FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 81 



a*. Length 5-75 inches ; a white line over the eye not bordered by 

 black ; prefers the upper branches of rows of elms and other shade 

 trees ; song, a rich, unbroken warble with an alto undertone ; May 

 to Sept. WARBLING VIREO, page 165. 



a>. Length 4-00 inches; no white line over the eye; eye-ring and 

 wing-bars white; a tiny, unsuspicious bird; flits about the outer 

 branches of trees and shrubs ; wings twitched nervously ; note, 

 cack; song, a remarkably loud, musical whistle; Sept. and Oct.; 



Apl. and May KUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, page 182. 



4. Back olive-green or dusky olive ; flycatchers who capture their prey 



on the wing by darting for it, and while perching are quiet and erect. 



b l . Length 7*00 inches; frequently found nesting under bridges or 

 about buildings ; crown blackish ; tail wagged nervously ; notes, 

 pee, pee, and pewit-phabe ; Mch. to Oct. . . . PH<EBE, page 124. 



b*. Length 6'50 inches; haunts wooded growths; note, a plaintive 

 pee-a-wee ; May to Sept WOOD PEWEE, page 126. 



ft 8 . Length 5*40 inches ; haunts orchards, lawns, and open woodlands ; 

 note, chebec, chebec LEAST FLYCATCHER, page 125. 



c. Back gray or bluish gray. 



c. Length 6-50 inches ; a gray, crested bird ; forehead black ; no white 

 in the tail; note, a whistled peto,peto, or hoarse de-de-de-de; resi- 

 dent from New York city southward . . TUFTED TIT, page 180. 



A Length 8-50 inches; a white band at the end of the tail; a con- 

 cealed orange-red crest ; a bird of the air, catching its insect food 

 on the wing, and occasionally sallying forth from its exposed perch 

 in pursuit of a passing Crow ; note, an unmusical, steely chatter ; 

 May to Sept KINGBIRD, page 122. 



d. Back brown. 



d*. Length 5-00 inches ; a nervous, restless, excitable bird ; tail often 

 carried erect ; song sweet, rapid and rippling, delivered with aban- 

 don ; Apl. 25 to Oct HOUSE WREN, page 175. 



d*. Length 12*25 inches ; slim, brownish birds with long tails ; flight 

 short and noiseless ; perch in a tree, not in an exposed position ; 

 note, tut-tut, cluck-cluck, and cow-cow ; May to Oct. 



YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, BLACKBILLED CUCKOO, pages 112, 113. 

 B. Back brownish, streaked. 

 . Crown rufous or chestnut without streaks. 



a 1 . Length 5-25 inches; bill black; a whitish line over the eye; a 

 familiar bird of lawns and door-yards ; song, a monotonous chippy- 

 chippy-chippy ; Apl. to Nov. . . CHIPPING SPARROW, page 142. 



a*. Length 5*70 inches ; bill reddish brown, back rufous or rufous- 

 brown ; wing-bars and eye-ring whitish ; haunts dry, bushy fields 

 and pastures; song, a musical, plaintive cher-wee, cher-wee, cher- 

 wee, cheeo, dee-dee-dee-dee ; Apl. to Nov. FIELD SPARROW, page 140. 



a. Length 5-90 inches ; forehead black ; crown and wings chestnut- 

 rufous ; flanks pale grayish brown ; haunts marshes ; song, a rapidly 

 repeated weet-weet-weet^ etc. ; Mch. to Nov. 



SWAMP SPARROW, page 139. 



