Lanivireo solitarivs. 



374 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



involving the edge of the eyehd, and a space beneath the eye, dusky pkimbeous. Beneath 

 white; the sides yellow, overlaid with olive, this color not extending anterior to the 



breast. Axillars and base of crissum 

 pale sulphur-yellow, the long feathers 

 of the latter much paler or nearly 

 white. Wings with two bands and 

 outer edges of innermost secondaries 

 ■ olivaceous-white ; the quills dark 

 brown, edged externally with olive- 

 green, internally with white; tail-feath- 

 ers similarly marked, except that the 

 lateral feather is edged externally also with white, the central without internal border. 

 Bill and legs blackish-plumbeous. Iris brown. 



First quill spurious, rather more than one fifth the second, which is intermediate be- 

 tween the fifth and sixth ; third longest. 



Fresh specimen : Total length, 5.40 ; expanse of wing, 9.00. Prepared specimen : To- 

 tal length, 5.25 ; wing, 2.95 : tail, 2.35. 



Hab. United States, from Atlantic to Pacific ; Cape St. Lucas. Not recorded from 

 Southern Rocky Mountains, where replaced by L. plumheus. South to Mexico and Grua- 

 temala. Vera Cruz (winter, Sumichrast). Very rare in Cuba. 



Spring specimens show sometimes a gloss of plumbeous on the back, 

 obscuring the olive, the contrast of colors being greater in the autumnal and 

 young birds. Sometimes the crissum appears nearly white. The length of 

 the spurious primary varies considerably, from .45 to .75 of an inch. 



In autumn the colors are similar, but slightly duller and less sharply de- 

 fined, while the back is considerably tinged with ashy. 



Habits. The Solitary Vireo appears to be found, irregularly, throughout 

 the United States. Nowhere abundant, so far as I am aware, it seems to be 

 more common in California than on the Atlantic, wliile there are also large 

 tracks of intervening territory in which we have no knowledge of its pres- 

 ence. On the Atlantic it has been met with from Georgia to the Bay of 

 Fundy. In Massachusetts it has been found in a few restricted localities ; 

 in one or two of them, they are as abundant as the White-eyed. Mr. Dresser 

 found it in Texas, near San Antonio, late in the autumn, and early in 

 spring, but none remained to breed. Mr. Boardman gives them as a summer 

 visitant at Calais, but not common, and Professor Verrill makes a similar 

 statement for Western Maine, where it arrives in the second week of May. 

 According to Mr. Allen, it reaches Western Massachusetts by May 1, 

 but it is there quite rare. A few are presumed to stop and breed. 



In California, JNIr. Gambel states that it is quite abundant in the latter 

 part of summer, and throughout the winter, frequenting low bushes and 

 thickets. Dr. Heermann also frequently met with it. Both at the East and 

 the West it is undoubtedly only migratory to about tlie 40th parallel, and 

 does not, except in mountainous localities, breed south of that line. Pro- 

 fessor Baird found it breeding in the South Mountains, near Carlisle, Penn., 

 in May, 1844. It occurs in Guatemala in the winter. 



