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 (see list, p. 350). 



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 Robin, 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 have excluded from either 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 



