B. Chiefly black, more or less streaked with whitish, and some- 



times tinged with rusty. 

 i. Darker. 

 2. Lighter. 



C. Light and dark gray. 



D. Upperparts streaked; breast yellowish with veiled black jug- 

 ulum. 



II. Plumage little if any streaked. 



A. Nearly unicolored, much like males but without special decora- 

 tion or glosses. 



1. Fuscous and drab, obscurely varied. 



2. Blackish slate, shading to neutral gray below. 



3. Foreparts grayish brown, shading posteriorly into mingled 



drab and glossy black. 



4. Brownish dusky with some outcropping of dull yellow, es- 



pecially on breast. 



B. Plumage varied, but extensively yellow or yellow-tinged. 



1. L'nderparts entirely yellow. 



2. Breast chiefly black, everywhere more or less tinged with 



greenish yellow. 



3. Color tone reddish yellow; underparts extensively whitish; 



tail yellow below. 



18. Tricolored Redwing. 



19. Red-winged Blackbird. 

 12. Cowbird (Ira.). 



21. Western Meadowlark. 



12. Cowbird (female). 



13. Rusty Blackbird. 



14. Brewer's Blackbird. 



20. Yellow-headed Blackbird. 



15. Arizona Hooded Oriole. 



16. Scott's Oriole. 



17. Bullock's Oriole. 



Family 3. Fringillid^e. Sparrows. 



Small to medium-sized Passeres, having 9 primaries, a cone-shaped beak, and the commissure (line of closure 

 of mandibles) angled, sharply declined downward near base (a character shared onl} r , and in lesser degree, by the 

 Icteridae). Plumage chiefly of modest colors, inclined to uniformity or else streakiness — but also brilliant exceptions. 

 Eggs, chiefly 3-6, sometimes unpigmented but usually more or less heavily spotted or blotched. Cosmopolitan 

 except Australia — the largest family of birds in North America. As a whole contains over 600 species, of which 52 

 species or 108 "forms" Californian — nearly one-fifth of our total avifauna. 



NOTE. — Although careful descriptions of juvenile plumages are given in the text, the key furnished below as- 

 sumes to cover adult plumages only, and those in the most obvious and artificial fashion. The field is one of extreme 

 difficulty for the novice. 



I. Plumage pattern of adults (at least of adult males) exhibiting 

 uniform or else contrasting color areas; not conspicuously 

 streaked. 



A. Conspicuously marked with red. 



1. Tips of mandibles crossed. 24. 



2. Chiefly rosy red, but at least crissum ashy gray. 25. 



3. Red in highest plumage only nearly engulfing an otherwise 



streaked bird. 



a. Crown carmine red, contrasting with back. 



b. Crown duller, like back. 



4. Nape broadly vermilion red; remaining plumage chiefly 



purplish. 



5. A large red spot on chest; otherwise black and white. 



B. Conspicuously marked with rufous or brownish. 



1. Crown and hind neck chestnut; otherwise extensively olive- 



green. 



2. Sides and flanks broadly tawny; otherwise black and white. 



3. Chest ochraceous tawny: otherwise blue and white. 



4. Underparts and rump extensively orange-tawny; black and 



white and lemon-yellow elsewhere. 



C. Conspicuously marked with blue. 



1. Head, neck, and upperparts light blue; elsewhere tawny and 



white. 



2. Hind-neck, rump, etc., purplish blue; elsewhere red and 



purplish. 



3. Chiefly violet blue. 



D. Conspicuously marked with yellow or olive. 

 I. Length 5.50 or more. 



a. Plumage chiefly sooty olive-brown or olive-yellow. 



b. Tips of mandibles crossed. 



c. Plumage gray, washed with dingy yellow or ochraceous. 



Red Crossbill. 



California Pine Grosbeak. 



32. Cassin's Purple Finch. 



33. California Purple Finch. 



71. Beautiful Bunting. 



73. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 



66. Green-tailed Towhee. 



67. Spotted Towhee. 

 70. Lazuli Bunting. 



74. Black-headed Grosbeak. 



70. Lazuli Bunting. 



71. Beautiful Bunting. 



72. Blue Grosbeak. 



d. Extensively yellow or olive-gray; crown chestnut. 



23. California Evening Grosbeak. 



24. Red Crossbill (female). 



25. California Pine Grosbeak (fe- 

 male). 



66. Green-tailed Towhee. 



20/6 



