YELLOW-THROATED VIKEO. 351 



along the sides with a dilution of the color of the back ; quills and tail feathers, 

 fuscous, with narrow external edgings as above said, and broader whitish 

 edging of the inner webs ; the wing coverts without obvious whitish tipping ; 

 bill, dark horn color above, paler below; feet, plumbeous; iris, brown. Length, 

 ") Inches, or rather more ; wing, 2.80 ; tail, 2.25 ; bill, .40 ; tarsus, .67. 



Hab.^ — North America in general, from the Fur Countries to Mexico. 



Nest and eggs, closely resembling those of the Red-eye, but usually placed 

 at a greater distance from the ground. 



This amiable little songster is very common in Southern Ontario, 

 from the end of the first week in May till the beginning of September. 

 Although less abundant than the Red-eye, it is probably known to 

 a greater number of people, owing to the preference it shows for 

 isolated ornamental trees in parks and gardens and the shade trees 

 in cities. Its song is soft, subdued and flowing, like the murmurin;;- 

 of " a hidden brook in the leafy month of June." 



It has little excitement in its nature, and keeps its usual compo- 

 sure under circumstances which would drive most other birds off in 

 alarm. I once saw one warbling forth its pleasing ditty in a shade 

 tree, quite close to which a lai-ge fire was in progress. Firemen, 

 engines, and crowds of people were all around, but the bird was 

 to windward of the blaze and seemed to be commenting on the 

 unnecessary excitement which prevailed. 



SuBGENCs LANIVIREO Baibd. 

 VIREO FLAVIFRONS (Vieill.). 



259. Yellow- throated Vireo. (6:^8) 



Above, rich olive-green ; crown, the same or even brighter; rump, insensibh- 

 shading into bluish-ash ; below, bright yellow ; belly and crissum, abruptly 

 white ; sides, anteriorly shaded with olive, posteriorly with plumbeous ; extreme 

 forehead, superciliary line and ring around eye, yellow ; lores, dusky ; wings, 

 dusky, with the inner secondaries broadly white-edged, and two broad white 

 bars across tips of greater and median coverts ; tail, dusky, nearly all the 

 feathers completely encircled with white edging ; bill and feet, dark leaden 

 blue ; no spurious quill. Length, 5|-6 ; wing, about 3 ; tail, only about 2J. 



Hab. — Eastern United States, south, in winter, to Costa Rica. 



The position and frame-work of the nest of this species is similar to that of 

 the Red-eye, but its appearance and comfort are greatly increased by an artistic- 

 outside coating of gray moss, intertwisted with the silk of caterpillars. 



The eggs are not with certainty distinguishable from those of the Red-eye. 



This is a summer resident in Southern Ontario, but it is by no 

 means common. It seems partial to the beech woods, and being; 



