ANALYTICAL KEYS 



BY 



LYNDS JONES, M. Sc. 



HOW TO USE THE KEYS. 



While these keys are made for the purpose of identifying any bird in the 

 hand, the}- are not intended to give more than the barest information about 

 the bird. You should at once turn to the description of the bird whose name 

 you have found by means of the keys, and read what may be found there be- 

 fore remaining content. Often an unsatisfactory identification by the keys will 

 give you the clue so that you can turn to the body of the book and there make 

 sure of your bird. The keys, then, are but a means to an end. They are merely 

 for rapid determination, not for any other particular information. 



There are three separate keys, h'irst of all, a Key to the Orders; next a 

 Ke\ to the Families under each order: and lastly a Key to the Species under 

 each family. You should always begin with the Key to the Orders to get 

 your bird in the right group. Having found the order to which it belongs 

 turn to the Key to the Families, find the order there by the number which pre- 

 cedes it in the Key to the Orders, and determine to what family it belongs. In 

 like manner turn to the Key to the Species given under each family and there 

 determine the species. The families are numbered in i, 2, 3, order under each 

 order, but the species are given the number which they bear in the body of 

 the book. While the orders are not serially arranged in the Key to the Orders, 

 they are arranged in 1, 2, 3, order in the Key to the Families. Likewise, while 

 the species are not serially arranged in the Key to the Species the)' are so ar- 

 ranged in the body of the 1 k. 



It is important that you should know how to use the keys unless yon are 

 already familiar with most of the birds described in this book. At first sight 

 they may seem confused, but after a little practice in the use of them they will 

 prove very simple. Let us suppose that you now have a bird in hand which 

 you wish to identify. Suppose it is a Green Heron. In the Key to the Orders, 

 "I." calls for a bird with webbed or lobed feet; your bird has neither webs 

 nor lobes, so you must turn to the contrasting character which will be under 

 "II," which so far describes your bird. Next is "A. Legs and Neck Ion- and 

 slender." That is true of your bird. Then the next is "1. Lores (region be- 

 tween the eye and bill bare." Your bird has bare lores, so it must be one of 

 the Herodiones, Order 6. Turn now to Order 6 in the Key t< 1 the Families. 

 Here the first is "I. Bill straight and sharp." That is right for your bird. 

 Your bird belongs to Family 1, Ardeidae. Turn now to the Key to the Species 

 and find Order 6, and Family 1 under it. The first here is also "I. Wing 

 less than 6.00." Your bird's wing measures more than 6 inches, so try "II. 

 Wing about 7.25." You find that it is nearer that length than the others given, 

 so conclude that your bird is a Green Heron, number 213 in the book. Turn 

 to that number and prove it by the minute description given there. Any other 

 case would work out on the same principle. 



xxiii. 



