17 



headings of next lower rank, which are numbered alphabetically with capital 

 letters, where we find the alternatives — F, legs long, and G, legs short. 

 Sometimes it may be difficult to decide whether a leg should be regarded 

 as long or short, and the following pictured details may then assist deter- 

 mination. In this case the legs we decide are not remarkably long, no 

 longer in comparison with the size of the bird than are the legs of a Chicken 

 or Sparrow; we, therefore, under G, refer to a number of subordinate 

 alternatives, distinguished by small initial letters — k, feet chicken-like, 

 strong and compact for scratching; 1, feet strongly clawed for holding 

 prey; m, feet small and weak; n, feet small or medium-sized, solidly made, 

 and legs covered with horny scales or plates. Glances at various feet shown 

 under each heading will assist in determination. Assuming a decision 

 in favour of the last, we compare our specimen with the next alternatives, 

 numbered with arabic numerals — 19, two toes in front; 20, three toes 

 in front. There can be little confusion here and we assume that our speci- 

 men having three front toes is one of the great body of perching birds. 

 We, therefore, compare it with the following line detail drawings to see 

 with which it agrees most closely. The bill is not wide and flat; it is, 

 therefore, not a Flycatcher; there are no ear-tufts or long hind toe and the 

 nostril is not covered with feather tufts, therefore it cannot be either 

 a Horned Lark, a Crow, or a Jay. The next picture, the Bobolink's bill, 

 catches our eye and the Sparrow bill in the next lot. A glance through the 

 remainder shows that our bird must be either a Bobolink or one of the Spar- 

 rows. The picture p. 259, and description of the former, is nothing like it; 

 therefore, we turn to the Sparrows, read the general Sparrow description, 

 and remarks on p. 170, and then work through the pictures. After looking 

 at all the illustrations we find that our specimen agrees with that of the 

 Song Sparrow, and on reading over the distinctive characters our opinion is 

 confirmed. The bird has the sharply-striped breast aggregated in the 

 centre, and is without either the yellow stripe over the eye of the Savannah 

 Sparrow or the white outer feathers of the tail, as in the Vesper. We are, 

 therefore, confident that, starting with no other ornithological knowledge 

 than that the specimen was an eastern Canadian bird, we have been able 

 to refer it to its proper species. 



