APPENDIX. 



A Field Key to our 

 Commoner Eastern Land Birds. 



Acting upon a suggestion, I have prepared as an Appendix to the 

 Handbook the following field key to those birds which, either because 

 of their abundance or conspicuous colors, most frequently attract our 

 attention. With the object of making it as brief, and consequently as 

 simple, as possible, I have omitted species which can be referred to 

 their respective families without difficulty— for example, Hawks, Owls, 

 Woodpeckers, and Swallows. It is designed simply as an aid to the 

 first steps of the beginner, who will soon graduate from it to the more 

 detailed keys in the body of the book. Like the field keys to Fmches 

 and Sparrows, and Warblers, after which it is modeled, it is based 

 largely upon adult males. Its use will be found fully explained on 

 page 34. 



First Group.— ^\i\i yellow or orange in the plumage. 

 Second Group.—\N\ih. red in the plumage. 

 Third Group.— V^\t\i blue in the plumage. 



Fourth Group.— V\\xm2^gQ conspicuously black, or black and white. 

 Fifth Group.— WiXhont either yellow, orange, red, or blue in the plumage; 

 not conspicuously black, or black and white. 



First Group.— With yeUow or orange in the plumage. 



I. Throat yellow, 



A Throat and breast pure yellow, ivithout streaks or spots. 

 a Length 5-00 ; cap, wings, and tail black ; back yellow : song canary- 

 like, "sometimes uttered on the wing : flight undulating, frequently 

 accompanied by the notes cUc-o-ree, per-clilc-o-ree. 



529. Am. Goldfinch. 

 b. Length 5-50 ; lower belly and wing-bars white ; back olive-green ; 

 frequents the upper branches, generally in woodland ; actions delib- 

 erate; song loud and musical, uttered slowly, often with pauses: "See 

 mel Pm here; where are you?" . . 628. Yellow-throated Vireo. 

 c Leno-th 5-25 ; cheeks and forehead black bordered by ashy ; upper 

 parts" olive-green; no wing-bars; haunts thickets and undergrowth; 

 movements nervous and active ; call-note, pit or cJiacl : song, a vigor- 

 ous, rapid witch-e-w'ce-o^ witch-e-wce-o, witch-e-tvee-o. 



681. Maryland Yellow-throat. 



404 



