131 



CONTOPUS. Cabanis. Wood Pewees. 



133. C. BOREALIS, Bd. Olive-Sided Flycatcher. Olive brown, paler or yel- 

 lowish below ; tuft of white cottony feathers on sides very conspicuous ; middle 

 line of belly distinctly white; L. 7}^. Migrant in May and September. Not 

 common. 



134. C. VIRENS. Cab. Wood Pewee. Olive brown above ; pale or yellowish 

 below; cottony tuft inconspicuous;' lower mandible pale; wing band rusty or 

 whitish ; L. 6^, 



EMPIDONAX. Cabanis. Least Flycatchers. 



135. E. ACADICUS. Bd.. Small Green-crested Flycatcher. Clear olive green ; 

 wing bands buffy ; yellowish ring about eye ; bill pale below ; primaries an inch 

 longer than secondaries. L. 6 ; W. 3. Summer resident ; ordinarily in gloomy 

 woods. 



136. E. TRAILLII. Bd. TrailPs Flycatcher. Olive brown, duller than the 

 preceding ; bill pale below ; longest primary ^ inch longer than the secondaries. 

 L. 5^. A not common summer resident. 



137. E. MINIMUS. Bd. Least Flycatcher. Olive gray ; bill blackish below . 

 longest primary but ^ inch longer than secondaries. L. 5 ; bill ]4. inch. Common 

 summer resident ; prefers skirts of woods and hedge-rows. 



138. E. FLAVIVENTRIS. Bd. Yellozu bellied Flycatcher. Clear olive green . 

 yellow below, becoming bright yellow on the belly ; bill yellow below. L. $%. 

 Common migrant about Chicago. {Nelson.) Uncommon about Cincinnati. 

 (Langdon.) 



ORDER B. PICARI.^. 



(^Picarian Birds.) 



This is a highly diversified group, the members of which have little in common 

 except their want of resemblance to other birds. 



The hind toe is small, sometimes wanting, occasionally elevated ; wing coverts 

 larger and in more numerous series than in the passeres. Second and fourth toes 

 some'times versatile ; first and fourth toes with often less than the normal number 

 of joints. Tarsus never oscine. Nature altricial. 



KEY TO FAMILIES OF PICARIAN BIRDS. 



I. Two toes forward and two back (except Picoides). 



a. Tail of 12 rigid acuminate feathers, of which the other pair are short and 

 concealed ; bill stout and straight ; nasal tufts usually present. (Wood 

 peckers.) .......... Picidce, XXV. 



aa. Tail of 8 to 10 long soft feathers; bill decurved ; no nasal tufts. (Cuckoos.) 



CticulidcB, XXIV. 



II. Outer and middle toes coherent ; bill stout and straight, longer than head. 



(Kingfishers.) Alcedinidce, XXIII. 



III. Toes not coherent, nor two behind ; wings long and pointed. 



