FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 277 



A. Base of the tail yellow 533. Pixe Siskix. 



£. Outer tail-feathers with white patches. 



a. Hind toe-nail shorter than the bill from the nostril. 



a^. Lesser wing-coverts rufous ; breast streaked with black. 



540. Vesper Sparrow. 

 a2. Sides of crown and ear-coverts chestnut ; a black spot on the cen- 

 ter of the breast 552. Lark Sparrow. 



b. Hind toe-nail longer than bill from nostril. 



^1. Under parts cream-buff; two outer tail-feathers mostly white. 



537. Smith's Longspur. 

 b^. Under parts whitish; breast streaked or spotted with black or 

 entirely black ; second outer tail-feather with but little white. 



536. Laplaxd Longspur. 



A Field Key to the 



Adult Male Finches and Sparrows of the Middle States 



(Virginia to Massachusetts; in Breeding Plutiage, 



I. Brea.st with more or less yellow. 

 II. Breast blue. 

 IlL Breast or throat red. 

 IV. Breast without either yellow, blue, or red. 



I. Breast with more or less yellow. 



A. Chin white, throat black; haunts grassy fields: song an unmusical 

 effort of six or seven notes delivered with great earnestness from a 

 low perch (rare east of the Alleghanies) 604. Dickcissel. 



B. Under parts and breast pure yellow, crown and wings black ; song a 

 sweet canarylike warble; flight undulating, frequently accompanied 

 by the notes cJilc-o-ree^ per-chic-o-ree 529. Goldfinch. 



H. Breast blue. 



A. Length over 6-00 ; plumage deep blue, a chestnut bar across the wings 

 (not found north of Virginia) ....... 597. Blue Grosbeak. 



B. Length under 6-00 ; plumage indigo-blue : haunts woody fields, scrub 

 or second growth ; song clear and musical, generally delivered from a 

 tree-top 598. Indigo Bunting. 



HI. Breast or throat red. 



A. Length '?-i_i':'; throat and region about the base of the bill black, rest 

 of the plumage bright vermilion-red; head with a conspicuous crest; 

 song a rich, musical whistle; call-note an insignificant cheep ; haunts 

 thickets and bushy woodland (rare north of New York city). 



593. Cardinal. 



B. Length 7-50; breast rose-red; belly, tip of the tail, rump, and a band 

 in the wings white ; rest of the plumage black ; haunts wooded growths ; 

 song loud, clear, and highly musical; call-note a metallic j9e^^. 



595. EoSE-BREASTED GrOSBEAK. 



C. Length under 6-50; plumage more or less heavily washed with dull 



