378 Nt)RTii amp:iu('an birds. 



gest, third (measured from exposed base of first priiniiry), 2.54; length of bill from fore- 

 head, .05, from nostril, .Jil. aloiijr f^iipi', .70; tarsus, .7."> ; iiiiddlc toe and claw, .GO, claw 

 aloiio, .21 ; hind toe and claw, .50, daw alone, .23. 



IIah. Sontliein Uoeky Monntains; East Humboldt Mountains, Nevada (Hidowav), 

 In winter to Coliinu, Mexico. 



While the pattern of coloration is precisely similar to that of Lanivirco 

 solitarius, the diflbrence in tlie colors upp(;ars to be occasioned merely by re- 

 moving, a^ it were, tlie yellow stain, wliich on the plnmbeous i)ro(liices the 

 olive-green tinge, and exists in a purer tint along the sides, leaving, essentially, 

 only clear plundjemis and pnre wliite ; there is, however, in the most typical 

 specimens, always a faint tinge of green on the rump, and a stain of yellow 

 along tiie side. Though identical with so/itariuti in most of its proportions, 

 tiie wings and tail are considerably longer than in the average of that form. 



There are many specimens from the llocky Mountains and westward that 

 are so decidedly intermediate between solifariiis and plumhcuH, that, consider- 

 ing also the lack of essential ilifl'erence in foj'm and coloration between the 

 two, we do not hesitiite to consider them, along with cussuii and propinqiias 

 (see page 373), as races of a single species, of which each is the representa- 

 tive in a jxirticular region. Thus, V. solitarius breeds in the Eastern Prov- 

 ince of the United States (and possibly in the Western, following tlie same 

 route far to the northward that many Eastern birds pursue in straggling 

 westward), and migrates in winter into Middle America as far as Guatemala ; 

 those wliich breed in the Xorthwest pass directly southward, thus crossing the 

 region where mssiiii and ijlioitbcus breed, which accounts for their being ob- 

 tained together. V. cassini is the representative on the ojiposite side of the 

 continent ; but the history of its migrations is yet obscure. V. phnnhcns is 

 the Middle Province and Kocky Mountain representative, breeding alone in 

 that region, and in winter migrating southward througli Western Mexico as 

 far as Colima. V. j)vopinquus is anotlier permanent race, but a local one, be- 

 ing resident in the coimtry where found, though mixed in winter with visitors 

 of solitarius from the North. 



Habits. Of this very recently discovered race, very little is at present 

 known. It was first described by Dr. Coues, who met with it in Arizona, 

 near Fort Whipple. He says it is especially abundant in the northern part 

 of that Territory. It was by far the most common Vireo at Fort Whipple, 

 where it is a sunnner resident, arriving there about the 15th of April and 

 remaining until October. 



It was found to be common about Laramie Peak, by Dr. R. Hitz, and was 

 also met with in winter on the plains at Colima, ^lexico, by Xantus. 



It was seen in the summers of 1868 and 181)9, by Mr. Ridgway, among 

 the cedar and nut-pine woods on the slopes and among the brushwood in the 

 canons of the East Humboldt Mountains, being most partial to the former 

 situations. There, too, it undoubtedly breeds, as in tlie latter part of July 

 young birds, luiable to fly, were met with by him. He also states that the 



