192 FLYCATCHKKS. 



placed in bushes ; eggs, 3 or 4 spotted and blotched with red- 

 dish-brown. Common. 



4. YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, E. flaviven- 

 TRis. A little smaller than 3; yellowish-green above; pale 

 greenish-yellow on wing-bands, eye ring, and beneath. 

 Breeds in eastern N. A. from northern U. S. northward to 

 southern Labrador, in June; winters in Mexico and Central 

 America ; migrates north in late May, south in Sep. Occurs 

 in alder and other s\yampy thickets, keeps low among the fo- 

 liage, not very active. Note a low "Pea" rather plaintive and 

 long-drawn, frequently given, then, less often, a gravely ren- 

 dered '"'' Kil-lick'''' . Nest on the ground in the shelter of up- 

 turned roots of fallen trees or in a bunch of moss; eggs 4 or 5, 

 white dotted with pale reddish. 



Osciiies. 



The largest order of birds in the world and generally dis- 

 tributed. Differ from BB in having the back of tarsus pro- 

 duced into a sharp ridge (note exception to this rule in A, ), 

 fig. 237, upper fig. tarsus of Kingbird; lower, of Pine Gros- 

 beak, both enlarged ; syrinx, provided with four or more 

 pairs of vocal muscles. All of the species, with few excep- 

 tions, are capable of producing varied and more or less mus- 

 ical sounds, fig. 248. Young as in BB. 



A. LARKS. Alaudidae. 



Medium sized birds with long wings, long inner second- 

 aries, short, conical bills, elongated hind claw, fig. 249 B, and 

 tarsus much as in CC, fig. 249 A. Colors dull. 



a. Skylarks. Alaiida. 



Rather robust birds with the outer primary much short- 

 ened and hind claw greatly elongated, fig. 250. 



1. SKYLARK, A. aevensis. 7.50; brown above 

 streaked with reddish-yellow ; dull white beneath, reddish on 

 breast and sides where streaked with dark-brown. Europe 



