The Western Warbling Vireo 
Recognition Marks. —Warbler size; much like foregoing species, but color 
pattern of head duller, with less contrast; general color tone brighter yellow. 
Nesting. —Does not breed in California. Nest and eggs said to be indistinguish¬ 
able from those of V. olivacea. 
General Range. —Mexico, from the states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and 
Sinaloa, south to Peru. 
Occurrence in California. —One record: Riverside, Sept. 29, 1887, by W. W. 
Price. 
Authorities.—Price, Auk, vol. v., 1886, p. 210 (Riverside, Oct. 1, 1887); 
Cherrie, Auk, vol. vii., 1890, p. 329 (Costa Rica; habits, desc. nest and eggs). 
THE OCCURRENCE of an example of this species near Riverside 
in 1887 seems to have been entirely an accident; that is, an appearance 
without known cause or probability of recurrence. The bird looks most 
nearly like the still rare Red-eyed Vireo; and report of its alleged recog¬ 
nition afield, if based on anything short of specimens in hand, would not 
carry conviction to the scientist. 
No. 114 
Western Warbling Vireo 
A. O. U. No. 627a. Vireosylva gilva swainsoni (Baird). 
Description. — Adult: Above dull mouse-gray, pure on crown, elsewhere 
glossed with dull olivaceous; the olive-green element clearest on rump and edgings of 
remiges; wings and tail otherwise plain grayish brown (“fuscous”); extreme forehead 
paler; lores and space about eye chiefly (and variously) whitish, save immediately 
in front of eye, where dusky, and behind eye, where connecting with color of upper- 
parts; chin, throat, and underparts, centrally, white,—the chest and belly faintly 
glossed with olive-yellow; the crissum and axillars definitely pale yellow, shading 
into color of upperparts through olive-yellow of sides and flanks, and olive-buffy of 
sides of neck and breast; “first” (outermost) primary spurious—only about a third 
as long as the others; the point of wing formed by third, fourth and fifth primaries 
(old style reckoning); the second shorter than the sixth. Bill horn-color above, paler 
below; feet and legs bluish dusky; iris brown. Young birds are brighter with access 
of yellow; bright olive-green above (save on crown), and bright olive-yellow below 
(save on throat). Length 127-139.7 (5.00-5.50); wing 67 (2.64); tail 49.3 (1.94); 
bill 10 (.39); tarsus 17.5 (.69). 
Recognition Marks. —Warbler size; without wing-bars; general absence of 
positive characteristics. A difficult, nondescript bird, best known by notes and 
associations, but also by plain shading, olive-gray and whitish coloring, and by imper¬ 
fect whitish (broad) ring about eye. 
Nesting. — Nest: A semi-pensile pouch of bark-strips, grasses, vegetable fibers, 
and other available soft substances; sometimes ornamented with moss, catkins, etc.; 
and lined carefully with fine grasses or horsehair, or, rarely, plant-down; hung usually 
from fork of small limb, at any height. Eggs: 3 or 4; white, ver3 r sparingly and sharply 
566 
