VIREONID^. — CLXXII. 295 



Laniidce, being in fact small insectivorous Shrikes. The coloi^ 

 ation is usually blended, and varies little with age or sex. Many of 

 them are remarkable as songsters. 



Concerning the " nine-primaried " species, Professor Baird re- 

 marks : — 



"InV. flavifrons, in which the outer primary is supposed to he wanting, 

 its presence -may be easily appreciated. jQue of the peculiar characters of 

 this species consists in a narrow edging of white to aU the primary quills, 

 while the primary coverts (the small feathers covering their bases, as dis- 

 tinguished from what are usually termed the wing coverts, which more 

 properly belong to the forearm or secondaries) are without them. If these 

 coverts are carefully pushed aside, two small feathers considerably shorter 

 than the others will be disclosed, one overljdng the other, which (the 

 under one) springs from the base of the exposed portion of the long out- 

 ermost primary, and lies immediately against its outer edge. This small 

 feather is stiff, falcate, and edged with white like the other quills, and 

 can be brought partly around on the inner edge of the large primary, 

 when it will look like any spurious quill. The overlying feather is soft, 

 and without light edge. In the other Vireos, with appreciable spurious 

 or short outer primary, a similar examination will reveal only one small 

 feather at the outer side of the base of the exterior large primary. In 

 all the families of Passeres, where the existence of nine primaries is 

 supposed to be characteristic, I have invariably found, as far as my ob- 

 servations have extended, that there were two of the small feathers re- 

 ferred to, while in those of ten primaries but one would be detected." 



a. Wings not shorter than tail; outer toe longer than inner. . Vireo, 506. 



506. VIREO Vieillot. (Lat., I grow green.) . 



a. Wings long and pointed, i or more longer than tail; first primarj- very 

 small or apparently wanting, not J second. 

 b. Slender species; bill slender, light horn color, pale below; commissure 

 straight and culmen relatively so; no wing bars nor conspicuous orbital 

 ring; feet weak. (Fireosyfea Bonaparte.) 

 c. Primaries apparently 9, the first obsolete. 



951. V. olivaceus (L.). Red-eyed Vireo. Greenlet. 

 Olive green, crown ashy, edged on each side with blackish; a white 

 superciliary line, and below this a dusky streak ; white below, some- 

 what olive shaded ; iris red. L. 6. W. 3J-. T. 2^. E. N. Am., 

 very abundant in woodland ; an energetic songster. 



952. V. philadelphicus (Cassin). Dull olive green, becoming 

 ashy on crown ; no black lines on head ; a whitish superciliary 

 line ; below faintly yellowish, fading to white on throat. L. 4|-. 

 W. 2f . T. 2\. £. N. Am., scarce. (qitXeto, I love ; a.^f\(^6s, 

 brother.) 



CO. Primaries evidently 10, the first well developed. 



