300 BIRDS—VIREONID A. 
have seen a single individual in my garden. In the spring they are 
found singly or in pairs, sometimes in high ash trees, but usually in the 
branches of undergrowth in beech woodland. In the fall I have found 
them in flocks, in company with Red-eyed Vireos and Bay-breasted 
Warblers. Fall specimens are decidedly yellow below. A little ac- 
quaintance will enable an observer to determine the species at sight as 
readily as the family to which it belongs. Its smaller size and olive- 
green, without marked ashyness of the upper parts, readily separate it 
from the Warbling Vireo, while the absence of wing-bars as readily dis- 
_ tinguishes it from the White-eyed Vireco. So far as I can ascertain, they 
are mute when on their migrations. 
The Philadelphia Vireo was first described by Cassin in 1851, from a 
single specimen taken in the vicinity of Philadelphia nine years before. 
_An Ohio specimen was presented to the Museum of the Smithsonian In- 
stitution by Dr. Kirtland previous to 1858. It is reported common dur- 
ing the migrations in Wisconsin. Its place and manner of breeding are 
unknown. 
I have seen at least three specimens which have a short exposed first 
primary ; in one this feather was exposed for over one fourth of an inch, 
and normally situated with reference to the second quill; in the other 
two specimens the rudimentary first primary projected somewhat less 
beyond the greater coverts, but was somewhat displaced, though less so 
than is ordinarily the case The presence of a spurious primary in. 
Vireo olivaceous has been noted by Mr. C. F. Batchelor (Bull. Nutt Orn? 
Club, 111, 1878, 97). It should, however, be understood that birds of this 
genus described as having nine primaries, have been shown to have 
really ten, the first being short, rudimentary and displaced (lying in the 
same plane as, and concealed by the primary or greater wing-coverts). © 
The discovery of this fact was made by Prof. Baird, and the subsequent 
researches of Dr. Coues render it probable that all so called nine-primaried 
birds really possess ten, the first rudimentary. On this subject Dr. Coues 
(Birds of Col. Val., 1878, 486) says: 
Believing this to be an important matter deserving of further investigation, I was not 
long since led to examine the general question, with satisfactory results. I verified 
Professor Baird’s observations in many miore cases, extending them to include all our 
North American families excepting perhaps Laniidw (in Lanius) and Ampelide. (in 
Ampelis). The clue to the search for the apparently wanting primary was given by Baird 
(Review, pp. 160, 325), from which it appears that in all those Vireos which seem to 
have only nine primaries, two little feathers, distinct in size and shape, and somewhat 
so in position, are found at the base of the supposed first primary; while in Vireos, 
__ with obviously ten primaries, there is only one such little feather. With the possible 
exception of Ampelis and Lanius, in which I did not make out the state of the parts sat- 
