FINCHES, SPARROWS 359 



crickets, etc., but they destroy as many nests and eggs of small 

 birds as they are able to locate. When the corn is in milk 

 in late summer or when the peas are at their best the Crackles 

 are very apt to be on hand to get their share, and many of 

 the wild fruits and berries also fall to their lot. The fact 

 however remains that they eat large quantities of injurious 

 insects, and that their chief diet is insects of the more injurious 

 sorts, so that on the whole the species is beneficial, doing more 

 good than harm. 



Family FRINGILLID^. Finches, Sparrows, etc. 

 Key to the species of FRlNGILLIDiE. 



A. Under parts distinctly streaked. 



1. Base of tail yellow. Pine Siskin. 



2. Base of tail not yellow. 



§. Outer tail feathers partly or wholly white. 

 ?. Lesser wing coverts rufous ; hind toe shorter than bill from 

 nostril to tip. (bird found spring to fall) Vesper Sparrow. 

 ??. Lesser wing coverts not rufous; hind toe longer than bill 

 from nostril to tip. (bird found in late fall and winter) 

 Lapland Longspirr. 

 §§. Outer tail feathers without white. 



**. Outer tail feathers much shorter than middle pair, 

 a'. Crown with central ashy blue stripe and of different color 

 from back or buffy line over the eye. 

 b*. Breast and sides pale ochraceous buff, distinctly streaked 



with black. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

 b^ Breast and sides darker, not distinctly streaked with 

 black. 

 c'. Breast and sides deep ochraceous buff, unstreaked or 



only slightly streaked. Nelson's Sparrow, 

 c*. Breast and sides cream buff, streaked with grayish. 

 Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

 a*. Crown without central ashy blue stripe, same color as 

 back ; no buffy line over eye. 



b'. Bend of wing and spot in front of eye yellow. Seaside 

 Sparrow. 



Foot Note. Though Mr. Smith records the Boat-tailed Grackle as seen by him at Second 

 Lake, Washington County, no specimens were secured. It must have been a case o£ mistaken 

 identity as the species is not a bird of Maine or even of New England. 



