Vireo vicinior, Coues, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phila. 1866.—Baird, Rev. Am. B. 361.—Elliot, Illust. Birds N. A. I, vii.—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 1870, 125.
Vireo vicinior.
40697
Sp. Char. (No. 40,697 ♂.) Bill stout, considerably compressed and deep. Wings moderately pointed, about equal to tail, which is decidedly graduated; first quill rather more than half the second, which about equals ninth and the secondaries; the fourth and fifth longest. Tarsus considerably longer than middle toe and claw; lateral toes quite conspicuous for their disproportion, the inner claw reaching only to base of outer, and falling short of base of middle; the terminal digit of inner toe reaching only to end of second joint of middle toe.
Upper parts, with sides of head and neck, ashy or light plumbeous, faintly olivaceous on rump. Beneath white; slightly ashy on sides of breast. Flanks and inside of wings showing a faint trace of yellow, only appreciable on raising the wings. An obsolete line from bill to eye, and a more distinct ring round the eye, white. No bands on the wing, except a faint edging of whitish on the greater coverts; the quills edged internally with white. Bill and legs plumbeous. “Iris brown. Mouth livid, bluish-white.” (Coues.)
Fresh specimen: Total length, 5.60; expanse of wings, 8.60. Prepared specimen: Total length, 5.10; wing, 2.50; tail, 2.60, its graduation, .22; difference of tenth and longest quills, .40; exposed portion of first primary, .85, of second, 1.65, of longest (measured from exposed base of first primary), 1.95; length of bill from forehead, .50, from nostril, .32, along gape, .61; depth of bill, .18; tarsus, .72; middle toe and claw, .51, claw alone, .16; hind toe and claw, .40, claw alone, .19.
Hab. Prescott, Arizona.
This species might at first sight be taken for a small specimen of V. plumbeus, the colors, character of bill, etc., being very similar, except that the white of lores and around eye is much less distinct, the lore without any blackish before the eye, and there is only one faint band on wing, instead of two conspicuous ones; the tail-feathers, too, lack the distinct white edgings. The much more rounded wing, and the first primary half the second or more, will, however, readily distinguish them. The form of the bird is very much that of V. pusillus, which it resembles considerably also in color. The outer quill is, however, longer, the bill deeper and more compressed, the inner lateral toe considerably shorter, and the size larger. The colors are purer, without the olive of the back or the yellowish of the under parts; the bill, too, is entirely dark plumbeous, instead of horn-color, whitish beneath. From V. pallens it is distinguished by a smaller, darker bill; longer tail and wing; one wing-band, not two; and purer colors.
Habits. In regard to the habits of this well-marked but very rare species but little is as yet known. It was first described, in 1866, by Dr. Coues, from a single specimen obtained by him near Fort Whipple, Arizona. It was shot May 4, 1865, and is supposed by Dr. Coues to be a summer resident of Arizona wintering in the Gila and the Lower Colorado Valleys, or in Sonora.