THE SOLITARY VIREO. 277 



by .58 inch. But one brood is usually reared in New Eng; 

 land in the season, and the period of incubation is twelve 

 days. 



VIEEO SOLITARIUS. VieiUot. 

 The Solitary Vireo; Blue-headed Vireo. 



Muscicapa solitaria, Wilson. Am. Orn., II. (1810) 143. 



Vireo solitarius, Vieillot. Nouv. Diet. (1817). Aud. Orn. Biog., I. (1831), 147; V. 

 (1839) 432. Nutt. Man., I. (1832) 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- vellow ; 

 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 is a rare 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. I have 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 .59 inch. But one brood is reared in the 

 season, although there have been specimens taken as late as 



