170. 
VIREONIDZ:: VIREOS, OR GREENLETS. 331 
character of the bill, —all those Oscines, as wrens, creepers, or titmice, that show much 
cohesion of the toes, having an entirely different bill. Some of the weaker-billed species might 
be carelessly mistaken for warblers ; but there is no excuse for this, nor for confounding them 
with any of the little clamatorial flycatchers. The Vireos were long supposed to possess either 
9 or 10 primaries. But that the important character of. number of primaries — one marking 
whole fainilies as we have seen — should here subside to specific value only, seemed suspicious ; 
and the fact is that all the species really have 10, only that, in some instanees, the lst primary 
is rudimentary and displaced, lying concealed outside the base of the second quill. The N. Am. 
species are distributed over the temperate portions of this continent, and several of them are 
abundant birds of the Atlantic States, inhabiting woodland and shrubbery. They are exclu- 
sively insectivorous, and are therefore necessarily migratory in our latitudes. They build a 
neat pensile nest in the fork of a branchlet, and commonly lay four or five white, speekled eggs. 
All are alike in this respect, the nest and eggs of none of the species (excepting atricapillus) 
being distinguishable with certainty, though differing in size with that of the parent, and some- 
what in position, according as the parents are birds of woodland or shrubbery; it would be 
useless, therefore, to give particular descriptions for each species. Next after the warblers, 
the greenlets are the most delightful of our forest birds, though their charms address the ear 
and not the eye. Clad in simple tints that harmonize with the verdure, these gentle songsters 
warble their lays unseen, while the foliage itself seems stirred to music. In the quaint and 
curious ditty of the white-eye — in the earnest, volnble strains of the red-eye —in the tender 
secret that the warbling vireo confides in whispers to the passing breeze — he is insensible 
who does not hear the echo of thoughts he never clothes in words. 
Analysis of Species. 
Primaries apparently 9 (the 1st rudimentary and displaced). (a) 
Primaries evidently 10 (the 1st short or spurious). (b) 
(a) Throat yellow .. Be ee Ed Dene + » flavifrons 176 
— white; crown malig: zat ‘plack- ceeok “hardly den tradtine with ible + + + « + = philadelphicus 173 
— black-edged ; back olive; with maxillary streaks. . . barbatulus 172 
—no maxillary streaks; crissum merely yellowish 
olivaceus 170 
— bright yellow 
bs Jlaviviridis 171 
(b) Crown black .. . 2 . atricapillus 185 
—not black; apurdaiis quill i ieast . as tangs as 2d, ai aig. 2. 50 —_— ‘ i ae vicinior 180 
— not } as long as 2d, or wing not 2.50 long ‘¢) 
(c) Wing-bands wanting: coloration as in philadelphicus * » gilvus 174, 175 
— present; length over 5.00; back olive, contrasting with ashy-blue crown solitarius 177, 178 
—plumbeous, crown scarcely different . - . plumbeus 179 
— 5.00 or less; wing = tail, both about2.25; 1st quill=}the2d . . pusillus 184 
— > tail; crown ashy, chin and superc. line white . . . belli 183 
— olive, chin wht., superc. line yell. . movebor. 181 
—and under parts yell’sh . huttoni 182 
V. oliva/ceus. (Lat. olivaceus, olive-colored. Fig. 189.) RED-EYED GREENLET. Above, 
olive-green ; crown ash, edged on each side with a blackish line, below this a white super- 
ciliary line, below this 
again a dusky stripe 
through eye; under parts 
white, faintly shaded 
with greenish - yellow 
along sides, and tinged 
with the same on under 
wing- and tail-coverts ; 
wings and tail dusky, 
the feathers edged with Fie. 189.— J”. oliraceus, nat. size. (From Baird.) 
