FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 81 



o». Length o-To inches; a white line over the eye not bordered by 

 black ; prefers the upper branches of rows of elms and other shade 

 trees; song, a rich, unbroken warble with an alto undertone; May 

 to Sept Warbling Vikeo, page 165. 



o'. Length 4-00 inches; no white line over the eye; eye-ring and 

 wing-bars white: a tiny, unsuspicious bird; flits about the outer 

 brandies of trees and shrubs; wings twitched nervously; note. 

 cack ; song, a remarkably loud, musical whistle ; Sept. and Oct. ; 

 Apl. and May Rubv-crowned Kinglet, page 182. 



b. Back olive-green or dusky olive ; flycatchers who capture their prey 

 on the wing by darting for it, and while perching are quiet and erect. 

 6'. Length 7'00 inches; frequently found nesting under bridges or 



about buildings ; crown blackish ; tail wagged ner\ ously ; notes, 



pee, pee, and pewit-phcebe; Mch. to Oct. . . . Phcebe, page 124. 

 i'-*. Length 6"50 inches ; haunts wooded growths ; note, a plaintive 



pee-a-wee; May to Sept Wood Pe wee, page 126. 



6'. Length 5*40 inches ; haunts orchards, lawns, and open woodlands ; 



note, chebec, chebec Least Flycatcher, page 125. 



c. Back gray or bluish gray. 



c». Length 6-50 inches ; a gray, crested bird ; forehead black ; no white 

 in the tail; note, a whistled pjeto,X)eto, or hoarse de-de-de-de\ resi- 

 dent from New York city southward . . Tufted Tit, page 180. 



c*. Length 8'50 inches ; a white band at the end of the tail ; a con- 

 cealed orange-red crest; a bird of the air, catching its insect food 

 on the wing, and occasionally sallying forth from its exposed perch 

 in pursuit of a passing Crow; note, an unmusical, steely chatter; 

 May to Sept Kingbird, page 122. 



d. Back brown. 



d^. Length 5-00 inches ; a nervous, restless, excitable bird ; tail often 

 carried erect; song sweet, rapid and rippling, delivered with aban- 

 don ; A^\. 2o to Oct House Wren, page 175. 



d^. Length 12-25 inches; slim, brownish birds with long tails; flight 

 short and noiseless ; perch in a tree, not in an exposed position ; 

 note, tut-tut, cluck-cluck, and cow-cow \ May to Oct. 



Yellow-billed CncKOO, Blackbilled Cuckoo, pages 112, 113. 

 B. Back brownish, streaked, 

 a. Crown rufous or chestnut without streaks. 



a>. Length 5-25 inches; bill black; a whitish line over the eye: a 

 familiar bird of lawns and door-yards ; song, a monotonous chippy- 

 cMppty-cMppy; A.Y\.tjolsov. . . Chipping Sparrow, page 142. 

 o*. Length 5-70 inches; bill reddish brown, back rufous or rufous- 

 brown ; wing-bars and eye-ring whitish ; haunts dry, bushy flelds 

 and pastures; song, a musical, plaintive cher-wee, cher-wee, cher- 

 wee, eheeo, dee-dee-dee-dee ; Apl. to Nov. Field Sparrow, page 140. 

 o». Length 5-90 inches ; forehead black ; crown and wings chestnut- 

 rufous ; flanks pale grayish brown ; haunts marshes ; song, a rapidly 

 weet-weet-weet, etc. ; Mch. to Nov. 



Swamp Sparrow, page 139. 

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