944 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



- Order i. PASSERES. Percliint; Birds. 

 I'ainily I. CoRviriAK. Ravens, Crows, Jays. 



Most members of this family arc well known birds. In point 

 but they arc more lacking in song than is any other group of 

 have a sort of vocal language which may compensate for song, 

 besides having songs of their own. 



I. Entirely black. 



A. Wing about 17 inches long. 



B. Wing about 16 inches. 



C. Wing about 11.50 inches. 



D. Wing about 10.50 inches. 



II. Conspicuously black and white. Tail long. 



III. With conspicuous blue. 



A. Head conspicuously crested. 



1. .\ white spot over the eye. 



2. No white spot over the eye. 



a. Blue of the forehead narrow, 

 (i). Back and breast sooty brown. 

 (2). Back and breast sooty slate. 



b. Blue of forehead reaching onto crest. 



B. Head not crested. 



1. Back blue. 



2. Back brown. 



IV. Plumage mostly gray. 

 .■\. Tips of secondaries and outer tail feathers white. 

 B. No white on secondaries and tail. 



r. Top of head white. 

 2. Top of head black. 



a. Back brown, smaller. 



b. Back mouse-gray, larger. 



of intelligence they arc easily superior, 



Passeres. It has been stated that they 



Some of the Jays are no mean mimics 



1. Northern Ra\en. 



2. Mexican Ra\en. 



3. Western Crow. 



4. Northwest Crow. 

 7. American Magpie. 



11. Black>headed Jay. 



9. Steller's Jay. 

 B.C. I. Queen Charlotte Jay. 

 10. (jrinnell's Jay. 



6. Pinon Ja\ . 



8. California Jay. 



5. Clark's Nutcracker. 



12. White=headed Ja> . 



13. Oregon Jay. 



14. Gray Jay. 



I'ainily 2. IcTErid.\f.. Blackbirds, etc. 



We call the birds composing this group Blackbirds because probably the most familiar examples 

 are largely black. Some of its members have practically no song at all while others have pleasing and 

 varied songs. 



.^DULT M.ALES. 

 I. Plumage mostly or wholly black. 



A. Head greenish black like the body. 



B. Head violet purple, unlike the body. 



C. Head cofifee brown, unlike the back. 



D. Head and neck yellow. 



E. Head black. 



1. Wing patches red, without buffy border. 



2. Wing patches red, with buffy border. 



a. Bill longer, more slender. 



b. Bill shorter, stouter. 



II. With much orange in the plumage. 



HI. Underparts black, back with wdiite. 



IV. Underparts with yellow and a black crescent. 



B. C. 2. Rusty Blackbird. 



16. Brewer's Blackbird. 

 15. Cowbird. 



21. Yellow=headed Blackbird. 



18. Calilfornian Bicolored Blackbird. 



20. Northwestern Red=wing. 



19. Columbian Red-wing. 



17. Bullock's Oriole. 

 B. C. & H. I. Bobolink. 



22. Western Meadowlark. 



