80 FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 



IV. Plumage conspicuously black, or black and whitOt 



1. Black and wliite birds. 



A. Throat black. 



a. LeniTth over 6 00 inches. 



a». Entire under parts black; nape buffy; rump white; a musical 

 dweller of fields and meadows; frequently sings on the wing; May 

 to Sept Bobolink, page 134. 



a'. Breaat rose-red; rest of the plumage black and white; song 

 rapid, loud and musical ; call-note, peek; a tree dweller in rather 

 open woodland ; May to Sept. 



RosE-BREASTEn Grosbeak, page 150, 



a*. Sides reddish brown ; rest of the plumage black and white ; call- 

 note, chewink or towhhe; inhabits the undergrowth ; often seen on 

 ground scratching among fallen leaves ; Apl. 25 to Oct. 



TowuEE, page 151. 



b. Length under 6-00 inches. 



i'. Crown black; cheeks white; back ashy; unstreaked; CRW,chicTc- 

 a-dee^ or a musical, double-noted whistle; a permanent resident. 



Chickadee, page 179. 



B. Throat and other parts white or whitish. 



a. Length 8-50 inches ; upper parts blackish slate-color; tail tipped with 

 white; a bird of the air, catching its insect food on the wing, and 

 occasionally sallying forth from its exposed perch in pursuit of a pass- 

 ing Crow ; note, an unmusical, steely chatter , May to Sept. 



Kingbird, page 122. 



b. Length 6-90 inches: upper parts washed with rusty; generally seen 

 in Hocks: terrestrial ; Wov. to Mch Snowflake, page 147. 



2. No white in the plumage. 



A. Length 19-00 inches; jet black Am. Crow, page 128. 



B. Length 12-00 inches; black with metallic reflections ; iris yellowish; 

 migrates in flocks; nests usually in colonies in coniferous trees; voice 

 cracked and reedy; tail "keeled" in short flights; a walker; Mch. to 

 Nov Purple Grackle, page 133. 



0. Length 9-50 inches; shoulders red; haunts marshes; call, kong-qu'er- 

 ree\ Mch. to Oct Red-winged Blackbird, page 132. 



D. Length 7-90 inches; head and neck cott'ee-brown ; frequently seen on 

 the ground near cattle; Mch. to Nov Cowbird, page 137. 



y. Birds not included in the preceding sections 'that is, 

 plumage without either yellow, orange, red, or blue; 

 not conspicuously black, or black and white). 



1. Under parts white or whitish, all one color, without streaks or spots. 

 A. Back ivithout streaks or spots. 

 a. Back olive-green ; gleaners, exploring the foliage for food or flitting 

 about the outer branches. 



a>. Length 6-25 inches; » white line over the eye bordered by a nar- 

 row black one ; cap gray : iris red : song, arambling recitative : " You 

 see it — you know it — do you hear me 1 " etc. ; May to Oct. 



Eed-eyed Vibeo, page 104. 



