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. PURPLE FINCH. 



D. Length about G'OO ; 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. RED CROSSBILL. 



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

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



EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH. 

 IV. Breast. without either yellow, red, or blue. 



1. Under parts distinctly streaked or spotted. 



A. Outer tail-feathers white, showing conspicuously 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. . 



6. 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. 



b l . A buflfy line over the eye and at the side of the throat, breast 

 generally washed with buflfy ; haunts only salt marshes (rarely 

 found far from the vicinity of the seashore.) 



549. SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. 



6*. No buff on the sides of the head or breast ; upper parts black- 

 ish; song teip-tsip-tsip'se-e-e-s'r-r-r ; rarely breeds south of 

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



642a. SAVANNA SPARROW. . 



6-. Back reddish, head and neck buffy 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 vigorous towhee or chee-wink 587. TOWHEE. 



