FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 81 



a 2 . Length 5'75 inches ; a white line ovei- 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 . WABBLING VIKEO, page 222. 



a 3 . 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, 

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

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



b. 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. 

 d 1 . Length TOO inches; frequently found nesting under bridges or 



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



pee, pee, and pewit-phcebe; Mch. to Oct. . . . PHCEBE, page 154. 

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



pee-a-wee ; May to Sept WOOD PEWEE, page 158. 



b 3 . Length 5*40 inches ; haunts orchards, lawns, and open woodlands ; 



note, chebec, chebec LEAST FLYCATCHER, page 156. 



c. Back gray or bluish gray. 



c 1 . 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 250. 



c 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 150. 



d. Back brown. 



d 1 . 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 240. 



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, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, page 132. 

 B. Back brownish, streaked. 

 a. 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 186. 



a 2 . 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 182. 



a 3 . 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 180. 



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