300 BIEDS — VIREONIDiE. 



have seen a single individual in my garden. In the spring they are 

 found singly or in pairs, sometimes in high ash trees, but usually in the 

 branches of undergrowth in beech woodland. In the fall I have found 

 them in flocks, in company with Red-eyed Vireos and Bay-breasted 

 Warblers. Fall specimens are decidedly yellow below. A little ac- 

 quaintance will enable an observer to determine the species at sight as 

 readily as the family to which it belongs. Its smaller size and, olive- 

 green, without marked ashyness of the upper part?, readily sepwate it 

 from the Warbling Vireo, while the absence of wing-bars as readily dis- 

 tinguishes it from the White-eyed Vireco. So far as I can ascertain, they 

 are mute when on their migrations. 



The Philadelphia Vireo was first described by Cassin in 1851, from a 

 single specimen takeij in the vicinity of Philadelphia nine years before. 

 An Ohio specimen was presented to the Museum of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution by Dr. Kirtland previous to 1868. It is reported common dur- 

 ing the migrations in Wisconsin. Its place and manner of breeding are 

 unknown. 



I have seen at least three specimens which have a short exposed first 

 primary; in one this feather was exposed for over one fourth of an inch, 

 and normally situated with reference to the second quill; in the other 

 two specimens the rudimentary first primary projected somewhat less 

 beyond the greater coverts, but was somewhat displaced, though less so 

 than is ordinarily the case The presence of a spurious primary in 

 Vireo olivaceous has been noted by Mr. C. P. Batchelor (Bull. Nutt Orn. 

 Club, iii, 1878, 97). It should, however, be understood that birds of this 

 genus described as having nine primaries, have been shown to have 

 really ten, the first being short, rudimentary and displaced (lying in the 

 same plane as, and concealed by the primary or greater wing-coverts). 

 The discovery of this fact was made by Prof. Baird, and the subsequent 

 researches of Dr. Coues render it probable that all so called nine-primaried 

 birds really possess ten, the first rudimentary. On this subject Dr. Coues 

 (Birds of Col. Val., 1878, 486) says : 



Believing this to be an important matter deseiviug of further investigation, I was not 

 long since led to examine the general question, with satisfactory results. I verified 

 Professor Baird's observations in many more cases, extending them to include all onr 

 North American families excepting perhaps Laniidce, (in Lanius) and Ampelid(E (in 

 Ampelis). The clue to the search for the apparently wanting primary was given by Baird 

 (Review, pp. 160, 325), from which it appears that in all those Vireos which seem to 

 have only nine primaries, tico little feathers, distinct in size and shape, and somewhat 

 so in position, are found at the base of the supposed first primary ; while in Vireos, 

 with obviously ten primaries, there is only one such little feather. With the possible 

 exception of Ampelis and Lanius, in which 1 did not make out the state of the parts sat- 



