VIREONIDA. — CLXXII. 295 
Laniide, being in fact small insectivorous Shrikes. The color- 
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 be wanting, 
its presence may be easily appreciated. One of the peculiar characters of 
this species consists in a narrow edging of white to all 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 overlying 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. Thissmall 
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.” 
u. Wings not shorter than tail; outer toe longer than inner. . Vireo, 506. 
506. VIREO Vieillot. (Lat., I grow green.) 
uw. Wings long and pointed, } or more longer than tail; first primary very 
small or apparently wanting, not + second. 
6. Slender species; bill slender, light horn color, pale below; commissure 
straight and culmen relatively so; no wing bars nor conspicuous orbital 
ring; feet weak. (Vireosylva 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. 3}. T. 24. 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. 44. 
W. 22. T. 21. E. N. Am, scarce. (ude, I love; ddehpes, 
brother.) 
cc. Primaries evidently 10, the first well developed. 
