USE OF THE KEYS. 
A key is a short cut used to approximate identification without reading 
a great number of descriptions. The keys given here differ in no essential 
particular from those to be found in other systematic works on ornithology, 
but for the benefit of the beginner their use may be briefly explained. 
Having in hand an unknown bird begin with the key to the Orders 
(p. 7), reading first the line beginning a’; if the specimen has the 
characters given after a then the bird belongs to the Order Pelecani- 
formes and another key is to be used which will be found under that 
order. (p. 200). If the characters on the line after a are not found in 
the specimen, then those given on the line a? are to be examined and these 
the specimen must have, if no mistake has been made. The next choice is 
between b* and b* and so on until characters are found which agree with 
those of the specimen and at the same time lead to a word at the right 
printed in heavy face type; this is the name of the order to which the 
specimen belongs. 
Having determined the order turn to the page where the order begins 
and use the key there which leads to the suborders or to the families, then 
find and use the keys to genera and species. 
To illustrate the use of keys with a concrete example, suppose that we 
have a specimen of the common spoon-billed duck or shoveler, but know 
- nothing of its affinities. Beginning with the key to orders we find: 
“a'. Hind toe connected by a web to the inner toe.” As this does not 
agree with our specimen we try: 
“a*, Hind toe not connected by a web to the inner toe.” Yes. 
“bt. Nostrils tubular.” No. 
“6?. Nostrils not tubular.” Yes. 
“cl. Cutting edges of bill more or less distinctly fringed or serrated, 
Up O OU OMIM CH Sas. esc Se eR Anseriformes.” 
Yes, and our bird belongs in the order Anseriformes. By a similar 
procedure we find that our duck belongs in the subfamily Anatine 
(p. 185) and in the key to genera (p. 187) we find: 
“a. Bill not spatulate.” 
Seeeeoill flattened, and spatulate..<._.....2.22-2--200sn ee Spatula.” 
As our duck has a flattened, spatulate bill we turn to the genus Spatula 
(p. 196) and as there is but one Philippine species in this genus we know 
that our bird is— 
Spatula clypeata (Linnzeus). 
SHOVELER. 
or 
