APPENDIX I. 



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 Finches 

 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. — With yellow or orange in the plumage. 

 Second Group. — With red in the plumage. 

 Third Group. — With blue in the plumage. 



Fourth Group. — Plumage conspicuously black, or black and white. 

 Fifth Group. — Without either yellow, orange, red, or blue in the plumage; 

 not conspicuously black, or black and white. 



First Group.— With yello-w or orange in the plumage. 



I. Throat yellow. 

 A. Throat and breast pure yellow, tvithout 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 chic-o-ree., per-chlc-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 

 me ? I'm here ; where are you ? " . . 628. Yellow-throated Vikeo. 



c. Length 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 chach ; song, a vigor- 

 ous, rapid witch-e-wee-o, witch-e-wee-c, witch-e-wh-o. 



681. Maryland Yellow-throat. 

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