64 Bird - Lore
marked characteristics of color, however, are the best aid to the field identification of the Blackbirds and Orioles.
Appearance and Hakim—There is as wide variation in the actions of Blackbirds and Orioles as there is in their form and color. The Orioles are nervous, arboreal creatures, restlessly moving from limb to limb and tree to tree; the Grackles. Cowbird, and lVIeadowlark are terrestrial and walkers, the long tail. sometimes “keeled,” of the former, short tail and white outer tailefeathers oi the latter are good field characters. The Red»winged Blackbird and Bobolink are birds of the open, inhabiting fields or marshes. Orioles (Itferus) are sometimes found associated in small numbers. All our other members of this family migrate and win- ter in close flocks and some species, notably the Grackles, breed in col- onies.
Sang.—The Orioles, Blackbirds, and Meadowlarks are whistlers of vary- ing ability with voices ranging from the thin, long~drawn pipe of the Cowbird, or harsh, grating notes of certain tropical species, to the rich, sweet notes of the western Meadowlark. The Bobolink is a musical genus with a song which alike defies imitation and description.
FAMILY 6. FINCHES (Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Siskins, Crossbills, Buntings, Towhces, etc.) Fringillidzz
Karma—While more numerous in the northern than in the southern hemisphere, the 550 or more species contained in this family are found in all parts of the world except the Australian region. Of this number 92 species and 84. subspecies are North American.
Sea:0n.—Finches are with us at all seasons. A large proportion of our permanent resident and winter visitant Passeres being Finches, and while a number of species are summer residents only, their migrations are less extended than those of insectivorous birds.
Galen—While there is a wide range of color in the plumage of the members of this family. the variations are more or less closely related to the nature of the birds' haunts. Thus the ground‘inhabiting Sparrows are largely streaked and lark-like in color, while the bush— or tree-haunting Finches are generally brightly colored.
External Strluture.—The possession of a stout, short, cone—shaped bill is the distinguishing characteristic of nearly all Finches, and is evidently related to their seedeeating habits. By this member alone our Finches may always be known from the members of other families of eastern North American birds.
Appearnnw and Human—Finches impress one as being short-necked, thick-set, chunky birds. The groundeinhabiting Sparrows, like most ground»feeding birds, are seen either flying as they rise before one, or perching motionless with head well drawn in between the shoulders. The
