CHAPTER VIIL 
A FIELD KEY TO OUR COMMON LAND BIRDS, 
Wuew you have seen a bird with sufficient definite- 
ness to describe its color, form, and actions, reference to 
the following key will often prove a short cut to its 
identity. This key is based only on adult males, who, 
because of their song, often brighter colors, and greater 
activity, are far more frequently observed than the 
females. But, knowing the male, you will rarely, during 
the nesting season, be at loss to recognize his mate. 
In order to simplify the key, the water birds, Hawks, 
and Owls are omitted, in the belief that they will be 
more readily identified by reference to the plates. 
The use of the key may be illustrated by the follow- 
ing example: Let us imagine that you see a Chipping 
Sparrow (Plate XLV) feeding about your doorstep. 
You note his size, chestnut cap bordered by white, black 
bill, brownish, streaked back, and grayish white, un- 
marked under parts. Turning now to the key, you will 
see that by exclusion the bird belongs in “Section V” 
of the “Third Group,” and that it should be placed in 
subsection “1” of this section, which includes birds hav- 
ing the “under parts white or whitish, all one color, with- 
out streaks or spots.” You have now two subdivisions to 
choose from—* A. Back without streaks or spots,” and 
“B. Back brownish, streaked.” Your bird falls under 
“ B,” where again you have two subdivisions, “a. Crown 
rufous or chestnut, without streaks,” and “5. Crown not 
rufous or chestnut.” Your bird should be referred to 
“a,” where you will at once find it described under “a’” 
as the Chipping Sparrow. 
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