368 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



tliat period, findin;:^ it botli in the spring; and fall. It appears occasionally 

 as earlv as the Idtli of May, the time varvini; with the season from the Kith 

 to the UTth. In isr»7, when the season was very backward and May very 

 cold, they did not arrive nntil June 2. They were unusually numerous, and 

 remained only a day or two. So far as he has been able to ascertain, none 

 sto}) to breed. They are very quiet, have no .song at the time they are pas.s- 

 ing, and seem only intent on collecting their food and in proceeding on their 

 way. They are very tame and unsuspecting, and <»ne can readily get to 

 within a few feet of them. In the fall they are returning south from the 7th 

 to the li>th of September. 



The nest and e^ufs remain to be obtained. 



Vireosylvia gilvus, Cassix. 



WABBUNO OBEENLET. 



Miixcicnjxi gilva, ViKii.L. Ois. I, 1S07, (»'), \A. xxxiv. J'Iren rjilvus, Bon. Obs. \Vils. 1825, 

 no. 12:5. — Am. Orii. liiog. II, \A. cxviii. — In. liinls Am. IV, pi. icxii. — I>.vua>, 

 liirJs N. Am. 1S58, o3.'i. — Samikls, Uiids N. Knj?. 273. I'ircustjlcia yih-a, ('a.s.sin, 

 Vv. A. N. Sc. 1S.',1, i:»3. — Sci.ATKii, v. Z. S. 18'>«;, 298 (Conlova) ; (?) 1858, 302 

 (Oaxaca ; JiiUf) (iK'ihaps /'. siniinsoiii). — I>Aii:i>, Hcv. Am. B. 342. Muscicapa mc- 

 loiliit, WiLs. Am. Orn. V, 1812, 85, \A. xlii, lig. 2. 



Sp. Char. (No. 1,0] 7 9') Above olivo-Grrccn, .-;tronirly ,crlosso<l with ai^hy; the lieatl 

 aiul nape above more distinctly ashy, Init, without <lori«letl hne of (l«>niarcation Iffhind, and 



without (hisky cd<;e ; rump pure oHve. 

 Stripe from nostrils over eye to nap*', 

 eyelids, and space below eye, creamy- 

 white. A rather dusky post-ocular ami 

 loral spot, the latter not extendinjjf to the 

 bill. Fnder parts white, with tin.u^e of 

 greenish-yellow (occasionally of creamy 

 fulvous or bulV), especially on breast ; sides 

 more olivaceous. Crissum and axillars 

 scarcely more yellowish. Quills and rec- 

 triccs wood-brown, edcred internally with whitish, externally with olivaceous, except per- 

 haps on lonjrer primaries. Edi^e of winuf white. Larirer winjj-coverts jjrayish-brown, with 

 paler edijes, and no trace of olivaceous. Bill horn-color al)ove. paler l)elow. 



First quill very short or spurious ; second about equal to, generally rather longer than 

 sixth; third longest ; fourth, then fifth a little shorter. 



Fresh specimen: Total length. r>.;>3; expanse of wings, 8.3'); wing from carpal joint 

 2.8'). Prepared specimen : Total length, 4.80 ; Aving, 2.75 *, tail, 2.2.'), Sexes alike. Iris 

 brown. 



IIab. East(^rn North Ameri<*a to Fort Simpson. Cordova and Oaxaca only southern 

 localities recorded. Not West Indian. 



A very young bird has a very cottony plumage, and differs in tints, having 

 the top of the head and the nape a soft wliitish isabella-color, this tingeing 

 the back ; the lower parts are wholly unsoiled white ; the middle and sec- 



Vireo ^ilcus 



