VI 



HOW TO USE THE KEYS 



The following keys include all the common land-birds of 

 New England and eastern New York, except the hawks, the 

 owls, the Mourning Dove, and the game-birds. No one 

 should, however, expect, by the use of these keys, to name 

 with certainty every small bird seen for a few moments at 

 long range or in thick foliage. If a bird is to be identified, 

 it must have been observed clearly enough and long enough 

 for a fairly good description of it to be set down. No one 

 can hope at first to carry an accurate mental picture of 

 even the brightest bird. A note-book should, therefore, be 

 always at hand in the field, and when an unfamiliar or 

 doubtful bird is seen, the size, colors, habits, and habitat 

 should be set down. Note-books arranged for such use can 

 be procured. 



To estimate the size, compare the bird with an English 

 Sparrow, which is about 6.33 inches long. The Song Spar- 

 row is about as long as an English Sparrow ; the Bluebird, 

 a little longer. The Kobin, about ten inches long, will serve 

 as a standard of comparison for the larger song-birds. 



Birds are classified in the keys, according to color, under 

 the following heads : — 



1. Brown or Brownish (including reddish-brown). 



2. Gray or Grayish (including greenish-gray). 



I liave excluded from both of the above classes any birds 

 which show any clear, bright yellow, such as the female 

 Maryland Yellow-throat, or marked bluish- gray, such as the 



