THE SOLITARY VIREO. Para ( 
by .58 inch. But one brood is usually reared in New Eng- 
land in the season, and the period of incubation is twelve 
days. 
VIREO SOLITARIUS. — Vicillot. 
The Solitary Vireo; Blue-headed Vireo. 
Muscicapa solitaria, Wilson. Am. Orn., II. (1810) 148. ; 
Vireo solitarius, Vieillot. Nouv. Dict. (1817). Aud. Orn. Biog., I. (1831), 147; V. 
(1839) 432. Nutt. Man., I. (1882) 305. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Spurious primary very small, not one-fourth the second, which is longer than 
the sixth; top and sides of the head and upper part of the neck dark bluish-ash; 
rest of upper parts clear olive-green; a white 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 five and a half inches; wing, two and forty one-hundredths. 
This bird occurs as a summer resident in New England. 
It has been taken in all these States, but not in any numbers. 
It makes its appearance about the first or second week in 
May, usually in pairs, and commences building its nest 
about the last week in that month. Ihave never met with 
its nest; and Audubon’s description, though meagre, is the 
best available. It is as follows : — 
“The nest is prettily constructed, and fixed, in a partially pensile 
manner, between two twigs of a low bush on a branch running 
horizontally from the main stem. It is formed externally of gray 
lichens slightly put together, and lined with hair, chiefly from the 
deer and raccoon. The female lays four or five eggs, which are 
white, with a strong tinge of flesh-color, and sprinkled with brown- 
ish-red dots at the larger end.” 
A number of eggs in my collection correspond in color 
and markings to the above description, and measure on 
the average .81 by .59inch. But one brood is reared in the 
season, although there-have been specimens taken as late as 
