518 CHARACTERS OF VIREO VICINIOR 



Ch. sp. — $ 9 Bemigibus x, 1"° 2*' dimidiato, digitis brevissi- 

 mis, alls cauddque cequalibus. Cinereo-p'umbem, uropygio vix 

 olivascente ; infra albus, lateribus vix fiavicantibus ; loris orbi- 

 Usque albidis. 



$ 9 : Wing mnch rounded, and no longer than the tail ; spurioas quill half 

 as long as the second, which is about equal to the eighth or ninth ; fourth, 

 fifth, and sixth longest; third little shorter. Tail as long as the wings, 

 rounded, the feathers with very obtuse ends. Bill very short, robust. Toes 

 remarkably short, the middle, including its claw, much less than the tarsus, 

 and the tip of the inner claw falling short of the base of the middle one. 

 Entire upper parts dull grayish-ash, gaining a slight olivaceous tinge on the 

 rump. Below pure white, with the faintest possible yellowish wash on the 

 sides. Wings and tail grayish-fuscous, very slightly, if at all, bordered 

 with whitish. A whitish orbital ring and slight loral stripe ; no dusky ou 

 the lores ; no decided markings on the head. Bill and feet plumbeous ; iris 

 brown. Length, 5f ; extent, 8J ; wing and tail, each, 2^ ; exposed portion of 

 spurious quill, 4; of second quill, IJ ; bill, f ; tarsus, f ; middle toe and 

 claw, i ; inner toe and claw, ^ ; outer toe and claw, f . 



Young : Aspecimen just from the nest is brownish-gray above, white below, 

 without a trace of olivaceous or yellowish on the body ; the quills and tail- 

 feathers have yellowish-olive edgings, rather stronger than in the adult, 

 and there is a slight whitish bar across the ends of the greater coverts. 



The bird bears a superficial resemblance to a small faded specimen of F. 

 plumbeus, but is quite different, and belongs to typical Vireo (as restricted 

 to exclude Fireoaylvia and Lanivireo) in the neighborhood of such species as 

 Hoveboracensis, belli, &o. It will easily be recognized by the above charac- 

 ters. For convenience of comparison, the characters are here contrasted 

 with those of V. pltimbeus : — 



V. plumbeus. — Wing, 3 ; tail, 2i.; spurious quill a third the length of the 

 second one, which is intermediate between fifth and sixth. Tail about even ; 

 the feathers obliquely truncate. Tarsus equalling the middle toe and claw 

 (f). Wing-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers broadly edged with pure white. 

 Sides of head with strong markings, the lores definitely dusky, interrupt- 

 ing the ring round eye. 



V. mdnior. — Wing and tail, each, 2^. Spurious quill one-half the second 

 one, which is intermediate between eighth and ninth. Tail rounded, the 

 feathers with rounded ends. Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw 

 (|-i) Wing-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers scarcely edged with dull 

 white. Sides of head plain ; no dusky on lores ; white orbital ring uninter- 

 rupted. 



THE type-specimen of Yireo vicinior, which I shot at Fort 

 Whipple on the 24th of May, 1865, remained unique for 

 nearly ten years, and nothing more was learned of the bird 

 until Mr. Ilenshaw gave us the welcome contribution to its his- 

 tory which I take pleasure in transferring to my page : — 



" This Vireo was discovered by Dr. Coues at Prescott, Ariz., 

 and described in 1866, since which time the type of the species 



