FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 81 



a'. Length 5'75 inches ; a white line over 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. 



fflS. Length 400 ; 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, caci; ; song, a 



remarkably loud, musical whistle ; Sept. and Oct. ; Apl. and May. 



ExiBY-CEOWNED KiKGLET, page 252. 



b. Back gray or bluish gray. 



J'. 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. 



4". 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 pureuit of a passing Crow; note, an unmusical, steely chatter; 

 May to Sept Kingbird, page 150. 



c. Back brown. 



c". 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 Wken, page 240. 



c\ 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-ctuch. and cow-coti) ; May to Oct. 



Yellow-billed Cuokoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, page 132. 

 £. Back brownish, streaked. 



a. Crown rufous or chestnut without streaks. 



a'. Length 5'25 inches ; bill black ; a whitish line over the eye ; a 

 familiar bird of lawns and door-yards ; song, a monotonous cMppij- 

 cMppy-chippy ; Apl. to Nov. . . Chipping Spakkow, page 186. 



a". 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, cker- 

 wee,c?ieeo, dee-dee-dee-dee; Apl. to Nov. Field Sparrow, page 182. 



o'. 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. 



b. Crown not rufous or chestnut. 



J'. Length 6'75 inches ; crown blackish, with a central whitish stripe ; 

 throat white ; breast gray ; a yellow spot before the eye ; haunts 

 in and about thickets and bushy woodlands ; song, a high, clear, 

 musical whistle ; call-note, chinh. 



White-throated Sparrow, page 188. 



J". Length 5'20 inches ; bill slender ; a white line over the eye ; tail 

 carried erect; haunts reedy marshes ; call-note scolding; song rip- 

 pling ; May to Oct. . . . Long-billed Marsh Wren, page 244. 



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