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APPENDIX. 



A Field Key to our 

 Commoner Eastern Land Birds. 



Acting upon a suggestion, I have prepared as an Appendix to the 

 ITandbook the following fleld key to those birds which, either because 

 of their abundance or conspicuous colors, most frequently attract our 

 attention. With the object of making it as brief, and consequently as 

 simple, as possible, I have omitted species which can be referred to 

 their respective families without difficulty — for example. Hawks, Owls, 

 Woodpeckers, and Swallows, It is designed simply as an aid to the 

 first steps of the beginner, who will soon graduate from it to the more 

 detailed keys in the body of the book. Like the field keys to Finches 

 and Sparrows, and Warblers, after which it is modeled, it is based 

 largely upon adult males. Its use will be found fully explained on 

 page 34. 



First Group. — With yellow or orange in the plumage. 

 Second Group. — With red in the plumage. 

 Third Group. — With blue in the plumage. 



Fourth Group. — riumagc conspicuously black, or black and white. 

 Fifth Group. — Without either yellow, orange, red, or blue in the plumngo; 

 not conspicuously black, or black and white. 



First Group.— With yellow or oran^ in the pluma^* 



I. Tliroat yellow. 

 A. Throat and breast pure yellow, without streaks or spots. 



a. Length 5-00; cap, wings, and tail black; back yellow: song canary- 

 like, sometimes uttered on the wing : tliglit undulating, frequently 

 accompanied by the notes chic-o-ree, per-vhlc-o-ree. 



5'29. Am. Goldfinch. 



b. Length 5'50; lower belly and wing-bars wliite; back olive-green; 

 frequents the upper branches, gejierally in woodland ; actions delib- 

 erate ; song loud anil musical, uttered slowly, often with pauses : " See 

 me? I'm here ; where arc you?" . . G2S. Yellow-throated Vireo. 



c. Length 5-25 ; cheeks and forehead black bordered by a8.hy ; upper 

 parts olive-green; no wing-bars; haunts thickets and undergrowth; 

 movements nervous and active; call-note, pit or chack ,' song, a vigor- 

 ous, rapid witch-e-wee-o, witch-e-wh-o, tvitch-e-wee-o. 



68L Maryland Yellow-throat. 

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