278 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



reddish ; haunts orchards and wooded growths; song a liquid warble; 

 call-note a metallic chink^ frequently uttered while on the wing. 



517. PuKPLE Finch. 



D. Length about G-00 ; plumage dull blood-red ; mandibles crossed at 

 the tips ; generally found in small flocks in coniferous woods ; utters 

 a clicking or whistled note when on the wing (rarely found south of 

 New England after May 1) 521. Eed Crossbill. 



E. Breast white, tinged with brown ; region about the bill red, a yellow 

 band in the wings (rare except in the vicinity of New York city). 



European Goldfinch. 

 IV. Breast -mthout either yelloTe, red, or blue. * 



1. Under parts distinctly streaked or spotted. 



A. Outer tail-feathers white, showing consijicuously when the bird 

 flies ; haunts dry fields and roadsides ; song loud and musical. 



540. Vesper Sparrow. 



B. Outer tail-feathers not white. 



a. Song loud and musical ; an abundant and familiar bird of gen- 

 eral distribution ; spots on the breast tending to form one larger 

 spot in the center; crown umber, a whitish line over the eye. 



581. Song Sparrow. 



h. Song not loud and musical ; short and generally unattractive ; 



haunts wet meadows or marshes ; passes most of the time on the 



ground, rarely perching far from it, and when flushed generally 



returning to it. 



h^. A bufl"y line over the eye and at the side of the throat, breast 

 generally washed with buff'y ; hamits only salt marshes (rarely 

 found far from the vicinity of the seashore.) 



549. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

 Ja. No buif on the sides of the head or breast ; upper parts black- 

 ish; song tsi'p-tsip-tslp'se-e-e-s'r-r-r ; rarely breeds south of 

 New York city ; haunts both salt- and fresh-water marshes. 



542a. Savanna Sparrow. 

 68. Back reddish, head and neck buff'y olive ; haunts generally 

 wet pastures ; song an inconspicuous see-wick (rather rare, liv- 

 ing in small colonies of local distribution). 



547. Henslow's Sparrow. 

 2. Under parts not distinctly streaked or spotted. 



A. Throat pure white, sharply defined from the grayish breast, a 

 yellow spot over the eye; crown black, with a central stripe of 

 white; haunts thickets or bushy woodlands; song a high, clear, 

 musical whistle ; call-note a sharp chink. 



558. White-throated Sparrow. 



B. Throat and breast black. 



a. Sides of the throat and belly white, crown ash, sides of the 

 • head chestnut P. 282. House Sparrow, 



b. Length 8-00 ; sides of the body light rufous, outer tail-feathers 

 tipped with white ; haunts thickets and bushy woodlands ; call- 

 note a vinforous towhee or clue-voinh 587. Towhee. 



