Family 9. Vireonid^e. Vireos. 



Small Passeres having 10 primaries, the outermost (strictly speaking the 10th, but formerly, and occasionally 

 herein, referred to as the 1st) never more than half as long as the 9th, sometimes rudimentary and concealed; wings 

 longer than tail; bill moderate; hooked and notched at tip; tarsus longer than middle toe and claw, scutellate; color 

 pattern never streaked, of modest and often blended tones. Eggs 3-4, white, sharply, minutely, and sparingly spot- 

 ted. An American family, chiefly tropical, of some 70 species, 7 recorded for California. 



I. Outermost primary well developed, at least one-third, often one- 



half, as long as next (9th). 



A. Length over 5.00; gray coloration. 117. Gray Vireo. 



B. Length less than 5.00. 



1. Dingy yellowish; wing-bars whitish; a pale yellowish ring 



nearly encircling eye. 116. Hutton's Vireo. 



2. Dull gray above, white below. 118. Least Vireo. 



II. Outermost primary rudimentary or else very small, less than one- 



third as long as 9th. 



A. Length 6.00 or more. 



1. A narrow white eye-ring; whitish wing-bars; slaty gray head 



contrasting with olivaceous back. 115. Solitary Vireo. 



2. Crown grayish slate bordered by blackish; iris red. 112. Red-eyed Vireo. 



3. Somewhat as in preceding, but with strong increase of yel- 



low. 113. Yellow-green Vireo. 



B. Length less than 6.00 — a very "plain" bird. 114. Western Warbling Vireo. 



Family 10. Laniid^. Shrikes. 



Medium-sized Passeres having 10 primaries (the outermost sometimes more than half as long as the 2nd [9th] 

 but usually less); wings and tail rounded, usually of about equal length; bill well developed and conspicuously hooked, 

 notched and toothed near tip of upper tomium; feet relatively rather weak; tarsi scutellate in front, and also upon 

 outside. Plumage usually sober — black, white, gray, brownish or rufous. Young with plumage wavy-barred or 

 vermiculated. Eggs 3-7, whitish or gray, boldly spotted. About 200 species with distribution chiefly Old World, 

 especially northerly — not found in South America. In North America represented by two species, both Californian. 



I. Larger; wing about 4.50. 119. Northwestern Shrike. 



II. Smaller; wing 4.00 or less. 120. White-rumped Shrike. 



Family 11. Parid^e. Titmice. 



Small Passeres having 10 primaries, the outermost not more than half as long as the longest; wings rounded; 

 tail variable; bill small, much shorter than head, the maxillary tomium without subterminal notch, the nostrils 

 entirely concealed by "antrorse" (directed forward) frontal feathers (in this respect, as in several others, closely 

 resembling the Corvidse); tarsus scutellate; "anterior toes much soldered at base." Plumage often loose and fluffy. 

 Eggs 4-10, white, unmarked, or variously speckled and spotted. Northern Hemisphere, chiefly Palsearctic; over 

 200 species and subspecies — 7 species Californian. 



I. Crested; unicolored. 121. Plain Titmouse. 



II. Not crested. 



A. Head yellow; bend of wing bright chestnut. 125. Verdin. 



B. Olive-brown and mouse-gray. 



1. Color of pileum contrasting with that of back. 126. Coast Bush-Tit. 



2. Pileum of same color as back. 127. Lead-colored Bush-Tit. 



C. Throat black; pileum black or brown. 



1. Top of head, including eye, solid black. 122. Oregon Chickadee. 



2. Black of head interrupted by white superciliary. 123. Mountain Chickadee. 



3. Top of head dull sepia brown, blackening on borders; back 



chestnut. 124. Chestnut-backed Chickadee. 



Family 12. Sittid/e. Nuthatches. 



Small tree-creeping Passerids having 10 primaries (the outermost less than one-third as long as the next [9th]); 

 wing long and pointed; tail short, soft, even-ended; bill long, straight or slightly upturned, without tooth or other 

 irregularity of tomia; tarsus about as long as beak, decidedly longer than middle toe without claw; lateral toes un- 

 equal, the middle one much the longest, the inner one (2nd) decidedly shorter than the outer (4th); claws greatly 

 developed and sharpened. Eggs 3-9, white, sharply spotted. A small, rather homogeneous family, chiefly Old 

 World, but 4 species North American, of which 3 Californian. 



I. Side of head and neck white. 128. White-breasted Nuthatch. 



II. Side of head and neck not entirely white. 



A. A small line over eye. 129. Red-breasted Nuthatch. 



B. No white line over eye. 130. Pygmy Nuthatch. 



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