KEY TO FAMILIES OF PASSERES 339 



SylviidjE — Warblers and Kinglets. 



Small birds of mostly dull colored plumage; the wings less than 3 

 inches in length; the bill slender; and the first primary very short, 

 about one-third of the longest. 



GoEREBiD^ — Honey Creepers. 



Brightly colored small birds with the bill strongly curved downward 

 from the base, and tail-feathers rounded at tips. 



IcTERiDiE — Blackbirds and American Orioles. 



Bill straight or nearly so, more or less cone-shaped, and not notched 

 at the tip, the gape without bristles; plumage mostly yellow, orange, 

 black, and white. 



Fkingillid.^ — Sparrows and Finches. 



Bill more or less cone-shaped, usually short and stout, the gape with 

 bristles ; the third and fourth primaries usually of about the same 

 length; the nostrils concealed by feathers or overhung by a horny 

 scale, or else the cutting edge of lower mandible forming a distinct 

 angle near its base. 



Tangarid.« — Tanagers. 



Like the Fri.\gii-lid.b, but nostrils not concealed by feathers or over- 

 hung by a horny scale; and the cutting edges of lower mandidle not 

 forming a distinct angle near its base. 



MoTACiLi-iDiE — Wagtails and Pipits. 



Bill relatively slender; claw of the hind toe as long or longer than 

 the toe itself; tertials reaching nearly or quite to the tip of the 

 wing. 



CoMPSOTHLYPiD-E — Wood Warblers. 



Small birds, usually under 6 inches in length ; plumage usuallr 

 bright-colored; bill not notched nor decidedly hooked at the tip; the 

 second or third primary the longest. 



ViREONiD^ — Vireos. 



Small birds, plumage mostly olive green and gray and white; bill rela- 

 tively siout, without conspicuous bristles at the base, notched and dis- 

 tinctly hooked at the tip; the basal joint of middle toe united for all its 

 length to the two lateral toes. 



LANiiDi*: — Shrikes. 



Plumage gray, black, and white; length about 8 inches or 9 inches; 

 the bill strongly notched and hooked at the tip, almost hawk-like. 



CERTHiiDiE — Creepers. 



Size small; plumage, brownish and white; the bill long, slender and 

 curved ; tail-feathers stiffened, with lengthened sharply-pointed tips. 



BoMBYCiLLiD^ — Waxwings. 



Head crested; bill short and broad at base, the length of the keel 

 of the lower mandible decidedly less than the width of the bill at 

 base ; the outermost primary less than half as long as the primary 

 coverts; feathers between the eyes and bill dense and velvety; plumage 

 generally soft and its colors blended. 



Ptilogonatid^ — Phainopeplas. 



Like the Bombycillid.e, but with the outermost primary much 

 longer than the primary coverts, and the feathers of the space be- 

 tween the eye and the bill not dense and velvety. 



Parid« — Titmice and Chickadees. 



Small birds of mostly black, white, and gray plumage; bill short and 

 stout, not notched at the tip, the nostrils more or less covered with 

 bristly feathers; the basal joint of middle toe usually united for all 

 of its length to the two lateral toes. 



Troglodytid.^ — Wrens. 



Bill lengthened, rather slender, and not hooked at tip; nostrils not 

 covered with feathers and bristles; the basal joint of middle toe united 

 for all of its length to the two lateral toes; plumage usually brown or 

 brownish and white. 



