FIELD KEY TO COMMON BIRDS. 81 o». Length o-To 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 Warbling Vikeo, page 165. o'. Length 4-00 inches; no white line over the eye; eye-ring and wing-bars white: a tiny, unsuspicious bird; flits about the outer brandies of trees and shrubs; wings twitched nervously; note. cack ; song, a remarkably loud, musical whistle ; Sept. and Oct. ; Apl. and May Rubv-crowned Kinglet, page 182. b. Back olive-green or dusky olive ; flycatchers who capture their prey on the wing by darting for it, and while perching are quiet and erect. 6'. Length 7'00 inches; frequently found nesting under bridges or about buildings ; crown blackish ; tail wagged ner ously ; notes, pee, pee, and pewit-phcebe; Mch. to Oct. . . . Phcebe, page 124. i'-*. Length 6"50 inches ; haunts wooded growths ; note, a plaintive pee-a-wee; May to Sept Wood Pe wee, page 126. 6'. Length 5*40 inches ; haunts orchards, lawns, and open woodlands ; note, chebec, chebec Least Flycatcher, page 125. c. Back gray or bluish gray. c». Length 6-50 inches ; a gray, crested bird ; forehead black ; no white in the tail; note, a whistled pjeto,X)eto, or hoarse de-de-de-de resi- dent from New York city southward . . Tufted Tit, page 180. c*. 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 pursuit of a passing Crow; note, an unmusical, steely chatter; May to Sept Kingbird, page 122. d. Back brown. d^. Length 5-00 inches ; a nervous, restless, excitable bird ; tail often carried erect; song sweet, rapid and rippling, delivered with aban- don ; A^. 2o to Oct House Wren, page 175. d^. 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-cluck, and cow-cow May to Oct. Yellow-billed CncKOO, Blackbilled Cuckoo, pages 112, 113. B. 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 chippy- cMppty-cMppy; A.Y.tjolsov. . . Chipping Sparrow, page 142. o*. Length 5-70 inches; bill reddish brown, back rufous or rufous- brown ; wing-bars and eye-ring whitish ; haunts dry, bushy flelds and pastures; song, a musical, plaintive cher-wee, cher-wee, cher- wee, eheeo, dee-dee-dee-dee ; Apl. to Nov. Field Sparrow, page 140. o». Length 5-90 inches ; forehead black ; crown and wings chestnut- rufous ; flanks pale grayish brown ; haunts marshes ; song, a rapidly weet-weet-weet, etc. ; Mch. to Nov. Swamp Sparrow, page 139. 13
