164 ON 
ing spotted with two distinct shades of brown 
and purple. They were oval in shape, being 
pointed at one end, save one which was equally 
blunt at both. As I reached the outer edge of 
the thicket on my return, the male flew to his 
former perch and resumed his song. Save for 
the appearance of my clothing, nothing would 
indicate the tragedy I had just enacted. 
VIREO SOLITARIUS ? 
Solitary Vireo. 
I have been so fortunate as to secure specimens 
of the Solitary Vireo, in both Northern New Eng- 
land and Tennessee, but until recently I did not 
consider any slight difference. Mr. Wm. Brews- 
ter first gave public notice to the new variety 
alticola which he claims as peculiar to the “moun- 
tains of western North Carolina.” Mr. Brewster 
is correct as to this variety being found in these 
mountains and without expressing any opinion I 
would say that I have secured specimens which 
were true solitarius, and also of the darker type, 
in these mountains, as the following will show. 
Vireo solitarius, (860 author's coll.) Monroe 
county, Tenn., 1,700 feet. Description: Upper 
parts olive-green ; crown and side of head bluish- 
ash; white line about eye, lore-dusky. Below, 
white ; sides tinged with olive; spurious quill, ete. 
Enough is given in above description to show it 
is a specimen of JV. solitarius without further 
quotations. 
A specimen which may be of the other variety 
may be described as follows: 
Vireo solitarius ? (945 author’s coll.). Blount 
county, 3,200 feet. May 18, 1884. Description: 
é, above dark plumbeous, entire; beneath white; 
sides yellowish; wings dark brown, feathers 
edged with green; two bands of dull white across 
wing; coverts same as tail; outer tail feathers 
edged with white; white ring around eye; lore 
dark. 
The above condensed description shows a 
specimen which differs from JV. solitarius proper. 
Another specimen from Maine approaches it 
closely. 
“Vireo solitarius? (3480 coll. of F. H. C.). Eus- 
tis, Maine, June 4, 1884. Male, adult. Upper 
parts nearly black; some greenish on rump; 
crown like body; quills edged with green; bill 
stout. 
The above brief outline taken from the collect- 
or’s full description serves to prove that the 
variety does extend from these mountains. 
I leave the question as it now stands, trusting 
the above cited examples will throw some new 
light on the range of the new species. 
ORNITHOLOGIST 

Colorado. 
BY CHARLES F. MORRISON, FT. LEWIS, COU. 


198 
Western Kingbird, (7. verticalis.) Does uot 
breed ? but comes up from the foot-hills to feed, 
about the first of August, or after the young take 
to wing. A very abundant bird throughout the 
west, ranging from middle Kansas to the moun- 
tains, north, certainly to the Yellowstone river. 
I found it very abundant at Fort Laramie, Wy- 
oming, often finding as many as four nests in one 
pine tree, always in ravines among the foot-hills 
and bluffs; nest much resembles that of its east- 
ern relative, and eggs (4-5) alike, but more globu- 
lar. They are very noisy during the breeding 
season, but at other times are almost silent; 
perched upon a favorable branch they catch in- 
numerable insects. Length, 8 13-16; tail, 4; bill, 
54; wing, 6 5-16; tarsi, 94. Billand feet black , 
flame-colored patch on crown; belly and under 
tail coverts yellow. 
Great Northern Shrike, (ZL. borealis). Have 
seen but three specimens, the first on the 7th of 
August, the other two on the 30th; probably 
breeds. I give the following description, which 
differs somewhat from other writers. Back and 
head bluish-ash, below whitish, ot always ver- 
miculated with many blackish lines, a black bar 
along side of head, not meeting its fellow across 
the torehead, and not always interrupted by a 
white crescent on under eyelid. Wing and tail 
black, the former with large white spot at base of 
primaries, all the feathers tipped with white ex- 
cept the first 8-5 primaries. Bill black, flesh-col- 
ored at base, feet black. The young are more 
brilliant in color, other writers per contra, at 
least I have always found them so, a fact which 
does not hold good with most of our birds. 
Black-chinned Hummer, (7. alevandri) My 
notes in regard to the Black-throated Hummer 
refer to this bird. I have since writing them 
taken a number of specimens. Although both 
species are present the Black-chinned are far more 
abundant. I give description. Head, back and 
middle tail feathers metalic green, chin black, re- 
flecting a beautiful steel blue, breast olive and 
spotted crissum white, sides and wing coverts 
like back, under tail coverts like breast, short 
white stripe on edge of wing at base of first pri- 
mary. Tail emarginate; wings when in natural 
position reaching end of tail. Bill, .73 and 
black; wing, 1.88; tail, 1; tarsi, .15; middle toe, 
17. Total length, 3.50. 
Belted Kingfisher, (C. aleyon). Not an abund- 
