6, &c. 



Ocypterus Cuv., ArtamusN I'&ill., Geay. Bill short or scarcely 

 shorter than head, curved, with culmen rounded. Nostrils basal. 

 Tarsi strong, scarcely shorter than middle toe. Toes strong, short, 

 with claws curved, compressed, acute. Wings long, with first 

 quill very small, second longest of all. Tail even, moderate or 

 somewhat short. 



Sp. Ocypterus alhovittatus Cuv., Turdus sordidus Lath, (and ienehrosua 

 ejusd.) Cuv. R. Ani., ed. ill., Ois. PI. 3, fig. 6, Less. Ornith. PI. 44, fig. 

 2; Australia; — Ocypterus leucorhynchus, Lanius leucorhynchus Gu., Buff. 

 PI. enl. 9, fig. I, Java, Celebes, &c. Compare on this genus Valen- 

 ciennes Ohserv. stir le genre des Langrayens, Mem. du Mus. vi. 1820, pp. 

 10 — 27, PI. 7 — 9. It is placed by Cabanis with Oriolus, and appears in 

 some sense to stand in the middle between that genus and Lanius (and 

 Hirundo ?). 



Family L. Chelidones {Hirundinidce Gray). Wings long, 

 acute, with nine primaries in some, in others ten. Wing-coverts 

 mostly short. Tarsi short, covered anteriorly with transverse 

 scutes, often hirsute. Hallux shorter than the inner toe. Bill 

 short, broad at the base, depressed, entire at the tip, compressed, 

 curved. Gape of mouth in the plumed part of head produced as far 

 as under the eyes. 



The sioallows have especially long, pointed wings, and fly very 

 rapidly and continuously to capture insects as they fly for food. 

 For this purpose the bill, of which the horny part is unusually 

 short, can be opened very wide. They build their nests mostly in 

 society, and lay from four to six eggs. In our parts all the species 

 of this family are birds of passage. This family may be separated 

 into two divisions, which were united by Linn^us under his genus 

 Hirundo, yet, with much resemblance, still so greatly differ from 

 each other, that most modern writers have found occasion to remove 



