FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 79 



II. With red in the plumage. 



1. With red on the under parts. 



A. Throat red. 



a. Length 7"25 inches ; wings and tail black ; rest of plumage bright 

 scarlet ; call-note, chip-chirr ; May to Sept. 



SCARLET TANAGER, page 211. 



b. Length 6-20 inches ; dull, pinkish red, wings and tail brownish ; fre- 

 quently seen feeding on buds or blossoms ; call-note, a sharp chink, 

 often uttered during flight ; song, a sweet, flowing warble. 



PURPLE FINCH, page 200. 



c. Length 6-20 inches ; dull red or green tinged with red ; mandibles 

 crossed ; generally seen in flocks ; feeds on pine cones. 



AM. CROSSBILL, page 196. 



d. Length 5-30 inches; a red crown-cap; back streaked black and 

 brown ; breast rosy ; feeds on seeds or catkins ; Nov. to Mch. 



REDPOLL, page 194. 



B. Throat black. 



a. Length 8'00 inches; breast rose-red, rest of plumage black and 

 white ; song loud and musical ; call-note, peek ; May to Sept. 



ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, page 202. 



b. Length 8-00 inches ; a conspicuous crest ; region about the base of 

 the bill black ; rest of the plumage and bill red ; song, a clear 

 whistle ; resident from New York city southward. 



CARDINAL, page 207. 



c. Length 5-40 inches ; wings and tail banded with orange-red, showing 

 conspicuously in flight; movements active; much in the air; tail 

 frequently spread ; haunts woodland ; May to Oct. 



REDSTART, page 230. 



2. No red on the under parts. 



A. Length 9-50 inches ; black ; shoulders red ; haunts marshes ; migrates 

 in flocks; Mch. to Oct RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, page 166. 



B. Length 5-25 inches : crown-cap red ; chin black ; rest of under parts 

 streaked with blackish ; feeds on seeds and catkins ; Nov. to Mch. 



REDPOLL (im.), page 194. 



(7. Length 4-00 inches ; under parts whitish ; back olive-green ; a ruby 

 crown-patch ; eye-ring white ; movements restless, wings flitted nerv- 

 ously ; call-note, cack ; song remarkably loud and musical ; Sept. and 

 Oct. ; Apl. and May RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, page 252. 



III. With blue in the plumage. 



A. Length 11-50 inches ; a conspicuous crest ; upper parts dull blue ; 

 under parts whitish ; a black patch on the breast. 



BLUE JAY, page 163. 



B. Length 7'00 inches; upper parts bright blue; under parts cinnamon- 

 brown BLUEBIRD, page 260. 



C. Length 5-50 inches ; entire plumage indigo-blue ; May to Oct. 



INDIGO BUNTING, page 206. 



D. Length 13-00; bluish gray; haunts near water; feeds on fish, which 

 it catches by darting on them at the surface . KINGFISHER, page 136. 



