Ornith. [a. L. vireo, -eōnis (Pliny) some small bird, perhaps the greenfinch.] Any small American bird belonging to the genus Vireo or the family Vireonidæ; a greenlet, a flycatcher.
Many species are distinguished by special epithets, as black-capped, black-headed, blue-headed, gray, mountain, plumbeous, red-eyed, white-eyed, yellow-throated, etc.
1834. Audubon, Ornith. Biogr., II. 287. The Vireos quench their thirst with the drops of dew or rain that adhere to the leaves or twigs.
1845. Hirst, Com. Mammoth, etc., 155. In yon oak a vireo shrills.
1869. J. Burroughs, in Galaxy Mag., Aug., 170. The Vireos, or Greenlets, are a sort of connecting-link between the Warblers and the true Fly-catchers.
1878. Coues, Birds Colorado Valley, 485. The Vireos were long supposed to be in the curious case, that some species possessed ten primaries, and others only nine.
