158 



NOKTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Lanivireo. Bill compressed, stout; culmen arched from the base, commis- 

 sure curved. Superciliary stripe stopping at posterior angle of the eye and 

 curving under it, enclosing the eye in a conspicuous orbital ring, interrupted only 

 in front. Tvs^o conspicuous white bands on the wing. 



a. No spurious primary Sp. flavifrons. 



b. With an acute spurious primary .... Sp. solitarius, plumheus. 

 Vireo. Bill stout, scarcely compressed, sub-cylindrical. First primary not 

 spurious, or, if so, not acute. 



a. Two conspicuous light bands on wing . Sp. atricapillus, noveboracensis, huttoni. 



b. One distinct light band on wing, and this not sharply defined, the anterior 



one being almost obsolete Sp. belli, imsillus, vidnior. 



Subgenus VIREOSYLVIA, Bon. 



Vireosylvia, Bon. Geog. Comp. List, 1838. (Type, Muscicapa oUvacea, Lin.) 

 Fhyllomanes, Cab. Arch. 1847, I, 321. (No type mentioned ; name proposed as substitute 

 for Vireosylvia.) 



Gen. Char. Wings long and pointed, one third or one fourth longer than the nearly 

 even or slightly rounded tail. First quill very small (less than one third the second), some- 

 times apparently wanting. Second quill longer than the seventh, much longer than the 



40089 



Vireo olivaceus. 



secondaries. Tarsi short (scarcely exceeding .70 of an inch) ; toes rather long. Body 

 slender and elongated. Bill slender, narrow, straight ; the culmen straight for its basal 

 half, the commissure quite straight ; light horn-color, paler beneath. Feet weak. Type, 

 V. olivaceus. 



Species and Varieties. 



Common Characters. All species olive above, white or yellowish beneath. 

 An ashy or brownish cap, contrasting more or less abruptly with the olive back. 

 A whitish superciliary stripe extending to the nape, and a dusky one to and be- 

 hind the eye. No light bands on the coverts. Inside of wings (flanks some- 

 times) and crissum yellowish, otherwise usually white beneath. 



No spurious primary ......... Series I. 



A spurious primary Series II. 



Series I. (No spurious primary^ 



A. A dusky " mustache " or cheek stripe along each side of the throat. 

 1. V. calidris. Eyes red? 



a. No distinct dusky line along side of the crown. 



Light stripes of the head dingy brownish-buflf; crown scarcely 

 ashy ; back olive-brown ; crissum and lining of the wing pure pale 



