202 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



4. Bill very short, but the gape very wide and deep. Wings very long and pointed. The 

 Swallows, Hirundinidce. 



4. Bill not as above. See 5. 



5. Bill conirostral, stout at base, with the corners of the mouth drawn downward. See 6. 



5. Bill not conirostral, the corners of the mouth not drawn downward. See 7. 



6. Bill rather long, often longer than head, without notch at tip or bristles at the gape. The 



Orioles and Blackbirds, Icleridoe. 



6. Bill shorter than head, often notched at tip or with bristles at gape. The Sparrow 



family, Fringillidce. 



7. Bill conical, stout. Nostrils placed high, exposed. The Tanagers, Tangaridce. 



7. Bill slender, not conical. See 8. 



8. Hind claw short and curved, not longer than its toe. Tertials not lengthened. The Wood 



Warblers, Minotiltidoe. 



8. Hind claw long and stiaight, longer than its toe. Tertials lengthened. The Wagtails, 



Motadllidoe. 



9. Tarsus with the plates in front fused together. Bristles present at the gape. See 19. 

 9. Tarsus with distinct plates in front. See 10. 



10. Bill more or less hooked at tip. See 11. 



10. Bill not hooked at tip. See 13. 



11. Bill strongly hooked and toothed at tip, plumage gray, length over 8 inches. The Shrikes, 



Laniidce. 



11. Bill only slightly hooked at tip, plumage not gray. See 12. 



12. Head crested, tail tipped with yellow. The Waxwings, Bombycillidoe. 



12. Head not crested, tail not tipped with yellow. The Vireos, Vireonidoe. 



13. Tail-feathers stiff and pointed, bill decurved. The Creepers, Certhiidae.. 



13. Tail-feathers soft and rounded at tip. See 14. 



14. Nasal-feathers not directed forwards. See 15. 



14. Nasal-feathers directed forwards, covering the nostrils. See 16. 



15. Length 8 inches or more. The Mocking-birds, Mimidce. 



15. Length less than 7 inches (most under 6). The Wrens, Troglodytidoe. 



16. Birds of small size, wing less than 4 inches. See 17. 



16. Birds of large size, wing over 4 inches. The Crows and Jays, Corvidoe. 



17. Bill notched at the tip, very slender. The Old World Warblers, Sylviidoe; in North 



America the Gnat-catcher group, Genus Polioptila. 



17. Bill not notched at tip. See 18. 



18. Bill long, wings long, tail short. The Nuthatches, Siltidae. 



18. Bill short, wings short, tail long. The Titmice, Paridoe. 



19. Birds of small size, wing less than 3 inches. The Old World Warblers, Sylviidoe, Kinglet 



group, Genus Regulus. 

 19. Birds of moderate size, wing more than 3 inches. The Thrushes, Turdidce. 



41. FAMILY TYRANNIC^E. TYRANT FLYCATCHERS 



This family contains a number of birds of medium or small size, mainly dull 

 colored and of little musical ability, the voice being either harsh or plaintive. 



The wings are long, the legs and feet rather weak. The bill is triangular, flat- 

 tened from above, wide at the base, and slightly hooked at the tip. There are 

 usually bristles at the gape, which no doubt aid the bird in catching flying insects. 



Six genera occur with us, and a seventh may at any time furnish an occasional 

 straggler to our fauna. 



KEY TO GENERA 



1. One or more of the outer wing-quills attenuate. Crown in adult with concealed red or 

 yellow patch. See 2. 



1. No attenuate wing-quills; no crown-patch. See 3. 



2. Tail deeply forked, much longer than wings. Muscivora.* 



2. Tail not forked, shorter than wings. Tyrannus. 



3. Wings and tail with chestnut. Length 8 or more. Myiarchus. 

 3. Wings and tail without chestnut. Length less than 8. See 4. 



*Includes the Fork-tailed flycatcher (M. tyrannus) of tropical America, with tail-feathers black, and 

 the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (M. forficatus) of the southwestern United States, with tail-feathers chiefly 

 white. Both species have been known to straggle as far north as New Jersey, or even farther. Both are 

 about the size of a Kingbird. 



