REPORT OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE | MUSEUM 1908 SILAS R. MORSE, Curator. Pee Uae PORT OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE MUSHUM INCLUDING A REPORT OF THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY THEIR NESTS AND EGGS And Notes on New Jersey Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles 1908 TRENTON, N. J.: THE JOHN L. MURPHY PUBLISHING COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1909. ¥ ite Fh } Hs HY 7 i + A ee Hit aie “ ion des a « ~ Ps aoe? : lady LS, _ — ( 2 2 ‘ -% foie © "ONY 54 r. (3) “~ ee he ae i aes SP ad ie yi teel mae Mian Re ae BRIN hry Sd oa he COMMISSIONERS OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. STATE Supr. oF PuBLic INSTRUCTION, CHARLES J. BAXTER, President. STATE GEOLOGIST, HENRY B. KUMMEL, Secretary. PRESIDENT STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, E. B. VOORHEES. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THOMAS ‘TT. HILLERY., SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, KRANK B. JESS. SILAS R. MORSE, Curator. Heads of the Several Departments of the New Jersey State Museum. C. J. BAXTER, STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, Educational. K. B. VOORHEES, RutTcGERS COLLEGE, Agriculture. HENRY B. KUMMEL, SratTEe GEoxosist, Geology. 4 JOHN C. SMOCK, EX-STATE GEOLOGIST, Forestry. JOHN B. SMITH, State ENToMoLocIst, Entomology. JAMES T. MORGAN, Deputy or BuREAU or Lapor STATISTICS, Manufactures. WILLIAM H. WERNER, J'avidermist of Museum. HERBERT M. LLOYD, Secretary or GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, Archeology. (5) DLN AR Hate Pitot Hae ee Hee H ab he Ae HUES ne > oe Noi! Ay RAE he 2 a q ae ic f BY id han “ D ' Ne ye CHUA WISE Aa os wri hee aay a leet er Al ahh, fa ao ey wees ¥ he oe rie f Curator’s Report. So pymase ——__» —___. In presenting our annual report for 1908 we are carrying out the plan laid out by the Commission and the Curator, to make the Museum reports on the same plan as the Museum was established—purely edu- cational. This report treats of the “Birds of New Jersey, their Nests and Eggs.” We feel that no subject could be taken for the report that would be more interesting and beneficial in the cause of education than this. It will educate the children to love and protect their winged friends, not destroy them. The subject-matter of “The Birds, their Nests and Eggs,” has been prepared by Mr. Witmer Stone, Curator of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, a gentleman having a national reputation as a naturalist. His authority on this subject is surpassed by none. The subject-matter has been presented in such a manner that it will be interesting as well as instructive. The part in our last Museum report of 1907, “The Mammals of New Jersey,” was contributed by Mr. Stone. The report has proven a great success. To the Bird Report are added some notes of the New Jersey Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles by Henry W. Fowler. WHERE THE REPORTS ARE DISTRIBUTED. The Museum reports have been sent to all of the New Jersey public libraries, school libraries, colleges, museums, historical societies, the State officials and those interested in natural history. Besides copies have been sent to all of the United States libraries and departments interested at Washington, and to a large number of the museums, colleges and scientific institutions in the United States, and some in 502362 ie 8 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. foreign countries, from which we have received many valuable works in exchange. We have a large number of letters from prominent per- sons commending our reports. VISITORS. The number of visitors to the Museum has increased during the past year. Had we room to display our exhibits in the proper manner, many more would visit it. Many students from the State Schools and the public schools have improved the chance to come and study the different exhibits. It is the desire of the Commission and the Curator to make the Museum an educational one, so that students from all parts of the State can have a place to study the natural history as well as the best work done in the public schools of the State. The number of students who have improved this opportunity has greatly increased in the past year. NEW CABINETS AND EXHIBITS. The new cabinets have given the geological department room to better display the many New Jersey specimens it has had in storage for many years. The collection of marine shells and shell fish has had many addi- tions to it during the past year, and has become an interesting part of the Museum. Professor John B. Smith, the State Entomologist, is still adding to our valuable insect collection. To him is due the credit for this fine exhibit of insects. THE NEEDS OF THE MUSEUM. The State Museum needs more room. The large display hall is crowded, so that many of the specimens in it are not properly dis- played, and many more cannot be unpacked. Our Educational and Social Economy Exhibits have only a small part displayed, and one small room in which the largest part is contained has to be kept locked to keep the exhibits from being stolen. CURATOR’S REPORT. 9 Much more of these exhibits are stored where they cannot be seen. These exhibits are very interesting and instructive, containing, as they do, a large part of the School Exhibits that were seen at seven expositions, namely: Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876; New Orleans in 1885; Columbian Exposition at Chicago, 1893; Pan- American Exposition at Buffalo in 1901; Inter-State and West Indian at Charlestown in 1901-2; Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis, 1904, and the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition at James- town, 1907. The educational value of these exhibits would be very great in show- ing the advancement the State has made in her schools for the past thirty-one years, if it could be properly displayed. At Jamestown the Educational Exhibit was pronounced one of the most valuable ever shown at any of the expositions. It should be so displayed in the State Museum that the State could get the full benefit of it. The Museum Commission is anxious to have a historical depart- ment. With that received from Jamestown, and what has been promised to be presented to that department, a good commencement could be made, and in a short time it would have a collection the State would be proud of, besides saving many valuable relics from going into other museums outside of the State. 10 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ADDITION TO THE MUSEUM’S SPECIMENS BY PURCHASE. BIRDS. Mounted Rough-Legged Hawk. Mounted Loon. Mounted Red-Shouldered Hawk. Mounted Merganser. Mounted Marsh Hawk. Mounted Harlequin Duck. Mounted King Duck. Mounted Tern. Four mounted Snipe. Mounted Coot. Mounted Short-Hared Owl. Mounted Downy Woodpecker. Mounted Crossbill. Mounted Pied-Billed Grebe. Mounted Whistler Duck. Two mounted Whooping Cranes, nest and eggs. Three Canadian Grouse. Plack mounted Dusky Duck. Mounted Ruddy Duck. Mounted Old Squaw Duck. Two Plack mounted American Hider Ducks. Two mounted Blue-Winged Teal. Three mounted Green-Winged Teal. Group mounted Cooper’s Hawks, nest, eggs and young. Group mounted Laughing Gulls, nest, eggs and young. Group mounted Wilson’s Terns and young. Group mounted Meadow Larks,. nest and eggs. Group mounted White-Throated Sparrows. Mounted Golden Eagle. Mounted Blue Grosbeak. Mounted White-Crowned Sparrow. FISH. Plack of two mounted Brook Trout. Mounted Sun Fish. Mounted Lake Trout. Mounted Ten-and-one-half-pounds Land-Locked Salmon. Mounted Black Fish. Mounted Sun Fish. Mounted Cod Fish. ANIMALS. Mounted Black Bear and Cub. Mounted Moose head. Mounted Caribou head. Mounted Hedge-hog or Porcupine. droge av oy fae BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY By WITMER STONE, Curator Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia. Fellow American Ornithologists’ Union. a, 5a Re f* eo o, af Pape eet te ai LIMRARY)- \e \ Am HS a PREFACE. SP ywas49) The birds of any State are of more importance to its citizens than are any of the other vertebrates. It is not their value as food, since the game birds are few in number and are shot mainly for sport, but their value as destroyers of insects, that demands our attention. In nature’s scheme birds are one of the greatest checks on the in- crease of insect life, and were they to be removed and the balance upset, noxious insects would increase at such a rate that all crops and all vegetation would be threatened with extermination. Anyone fa- miliar with the ravages of the Gypsy Moth, the Migratory Grasshop- per, and other similar pests, can realize what insects can accomplish when they get beyond control, and when we realize that one Chickadee eats in one day 30 female canker worms, which would have laid 5,550 eggs, and that one Meadow Lark devours at least 1,500 grasshoppers a month,* we begin to realize what disaster we should face were our birds destroyed. Our birds, moreover, need protection, since nearly every activity of man tends to their destruction. Aside from the actual killing of birds, which is governed by law; the destruction of forests; the alteration of rural districts into villages and towns; the draining of swamps; clearing away of underbrush, etc., etc., all indirectly affect bird life, driving many species away, and decreasing the numbers of others by reducing the area available to them. The best method of protecting the birds is to increase the interest in birds and bird study among the citizens of the State, especially in schools, for the more school children who are made familiar with the value of bird protection, the easier will it be to ensure good legislation in the future, and to enforce this legislation when enacted. For this purpose the present report has been prepared. The aim has been to present keys and descriptions that will enable anyone to * Actual results of investigation of birds’ stomachs by the United States Department of Agriculture. (13) 14 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. identify birds that he may see, to give a brief sketch of the more characteristic habits of the common species, and at the same time to include such facts and records on the distribution of all species as will make the report a thoroughly up-to-date list of the birds of the State. The measurements have been taken from Ridgway’s “Manual of North American Birds,” and in the keys some points have been taken from this work and from Chapman’s “Hand Book,” though they are mainly original. The measurements of eggs are from Reed’s “North American Birds’ Eggs.” The facts upon which the statements on food habits are based are from the publications of the United States Department of Agriculture, while the descriptions are drawn up from specimens in my own collection or that of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, to which institution I am also indebted for the use of the volumes of Wilson and Audubon, from which most of the plates have been reproduced. To the National Association of Audubon Societies, through the president, Mr. William Dutcher, I am indebted for the use of a number of excellent half-tones prepared for the Association’s Educational Leaflets. All the published lists and papers relating to the New Jersey birds have been consulted, as well as manuscript data received from W. DeWitt Miller, Samuel N. Rhoads, R. C. Caskey, C. J. Hunt, Henry W. Fowler, H. Walker Hand, W. B. Evans, George 8. Morris, A. P. Willets, C. J. Pennock, William L. Baily, J. A. G. Rehn, H. H. Hann, J. P. Callender, J. H. Patterson, P. B. Philipp, F. M. Chapman, Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., Henry Hales, W. A. Babson, Dr. William C. Braislin, B. S. Bowdish, W. H. Werner, W. W. Justice, Jr., R. C. Harlow, A. H. Phillips, Dr. Wm. E. Hughes, Stewardson Brown, and D. E. Harrower, to all of whom the writer expresses his obligation. To Mr. 8. R. Morse, Curator of the New Jersey State Museum, I am also under obligations for many courtesies and suggestions. WITMER STONE, Academy of Natural Sciences, October 31st, 1908.* Philadelphia, Pa. * Additional records have been added up to Juné 15th, 1909, as the work was passing through the press. The Destruction and Protection oF Our’ Birds. As an introduction to our chapter on “Bird Protection” we cannot do better than to quote from Mr. H. W. Henshaw, of the United States Department of Agriculture. He says: “As objects of human care and interest birds occupy a place filled by no other living things, and the various movements to protect and foster them would be fully justified were there no returns other than esthetic. Only the thoughtless and the ignorant still hold that the graceful forms and beautiful plumage of these masterpieces of nature serve their highest purpose when worn on a hat for a brief season, to be then cast aside and forgotten, the plumage dimmed and faded, the beautiful songs quenched forever.” Many of man’s activities as practiced in this country tend toward the extermination of bird-life and for this reason it is of the utmost importance for us to encourage and foster every move for their pro- tection in order to counterbalance, as far as possible, the destructive tendencies. The causes most potent in destroying birds and the results that they have produced may be grouped as follows: (1) Direct slaughter of birds (a) for the millinery trade—The absurd and barbarous habit of wearing dead birds or parts of them for “ornament” is something in which all true women should be ashamed to participate. Every bird, every aigrette plume, every Owl, Pelican or Eagle feather, every Grebe’s breast, etc., means the slaughter of a beautiful bird and usually the starving of a family of young, as most millinery collecting is done at the breeding season, when the plumage is at its best. In New Jersey the women who encourage this slaughter by wearing bird plumage have been responsible for the extermination of the American Egret, Snowy Heron, Little Blue Heron and Least Tern, all of which used to breed regularly along our coast, but to-day are but the rarest stragglers from the south. In addition the Common Tern and Laughing Gull have been so reduced in numbers that but a couple (15) 16 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. of colonies of each are now known on our coasts. Details of this extermination will be found under these several species. (b) Slaughter for sport—The shooting of Ducks, Geese, Shore- birds, Quail and Grouse has always been regarded as legitimate sport. Unfortunately with the increase of population numbers of gunners take the field who are utterly lacking in the appreciation of true sport. First come the Italians who, educated for generations in the belief that everything that flies is legitimate game, shoot down War- blers, Sparrows and Chickadees with as much satisfaction as a true sportsman would kill a Pheasant. But little better are the American citizens boasting of their superiority but who do not hesitate to shoot out of season or to slaughter Clapper Rails on the fall tides when the birds cannot escape, just to see how many they can kill. This sort of thing is bound to tell and is now telling upon the numbers of our wild birds. We must recognize two facts in dealing with game legislation—first, that the number of gunners is vastly increased; second, that the num- ber of many game birds is vastly decreased. This is due to the fact that the breeding grounds of many of the Ducks in Iowa and the Dakotas have been entirely drained and cultivated and the birds de- prived of a place to nest, and now, in opening up the Saskatchewan country to railroads and settlers, the same thing is being done there. All the Ducks that bred in these areas are decreasing rapidly, and only those that breed in the far north, like Brant, ete., are holding their own. Among the shore birds the same thing is seen, but here it is the unlimited shooting all along the line of migration that is doing the damage. The Golden Plover and Eskimo Curlew, for instance, breed in the far north and winter in the Argentine Republic. They are shot by the South American sportsmen all winter and are targets for the gunners of North America during both the spring and autumn flights. The changed conditions and increase in gunners demand radical legislation, as the birds simply cannot exist for many years under present conditions. Spring shooting must stop, and shooting must be everywhere restricted to those who are willing to shoot in moder- ation for their own use. The marketing of wild game must eventually stop or the supply will be exhausted. Opposition to legislation toward these ends is simply due to selfish- ness on the part of those who refuse to look to the future and are only interested in their personal gain. DESTRUCTION AND PROTECTION OF OUR BIRDS. 17 The shooting of small insectivorous birds is, of course, wholly illegal, and should be suppressed everywhere as it usually is. The recognition of the Flicker as a game bird is utterly unwarranted. It is one of our most important insectivorous birds and should be rigidly protected, as also the Dove and Killdeer. Careless and unlimited gunning has exterminated the Wild Pigeon and Heath Hen, also apparently the Eskimo Curlew, while the Killdeer, Woodcock and Wood Duck are rapidly going the same route, and Quail are only perpetuated by importing them from elsewhere! Unless the people wake up to the fact that changed conditions demand less gunning and more restricted gunning our descendants will have nothing to shoot. (2) Indirect influences—Man is so busy making all the money he can from natural resources and unclaimed land that he never stops to consider what effect he is producing on nature. The spread of towns and cities, the establishment of resorts along the whole sea- board, the destruction of forests and draining of swamps all tend to decrease bird-life. Some few species like the Robin take naturally to civilization, but many others are driven away forever. From our shore the Willet, Piping and Wilson’s Plovers, Oyster-catcher, Skim- mer, Avocet, Stilt, and other species are gone forever as breeding birds, and are indeed for the most part rare even as stragglers. All crowded out by the summer population of our coast strip and doubtless by the careless gunning of these summer visitors. Birds that have disappeared inland are notably the Mockingbird and the Summer Tanager. (3) Introduced birds—The English Sparrow has played an im- portant part in driving various familiar birds away from our towns, such as the House Wren, Bluebird, ete. While the Sparrows are often openly hostile to our native birds, the result is no doubt mainly due to the fact that the Sparrows are resident and retain continual pos- session of all available nesting sites in bird boxes, buildings, etc. They have, so to speak, taken the place of our native birds, for as there is probably only support for a certain number of individual birds in a given area the Sparrows have ousted the native species in the struggle for existence so far as towns are concerned. Not content with the lesson learned from the Sparrow we now have the European Starling increasing rapidly and spreading all over the State. He bids fair to be almost as big a nuisance. So too the English Pheasant is being introduced, carrying with it a disease that is said to be fatal to our native Ruffed Grouse. 18 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Experience has shown that it is never desirable to introduce foreign birds or animals as they always have an injurious effect upon the native fauna. (4) Egg collecting—The State should at all times permit properly accredited persons to collect specimens of birds or nests for scientific purposes. All our knowledge of birds, their value, etc., has been derived from ornithologists who have, of course, been compelled to collect specimens. Unfortunately, however, there has arisen a class of so-called “odlogists” who imagine that by amassing a large series of birds’ eggs they are advancing science. Science does not counte- nance this sort of collecting and no good comes of it. The continual collecting of eggs has an ultimate effect upon the abundance of a bird and this alone has exterminated the Fish-hawks on Seven Mile Beach where they formerly nested by scores. The leading ornithol- ogists of the country some years ago tried to discourage this practice of excessive egg collecting by issuing a circular, which we cannot do better than reprint. Fortunately the use of the camera in securing a collection of photographs of nests and young is largely supplanting this fad of egg collecting. Hints To YounGc BIRD STUDENTS. It has always been our experience that young bird students who have just crossed the threshold of ornithology are glad to turn for a word of advice and assistance to their older brethren, who have already made some progress in the science; and it has always been a pleasure for us to give such aid. In view of these facts we take this opportunity of offering a few words of counsel for the benefit of those who are beginning the study of birds. Doubtless every beginner looks upon the formation of a collection as necessarily the first step on the ornithological ladder; and probably a collection of eggs is preferred to a collection of birds, because the specimens can be prepared much more readily. Soon you meet complaints from well meaning persons who object to robbing birds’ nests, and you reply that you are collecting for scientific purposes. Very good; science has need of you all, but do you know what scientific ornithology—real ornithology—is ? Are you not influenced to some extent at least by “Odlogical” maga- zines and dealers” price-lists of eggs, from which you learn that it is = DESTRUCTION AND PROTECTION OF OUR BIRDS. 19 important to secure series of sets—which means hundreds and thou- sands of eggs—and wherein you also learn the market price of this or that egg, and value your specimens accordingly—just as you do your postage stamps. This is not science, and the men who advocate this sort of collecting and who have the largest collections of eggs rarely contribute anything to our knowledge of birds and are not advancing the science of ornithology. If you must have a collection, a few sets of eggs (often a single set) of each species of bird will answer all your purposes. ‘There is nothing to be gained by the collecting of a series, except the extermina- tion of the birds, which is surely not your object. On the other hand, there is a vast amount of bird work that you can do to help the science of ornithology and gain a reputation for yourself. There are hundreds of facts regarding the distribution of birds, their habits, etc., which are still unknown, and you should make it your aim to become an authority on the birds of your region, and keep records of all your observations as to migration, habits, abundance, etc. You will find ample opportunity for work, as every year will bring to hght new facts, and the more you contribute to our knowledge of the birds the more you will see what an insignificant matter the formation of an egg collection is in comparison with real ornithology. In the case of birds, it is justifiable to shoot specimens which are new to you for purposes of identification, but you should make the best use of the bird before you kill it, so that it will not be necessary to shoot more of the same kind in order to tell what they are. Your aim should be to learn to recognize birds at sight and by their notes, and you will find you will learn more of value by a study of the living bird than by collecting skins. The exact knowledge that we now possess of the coloration, etc., of North American birds and the large collections available for study in the museums render it entirely unnecessary for every bird student to form a collection. Those who undertake any special line of study will soon learn what specimens are required and collect accordingly, instead of amassing a large number of specimens with no particular object in view. These suggestions are not made with a fault finding or sentimental feeling, but in a friendly spirit for the purpose of counteracting the effect of the advice of egg dealers and traders, who seem bent upon developing our budding students into “eggers” instead of ornithol- ogists. _20 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. We have all killed birds and collected eggs, but not to a useless excess, and have always, we believe, made real use of our collections in adding to the knowledge of birds and advancing the science of ornithology. As active members of the American Ornithologists’ Union we are only too glad to encourage the study of birds and aid the beginner, but unless some steps be taken against this useless egg collecting the extermination of some of our birds at least will soon be effected. We ask your earnest consideration of these points and trust you will aid us by your influence and example in advancing true ornithol- ogy and in discouraging the waste of bird-life occasioned by this “fad” of egg collecting. WITMER STONH, Conservator Ornithological Section Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. J. A. ALLEN, Curator Dept. Vertebrate Zool. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York City. FRANK M. CHAPMAN, Ass’t Curator Dept. Vertebrate Zool. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York. ROBERT RIDGWAY, Curator Dept. of Birds, U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. CHARLES W. RICHMOND, Ass’t Curator Dept. of Birds, U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. C. HART MERRIAM, Chief U. S. Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. T. S. PALMER, Ass’t Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. A. Kk. FISHER, Ass’t Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. WILLIAM BREWSTER, Curator Dept. of Birds, Museum Comp. Zool., Cambridge, Mass. WILLIAM DUTCHER, President National Asso. of Audubon Societies, New York City. JOHN H. SAGH, Secretary American Ornithologists’ Union, Portland, Conn. DESTRUCTION AND PROTECTION OF OUR BIRDS. 21 Movements for Bird Protection—The State Legislature has from time to time passed laws protecting the insectivorous birds and regu- lating gunning. Scarcely a session passes but that some measure, frequently a retrograde one, is introduced, and it behooves all who are interested in birds to pay careful attention to the action of the Legislature and use their influence for or against the bills according to their merit. The Biological Survey of the United States Department of Agri- culture has distributed a vast number of publications by experts of its staff on the food habits and value of birds. It also maintains a department of game preservation, under Dr. T. 8. Palmer, who keeps track of all state legislation and co-operates with local bodies by fur- nishing advice and assistance in securing good laws. Some twenty years ago there began to be organized State Audubon societies for the protection of birds, their activities being chiefly in the discouragement of the wearing of birds in millinery, the encour- agement of bird study in the schools, and in advocating protective legislation. Later there was established in New York City the National Association of Audubon Societies, under the presidency of Mr. William Dutcher, which establishes active bird protection, dis- tributes literature and information, etc., in all parts of the country. The remaining gull colonies on the New Jersey coast are under the care of the wardens of this association. The main hope for adequate bird protection hes in educating the public, especially the children, up to a proper realization of the importance of birds to humanity. New Jersey may well be proud of her record in the early days of bird and game protection, as in 1850 her Legislature passed the first State law protecting insectivorous birds, while in 1873, in incorpo- rating the West Jersey Game Protective Association, she made the first provision for non-resident licenses. Let us hope that our State may be among the first to awaken to the need of still more exacting laws which the rapid decrease of game demands. The Value of Birds——The food habits and value of most of our birds are given under the various species or families in the following pages, but we shall summarize the more important facts here for easy reference, taking our data from the publications of the United States Department of Agriculture. Hawks and Owls.—With the exception of a few species, such as the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Goshawk and Great Horned 22 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Owl, these birds feed almost exclusively on mice and grasshoppers and are of great economic importance. Cuckoos.—Entirely beneficial, especially noteworthy as destroyers of caterpillars. Woodpeckers.—Almost entirely beneficial, food consisting of insects of various kinds, mainly wood-borers, but in the case of the Flicker largely ground insects, including the notorious Chinch Bug. The Red-headed Woodpecker very rarely takes fruit and berries, and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sometimes injures trees by girdling them with holes, but such damage is easily overbalanced by the good they do. Nighthawks, Swifts, Flycatchers, Swallows, Vireos, Warblers, Wrens, Titmice, Nuthatches and Kinglets are almost or entirely in- sectivorous, and never do damage of any kind. The benefit to the farmer that these birds render in the destruction of noxious insects is incalculable. Native Sparrows and Finches, Orioles, Thrashers, Thrushes, Blue- birds.and Meadow Larks, while not wholly insectivorous, limit their vegetable diet to wild berries and fruits and seeds of weeds and grass, so that they are wholly beneficial. Crows, Blackbirds, Robins and Catbirds are the species usually denounced by farmers, and often with just cause, but we must not forget the fact that the damage these birds do to grain or fruit is limited to a very small part of the year, while during the other months they are beneficial for the most part. Devices for driving them away from crops or planting wild fruit trees for their use, as explained under the several species in the following pages, is far wiser than extermination. ; Kingfishers, Herons and Fish-hawks are often condemned by owners of fish ponds but the damage they do is very slight, and, as Mr. F. M. Chapman says, “The value of birds to man cannot be expressed in dollars and cents. The Kingfisher is far too interesting and char- acteristic a feature of our ponds, lakes and’ waterways to be extermin- ated. Admitting that certain individuals of the species are injurious, it does not follow that the whole race should be condemned.” The following pamphlets should be consulted by all interested in the preservation of our birds: Educational Leaflets. Issued by the National Association of Au- dubon Societies, 141 Broadway, N. Y. How Birds Affect the Orchard. F. E. L. Beal, U. S. Dept. Agricul- ture Year-book, 1900. DESTRUCTION AND PROTECTION OF OUR BIRDS. 23 Hawks and Owls as Related to the Farmer. U. 8. Dept. of Agri- culture Year-book, 1894. The Common Crow of the U.S. Bull. No. 6, U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Orinth. and Mam., 1895. Also numerous other pamphlets issued by the Department of Agri- culture on food of various common birds. Bird Day in the Schools—The cultivation of an interest in bird protection in our schools cannot be too strongly encouraged. Therein probably lies our hope of success in our efforts at bird protection in the future. Some States have regularly established bird days, some suggest the combination of bird-day and arbor-day exercises. Whether any spe- cial day has been set aside or not teachers can easily provide for some observance of the kind during spring, when the attention of the scholars can be concentrated upon birds and their value. Essays on common birds may be read, drawings of birds copied, songs about birds sung, and possibly an illustrated lecture may be delivered before the school. The Audubon societies have literature to distribute and sometimes have traveling libraries, lantern slides or specimens that may be obtained. Detailed suggestions may be had from Miss Julia 8S. Scrib- ner, Secretary New Jersey Audubon Society, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, or Mr. William Dutcher, President National Association of Audubon Societies, 141 Broadway, New York City. Teachers will find F. M. Chapman’s “Bird Life,” teachers’ edition, a helpful book, while “Bird Lore,” a bi-monthly magazine, the official organ of the Audubon societies, is indispensable. Those more seriously interested in the ornithology of the State should obtain “Cassinia,” an annual devoted to the Ornithology of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, which gives a yearly summary of the results of bird study in these States.2 As further aids to local bird study may be mentioned the collection of the State Museum at Trenton, so admir- ably arranged by Prof. S. R. Morse, and the local collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, both of which are open to the public. Specimens of birds sent to Mr. Witmer Stone, care of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, will be identified and queries answered so far as possible. *MacMillan Co., Harrisburg, Penna. One dollar per year. * Published by the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, care Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Phila. Fifty cents per copy. BC ae ee, y , Be le Aide cog - he i . ; viet Hater ot sci | pees e pig By “i Te Wey if eel ayy M4 Ce | is pay” , bya. ane reece By ete me Rata isset aon ah it Morse by eld +hi8 Ws ‘SVirtal eae Ve ee ed oe Waueyy er ve? w) et ity ile 7 ny yt 4 haa ch ae : ore Bi LEP yee ae 7 7 2 Say a i Haar The } a) i / a eT nd hea). ee vet Ae 5 my) Ti AS ers OL Cat aah Ab heey y . ye By y a Ahi eA ted tr dl) en RR cee Rat & th Dehey eeyite ” hes 3 uk Ale ia Uae A Aare’ bead Pe ge PERE Lae ED (i { rial FU AW mas hy at at Lie ‘ dg ths fs Tah Lay te ep aT , ” py ors ‘Wor Hy ; Voorn { we Up eve iA a o Py Ditncml triga he at Lay err SAY) Ti how! 4 RA Sy rary * ae Sit ie 3 j i ° - sey t c< / 1 , ; * i Ses ad iy +. Wety . s Bi, Mihee at ' fie vise in Siaiiet .. Oth Psi 1, 4 hes 5 - Hee Pile ra Be bites Sie. HEP Gf vreeat ey! Sa lhiay ee 2 EO ory We tae at ae TAME Nisha ect eern ie Dh ad bing ta is) ’ A ) ; , Pasties Ba Lita AE Re bel sh tel Ce EVE MRR ieee ap Ae Ades Rg ee Pees A We A) eh RRS A Cu RAN an Ck Suita hee Odea aN Merri mye te iat Ay Sage ae re fiirese hes ak eR Ep Gorka ren 9 Sey brid ho LAC eas hee ES yin PO wee Thee yd ARE Hl ttle, Sha He GN, oui cyn ches“ gliNane Gunetd ARUAD EHR Sei le RR en a AT ITE ‘ati’ Ye te ri el RS baceee ey bay th ea trea mae fs Ty, Bis ad at be ee Lhe eh 4 at a, KS te ; ripe: Sob ok * 4 ; , ; i eta h AUR Oe! EGR ee rAd Me ai ‘ aie aaa Diy Fi, LTD: or] “wit Me arco ete ody “ps re . sry ! " ‘ . Ae Mango ds VARS) hate hitat aee Tike Pp D res ee irae typ Nid A riete rt NEA tae Yee Aster. Root eee NEE set net aes Bang ick ‘ apts y,. Distribution and Migration. All birds are at home during the breeding season, which usually covers the latter part of spring and early summer. At other times of year they wander more or less from this breeding area. In some species this wandering or migration is irregular, varying in extent in different seasons according to the scarcity or abundance of the food- supply. In others it has become a definite movement southward in autumn and northward in spring, the apparent result of an hereditary tendency, which may have been acquired at the time when our present seasonal climatic changes originated. Some of these migrations extend over thousands of miles, so that certain of our summer birds of the Northern United States pass the winter in the tropics of South America, while some of the Plover and Sandpipers which breed within the Arctic circle winter in the Argentine Republic or Chili. The movements of the migrating birds are often very regular from year to year, so that it is possible to predict within a few days when a given species of bird will arrive—at least, when the bulk or normal flight will arrive. There are, of course, occasional stragglers which come exceptionally early. Thé way in which birds perform their extended migrations is a matter of great interest, and one concerning which we have still much to learn. We know that there are two classes of migrants, (1) those that fly by day, and (2) those that fly by night. The former comprise most of the birds which habitually associate in compact flocks, such as Doves, Horned Larks, Crows, Jays, Grackles, Blackbirds, Cedarbirds, Titlarks, Robins and Bluebirds; also, Hawks, Swallows, Swifts, Night Hawks and Hummingbirds. The night migrants comprise all our more delicate woodland birds, Thrushes, Warblers, Vireos, Tanagers, Wrens, etc., as well as Rail, Woodcock, Bittern and some Snipe. It is probable that all birds have a remarkably developed sense of direction, such as we see in the Carrier Pigeon, which enables them to retrace a route over which they have once passed. Then, too, the prominent features of the landscape may serve as a guide to the (25) 26 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. migrants in shaping their course, for it is well known that mountains and river valleys stand out distinctly on moonlit nights, and it is on clear nights only that birds migrate. Night migrants flock together during the flight, forming an im- mense scattering host of various species, which keep within hearing of one another, if not within sight. It is possible to hear the chirping of the passing birds on a quiet night, and they may be seen by the aid of a telescope directed toward the full moon. Professor Cooke has recently shown that many birds have as definite winter homes as they have summer ranges, and furthermore, that species which are closely associated during the breeding season may betake themselves to very different regions in winter. For example, the Black-throated Blue Warbler winters in some of the West Indies, passing southeastward through Florida and the Bahamas, while the Black-throated Green Warbler, which has nearly the same breeding range, travels southwestward to Central America for the winter, being ~ practically an unknown species in Florida and the West Indies. From the standpoint of any single locality, we may divide our birds into several classes, according to their habits of migration, viz.: (1) Residents.—Birds that are with us throughout the year. (2) Summer Residents—Birds that nest with us, arriving from the South in the spring and returning in the autumn. (3) Winter Visitants—Birds which nest to the north of us, but come to our neighborhood to pass the winter, returning in the spring. (4) Transients—Birds which nest to the north of us and winter to the south, passing through our territory in the spring and fall. (5) Accidental or Irregular Stragglers, which do not normally occur in our district. It is obvious that some birds may belong to two classes, as, for instance, such species as breed with us, but winter just a little farther to the south. Some individuals of these may occasionally remain with us for the winter, and thus become Residents, while the bulk of the species are Summer Residents. The Robin is a good example. It is also obvious that in a State with such a long extent north and south as New Jersey possesses, some birds may breed in the northern counties, but not in the south, and vice versa. The birds of New Jersey may be grouped as follows: DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION. a7 Bob White. Ruffed Grouse. Turkey Vulture.t Marsh Hawk. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Cooper’s Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. Broad-winged Hawk. Duck Hawk.7+ Bald Eagle. Sparrow Hawk. Barn Owl.t Long-eared Owl. Short-eared Owl. Barred Owl. Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Hairy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpecker. Flicker. Pied-billed Grebe.t Laughing Gull.t Common Tern.= Black Duck. Wood Duck. Bittern. Least Bittern. Great Blue Heron.t Green Heron. Black-crowned Night Heron.* King Rail.* Clapper Rail. Virginia Rail.* Sora.7 Black Rail. Florida Gallinule. Coot.7 Woodcock.* Wilson’s Snipe.*7 Upland Plover. _ Spotted Sandpiper. * iff os a RESIDENTS. Blue Jay. Crow. Fish Crow. Raven. Starling. Meadow Lark. - House Sparrow. Purple Finch. Goldfinch. Song Sparrow. Swamp Sparrow. Cardinal. Cedar Waxwing. Carolina Wren. White-breasted Nuthatch. Tufted Titmouse. Black-capped Chickadee.} Carolina Chickadee.t Robin. Bluebird. SUMMER RESIDENTS. Ixilldeer.* Dove.* Osprey. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Black-billed Cuckoo. IKXingfisher.* Red-headed Woodpecker.* Whip-poor-will. Nighthawk. Chimney Swift. Hummingbird. Kingbird. Great-crested Flycatcher. Phoebe.* Wood Pewee. Acadian Flycatcher. Least Flycatcher.7 Alder Flycatcher.7 Bobolink.7 Cowbird.* Red-winged Blackbird.* Winter occasionally in the southern counties. + Breed only (or chiefly) in the northern counties. Breed only in the southern counties. 28 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Orchard Oriole. Baltimore Oriole. Purple Grackle.* Vesper Sparrow.* Savanna Sparrow*} Grasshopper Sparrow. Henslow’s Sparrow. Sharp-tailed Sparrow.* Seaside Sparrow. Chipping Sparrow.* Field Sparrow.* Towhee.* Rose-breasted Grosbeak.} Indigo Bunting. Dickcissel. Scarlet Tanager. Purple Martin. Cliff Swallow. Barn Swallow. Tree Swallow.* Bank Swallow. Rough-winged Swallow. Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireo. Yellow-throated Vireo. Solitary Vireo.7 White-eyed Vireo. Holboell’s Grebe. Horned Grebe. Loon. Red-throated Loon. Razor-billed Auk. Brunnich’s Murre. Dovekie. Kittiwake Gull. Glaucous Gull. Black-backed Gull. Herring Gull. Ring-billed Gull. Merganser. Green-winged Teal. Golden-eye Duck. Bufflehead. Old Squaw. Black and White Warbler. Worm-eating Warbler. Blue-winged Warbler. Golden-winged Warbler.7 Nashville Warbler.7 Parula Warbler. Yellow Warbler. Chestnut-sided Warbler.7 Black-throated Green Warbler.7 Pine Warbler.* Prairie Warbler.z Ovenbird. souisiana Water Thrush. Kkentucky Warbler. Maryland Yellow-throat. Yellow-breasted Chat. Hooded Warbler. Redstart. Catbird.* Brown Thrasher.* Mockingbird.* House Wren.* Short-billed Marsh Wren.*7 Long-billed Marsh Wren.* Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.= Wood Thrush. Veery.7 WINTER VISITANTS. King Hider. Scoter. White-winged Scoter. Surf Scoter. Purple Sandpiper. Rough-legged Hawk. Saw-whet Owl. Horned Lark. Prairie Horned. Lark. Red Crossbill. Redpoll. Pine Siskin. Snow Bunting. Lapland Longspur. Ipswich Sparrow. White-throated Sparrow. Tree Sparrow. * Winter occasionally in the southern counties. ante => Breed only (or chiefly) in the northern counties. Breed only in the southern counties. DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION. Junco. Northern Shrike. Myrtle Warbler. Winter Wren. Pied-bill Grebe. Pomarine Jaeger. Parasitic Jaeger. Long-tailed Jaeger. Bonaparte’s Gull. Cory’s Shearwater. Leach’s Petrel. Gannet. Double-crested Cormorant. Red-breasted Merganser.7 Hooded Merganser. Mallard. Widgeon. Blue-winged Teal. Pintail. Redhead. Scaup Duck. Lesser Scaup Duck. Ruddy Duck. Snow Goose. Canada Goose. Brant. Red Phalarope. Northern Phalarope. Dowitcher. Long-billed Dowitcher. Stilt Sandpiper. Knot. Pectoral Sandpiper. White-rumped Sandpiper. Least Sandpiper. Red-backed Sandpiper.* Semipalmated Sandpiper. Western Sandpiper. Sanderling. Greater Yellowlegs. Lesser Yellowlegs. Volitary Sandpiper. Brown Creeper. Red-bellied Nuthatch. Golden-crowned Kinglet. TRANSIENT VISITANTS. Willet. Hudsonian Curlew. Black-bellied Plover. Golden Plover. Semipalmated Plover. Turnstone. Pigeon Hawk.* Yellow-bellied Woodpecker.* Olive-sided Flycatcher. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Rusty Blackbird.* Bronzed Grackle. Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow. White-crowned Sparrow. Lincoln’s Sparrow. Fox Sparrow.* Philadelphia Vireo. Tennessee Warbler. Cape May Warbler. Black-throated Blue Warbler. Bay-breasted Warbler. Black-poll Warbler. Blackburnian Warbler. Palm Warbler. Yellow Palm Warbler.* AX Water Thrush. 29 wre LIBRARY er Ky! Me Connecticut Warbler. im [ Mourning Warbler. ; oT Wilson’s Warbler. Pend Canada Warbler. Vo \ Titlark.* Ruby-crowned Kinglet. id y. ws Gray-cheeked Thrush. Bicknell’s Thrush. Olive-backed Thrush. Hermit Thrush.* * Occasionally remain all winter in the southern counties. + Ducks vary according to whether the waters of bays and ponds freeze over. Many of them may be winter residents in some seasons. 30 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. TRREGULAR OR ACCIDENTAL VISITANTS. Gull-billed Tern.7 Royal Tern. Caspian Tern. Roseate Tern.} Forster’s Tern.} Sooty Tern. Least Tern.7 Black Skimmer.; Greater Shearwater. Audubon’s Shearwater. Sooty Shearwater. Wilson’s Petrel.* Brown Pelican. White Ibis. Glossy Ibis. American Egret.7 Little Blue Heron.} Snowy Egret.7 Puffin. Black Guillemot. Fulmar. Cormorant. Harlequin Duck. Hider Duck. Goshawk. (a) From the south in summer. Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Purple Gallinule. Wilson’s Plover.7 Piping Plover.7 Oystereatcher.7 Black-necked Stilt.7 Ground Dove. Black Vulture. Swallow-tailed Kite. Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Red-bellied Woodpecker.7 Pileated Woodpecker.+ Blue Grosbeak.7} Summer Tanager.7. Prothonotary Warbler. Cerulean Warbler. Yellow-throated Warbler. Brown-headed Nuthatch. (6) From the north in winter. Hawk Owl. Snowy Owl. Evening Grosbeak. Pine Grosbeak. White-winged Crossbill. Greater Redpoll. Bohemian Waxwing. (c) Transients of irregular occurrence. Black Tern. Gadwall. Shoveler. Canvasback. Ring-necked Duck. Blue Goose. White-fronted Goose. Black Brant. Whistling Swan. Wilson’s Phalarope. * Petrels and Shearwaters are regular summer visitors but do not nest here. American Avyocet.= Marbled Godwit. Hudsonian Godwit. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Baird’s Sandpiper. Long-billed Curlew.z Golden Hagle. Migrant Shrike. Orange-crowned Warbler. Grinnell’s Water Thrush. 7 Formerly bred in southern New Jersey. x Formerly nested in New Jersey, although in the case of the Curlew the record may be open to question. DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION. 31 (d) Accidental stragglers. From Hurope. From the West. Huropean Widgeon. White Pelican. European Green-winged Teal. Arkansas Kingbird. Corn Crake. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. European Woodcock. Lark Sparrow. Curlew Sandpiper. Varied Thrush. Ruff. (e) Species apparently extinct in the State. Eskimo Curlew. Pinnated Grouse.* Whooping Crane.* Wild Turkey.* Passenger Pigeon.* Birds are limited in their distribution during the breeding season by the various isotherms which divide the country into several dis- tinct life zones. These do not run like the parallels of latitude, but are bent and irregular according to the elevation of the country. A mountain chain brings a cool climate with boreal birds and plants far southward, while a low open river valley carries southern species and a mild climate northward. In New Jersey the southernhalf of the State from Trenton to the Raritan and lower Hudson valley belongs to the Carolinian Zone— a belt characterized by the presence of such birds as the Cardinal, Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren and Acadian Flycatcher. North of this we have the Alleghanian Zone in which we find as breeding birds the Veery, Least Flycatcher, Redstart, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Bobolink. The boundary is not sharply drawn and some of the Carolinian species here and there press a litile farther north and the Alleghanian species a little south- ward. In the immediate vicinity of the Delaware river indeed some Carolinian species extend as far as the northern boundary of New Jersey. The Canadian Zone which covers much of the northern United States extending southward to the summits of the Adirondacks, Catskills and the Alleghanies to North Carolina, is probably not * Formerly nested in New Jersey, although in the case of the Crane the record may be open to question. 32 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. . represented in New Jersey bird life or at least very slightly. The presence of the Brown Creeper and Solitary Vireo as breeding birds in Sussex county is the only evidence, but our knowledge of the birds of northwestern New Jersey is so very meagre that there may be other. Canadian species breeding there—such would be the Junco, Hermit Thrush, various Warblers, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Winter Wren.* The species mentioned in these groups are only the more char- acteristic ones. The detailed distribution of all will be found in the systematic portion of the report. Other conditions affect the distribution of birds besides temperature. Many species are strictly pelagic—never seen away from the ocean unless driven in by storms; others are birds of the sea beach; others— notably the Seaside and Sharp-tailed Sparrows and the Clapper Rail —are birds of the salt meadows. The great pine-barren wilderness, with its pecuhar conditions of soil and its strikingly different vegetation, furnishes favorable condi- tions for certain species which are rare elsewhere, as the Pine, Prairie, Hooded and Parula Warblers, while many other species—and southern ones, too—are entirely absent, notably the Worm-eating, Kentucky and Blue-winged Warblers. The dates of arrival and departure are given under each species, but from the fact that some species are partly resident and the migratory movement is somewhat straggling, it is difficult to select one date that may be said to represent the “date of arrival.” The first individual may be a straggler which wintered far north of the bulk of his kind, and to take his date of arrival would be misleading. Where we have a large number of observers as about Philadelphia, I have adopted the plan of selecting the date when a species had arrived at a majority of the observation stations.? This eliminates early stragglers, and might be said to be the date of the first bulk movement. 1A trip taken June 4th—11th, 1909, by Messrs. S. N. Rhoads, Wm. L. Baily and Dr. Wm. E. Hughes to northern Passaic and Sussex counties showed none of these species present. The Canada, Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blue Warblers were the only birds of Canadian tendencies noted even in most _ favorable spots, while several Carolinian species occurred, notably in the Wall- kill Valley, but also at Greenwood Lake. It therefore seems that the Canadian element in the New Jersey bird fauna must be regarded as slight and sporadic. 2 See for details Cassinia, 1904-1908, and especially Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1908, pp. 128-156. DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION. 33 An average of the dates thus obtained during the past six years gives us the following spring migration schedule of the commoner species for the vicinity of Philadelphia, and it is not probable that New Jersey dates vary from these more than a day or two, even in the extreme northern and southern sections of the State. March 2. Bluebird. May 2. Veery. 3. Purple Grackle. 8. Yellow-throated Vireo. 4. Robin. White-eyed Vireo. 8. Fox Sparrow. Water Thrush. Meadow Lark. Kedstart. 10. Red-winged Blackbird. Black-throated Green 18. Flicker. Warbler. 14. Killdeer. 4. Kingbird. 19. Field Sparrow. Great-crested Flycatcher. 21. Phoebe. Parula Warbler. 25. Cowbird. Black-throated Blue 29. Chipping Sparrow. Warbler. 30. Vesper Sparrow. 5. Baltimore Oriole. April 10. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. CUrchard Oriole. 12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Yellow-breasted Chat. 13. Hermit Thrush. 6. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 17. Yellow Palm Warbler. Scarlet Tanager. 19. Towhee. Red-eyed Vireo. Bank Swallow. Warbling Vireo. Rough-winged Swallow. Blue-winged Warbler. 22. Tree Swallow. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Chimney Swift. lventucky Warbler. .23. Barn Swallow. 7. Indigo Bunting. 24. Myrtle Warbler. Magnolia Warbler. Brown Thrasher. Olive-backed Thrush. 25. Spotted Sandpiper. 8. Bobolink. 26. Black anu White War- 9. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. bler. Hummingbird. 27. House Wren. Wood Pewee. 28. Grasshopper Sparrow. Worm-eating Warbler. Maryland Yellow-throat. 10. Blackburnian Warbler. 29. Solitary Vireo. 11. Black-billed Cuckoo. Catbird. Nighthawk. 30. Yellow Warbler. Black-poll Warbler. Ovenbird. 12. Canada Warbler. Wood Thrush. Gray-cheeked Thrush. The Birds of New Jersey. Birds constitute a distinct class of vertebrate or back-boned animals, but are more closely related to the reptiles than they are to the mam- mals. They are distinguished from all other animals by their covering of feathers. Birds, furthermore, are especially adapted for flight, the forelimbs being modified into wings, which are composed mainly of the long, stiff “quill feathers’ known as remiges, those attached to the “hand” portion of the wing being the primaries and those attached to the forearm being the secondaries, while the several innermost ones, often differently colored from the others, are the tertials. The bird’s foot is also curiously modified. The heel is elevated, and is usually held up near the body, while the long section between it and the toes, which is covered with horny plates or scales (rarely feathers), is known as the tarsus, and corresponds to the “instep” of a man’s foot. The feet are webbed, elongated, etc., according to the various methods of progression. The bird’s jaws are encased in horny sheaths forming the bill, which exhibits great diversity of shape and structure according to the varying food habits of the different species. Birds are hatched from eggs which are laid in nests especially pre- pared for their reception, and are incubated by the parents, the female performing the greater part of this labor. Existing birds comprise two main groups—the Ostriches and their allies on the one hand, and all other birds on the other. The latter are variously subdivided, the groups represented in New Jersey being distinguished in the following key, which is to be used as the first step in identifying an unknown bird, the page references taking one on to the various family-keys contained in the main text. (35) " "36 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. KEY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF NEW JERSEY BIRDS. All terms are explained in the Glossary at the end of the volume. All measure- ments are given in inches and hundredths expressed in decimal form. In the descrip- tions of species only such plumages are given as are worn during the period of the year at which the bird occurs in New Jersey. Nests and eggs are only described when the bird breeds or formerly bred in the State. a. Hind toe connected with the inner toe by a web. STEGANOPODES, p. 70 aa. Hind toe not connected by a web (sometimes entirely absent). b. Nostrils tubular. TUBINARES, Petrels, p. 66 bb. Nostrils not tubular. c. Edges of the bill with a series of teeth or lamelle. ANSERES, Ducks, etc., p. 74 ce. Edges of bill not fringed with lamelle. d. Forward toes conspicuously flat and lobed on the side; claws also flat. COLYMBID#, Grebes, p. 38 dd. Toes and Claws not flat. e. Three forward toes webbed to the tips. f. No hind toe. ALCID#, Auks, etc, p. 43 ff. Hind toe present. g. Bill with upper mandible rounded or curved at tip. LARIN®A, Gulls, and STERCORARIID#, Skuas, pp. 49 and 47 gg. Bill sharp pointed. h. Tarsus conspicuously compressed. GAVIID&, Loons, p. 41 hh. Tarsus not flat. STERNIN#, Terns, p. 50 ggg. Bill compressed, knife like; upper mandible shorter than lower. RYNCHOPID#, Skimmer, p. 65 ee. Forward toes not fully webbed. f. Lower part of thigh naked. g. Hind toe well developed and on a level with the others. h. Lores or eye region naked. ARDEID#&, Herons, etc., p. hh. Lores and eye region feathered. 98 RALLID#, Rails, ete, p. 109 gg. Hind toe small and elevated above the others. h. Lores and eye region naked. GRus, Cranes, p. 108 hh. Lores and eye region feathered. i. Middle toe and claw nearly equal to tarsus. RALLID#&, Rails, etc., p. 109 ui. Middle toe and claw distinctly shorter than tarsus. j. Tarsus over 3.50. RECURVIROSTRID#, Stilts and Avocets, p. 120 jj. Tarsus under 3.50. k. Sides of toes with lobes. PHALAROPID#, Phalaropes, p. 117 kk. Sides of toes without lobes. SCOLOPACID#, Snipe, p. 122 ggg. No hind toe. h. Bill under 2. CHARADIID#, Plovers (also ARENARIA, p. 147), p. 142 hh. Billov r2. H#MATOPODID#, Oyster-catchers, p. 148 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 37 ff. Lower part of thigh fully feathered. g. Bill strongly hooked. RAPTORES, Hawks, Owls, etc., p. 156 gg. Bill not strongly hooked. h. Hind toe small and elevated. GALLIN&, Grouse and Quail, p. 149 hh. Hind toe well developed and on a level with the others. i. A soft cere at base of bill. COLUMB#&, Pigeons, p. 153 ui. No cere. k. Length not over 3.75; bill .60-.70. ARCHILOCHUS, Hummingbird, p. 188 k, Size much larger or bill relatively much shorter. l. Tail feathers with projecting spines ; bill very short; mouth wide. CHETURA, Swift, p. 187 ll. Tail feathers without spines. m. Middle toe nail serrate on side. CAPRIMULGID&, Whip-poor-will, ete., p. 185 mm. Toe nails not serrate. n. Middle and outer toes joined for over half their length. CERYLE, Kingfisher, p. 17 nn. ‘Toes not joined for half their length. o. Toes arranged two in front and two behind. p. Tail feathers very stiff and pointed. PicID&, Woodpeckers p. 178 pp. Tail feathers not pointed. coccyzus, Cuckoos, p. 176 oo. ‘Toes arranged three in front and one behind. PASSERES, Perching Birds, p. 189 ~I EXPLANATIONS. The nomenclature is that of the forthcoming third edition of the American Ornithologists’ Union Check List. Although the species are not to be num- bered in this work, I have added the numbers of the previous edition of the Check List at Mr. Morse’s request. Where two dates of arrival appear, the first is the average date of first ar- rival, that in parentheses the bulk arrival (see p. 32). Quotations from the works of Wilson and Audubon, Abbott’s List (1868), Turnbull’s (1869) and Thurber’s (1887) are usually not accompanied by page reference, but all other published records are accompanied by footnote references. Full titles of all publications on New Jersey birds will be found in the Bibliography on p. 317. W. S. 38 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Order PYGOPODES. Diving Birds. Family COLYMBID. THE GREBES, The Grebes are notable as divers, and owe their popular name of Hell-divers to their propensities in this line. Their feet are set well back, the toes broadly lobed (not connected by a web), and both toes and tarsus are exceedingly flat; the plumage is dense, soft and silky; wings short and rounded; tail absent—merely a few downy feathers like the rest of the plumage. Three species occur in the State: a. Bill slender, more than twice as long as deep, sharp pointed. b. Length, 18—20. HOLBOELL’S GREBE, p. 38 bb. Length, 12-15. HORNED GREBE, p. 39 aa. Bill stout, length less than twice the depth, upper mandible curved at tip. PIED-BILLED GREBE, p. 40 2 Colymbus holboelli (Reinhart). Holboell’s Grebe. Adults in spring—Length, 18-20. Wing, 7.30-8.10. Above, black; below, silky white; top of head, dull black; rest of head and back of neck, ash gray; neck rufous in front and on sides; secondaries, white. Adults in winter.—Similar, but lacking the gray and rufous. Rare winter visitant along the coast and bay shore, November to March; more frequent in migrations. The first record that I find of the occurrence of this species in the State is a specimen in the Philadelphia Academy collection, shot at Pemberton, N. J., in 1857, and procured in market by Dr. J. C. Cole- man. Beesley, Abbott and Turnbull each give it as rare, without any definite record. The following more recent captures have come to my notice: Delaware Bay; winter of 1877 or 1878. OC. A. Voelker. Atlantic City; found dead February 1st, 1883. Geo. S. Morris.* Delaware River, opposite Chester; October, 1891. Colla. W. Stone.’ Lower Delaware River; February, 1894. C. A. Voelker.* 1 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 38. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 39 Riverton; February 21st, 1894. John Reese." Delaware River, opposite Tinicum; April 7th, 1902. L. I. Smith.? Wildwood; April 1st, 1904. Wm. L. Baily. In addition to the inland record at Pemberton, there was one bird obtained at Marlton, April 4th, 1904, J. D. Carter. Mr. Scott took one at Princeton in 1879,* and the species is reported to have occurred rarely in Morris county by Mr. R. C. Casky. At Englewood, N. J., Mr. Geo. E. Hix,® has recorded the occurrence of a single bird on a pond on June 10th, where it was seen twice after- ward, disappearing between the 24th and 27th. Mr. H. H. Hann records a few shot on the Passaic river, near Summit.® 3 Colymbus auritus Linneus. Horned Grebe, Hell-Diver. PLATE 1. Adults in spring.—Length, 12.50-15. Wing, 5.75. Above, blackish; below, silky white, lower neck, breast and sides rufous; a dense tuft of ochraceous feathers on each side of the head, throat and sides of upper neck, black; sec- ondary wing feathers, white. Adults and young in winter.—Similar, but duller, and lacking the rufous breast and ochraceous plumes. A tolerably common winter resident on the coast and bay, rather plentiful in migrations, which seem to occur in late October and early November, and during March and April. We have numerous records in the vicinity of Philadelphia, April 7th to 29th. The latest New Jersey record that I have seen was May 3d. It occurs also regularly on the Delaware and other streams, and on ponds in the interior. This and the following are the birds popularly known among gun- ners as “Hell-divers,” and are to be seen swimming about, generally singly, with the body low in the water and the neck erect. They are good swimmers and still better divers, disappearing instantly at the discharge of a gun or other cause of alarm, DAbSt. roc. D: V.0: C., I1., p. 12: ? Cassinia, 1902, p. 43. 5 Cassinia, 1904, p. 54. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 34. 5 Auk, 1905, p. 407. ° Wilson Bull., 1905, p. 119. 40 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 6 Tachybaptus podiceps (Linnzus). Pied-billed Grebe. PLATE 2. Adults in spring and summer.—Length, 12-15. Wing, 4.50-5. Above, brown- ish black; silvery white below; indistinctly spotted with dusky and overlaid with buff tips; throat, black; bill, white, crossed by a black band. In winter.— Feathers tipped witu buff. Young in autumn and winter.—Similar, but without the black on the throat and bill, or the dusky spots below; breast, buff. Downy young.—Head and neck striped black and white, a rufous spot on the crown, another on the nape and one on each side of the head; back, black- ish, with four grayish-white stripes. Nest in shallow water, a heap of decaying leaves; eggs, four to eight, soiled white. 1.70x 1.18. Chiefly a migrant, occurring most abundantly from March 15th to April 20th, and in November; said to winter occasionally. This species is common on the ponds of the interior, and on the creeks and rivers, but seems to be rare on the sea coast. Beesley’ does not mention it as occurring on the Cape May coast, nor did Scott* observe it at Long Beach, while Laurent*® has met with it but twice on Five Mile Beach. It was reported to Mr. Rhoads as a regular breeder on Lake Hopat- cong,* and Thurber® gives it as a rather rare summer resident in Morris county, but states that he had never found a nest, nor had any nest been recorded from the State up to 1906. On May 30th of that year the Grebe was found nesting in the New- ark marshes, and during the season five nests were discovered by Messrs. Hann, Callender, H. F. Merriam, W. D. Miller and C. G. Abbott. Eggs were found as early as May 30th and as late as Au- gust 5th. On June 6th, 1908, Mr. R. C. Harlow found two nests in the same marshes, one with fresh eggs, the other with downy young. Geol. Cape May county, p. 145. ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 228. 3O. and O., 1892, p. 43. *Stone, Birds of HE. Pa. and N. J., p. 38. ° Birds of Morris county. True Dem. Banner, November 10th, 1887. °C. G. Abbott, Auk, 1907, pp. 1-11. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 41 Family GAVIID. THE LOoons. Diving and swimming birds allied to the Grebes, with flat com- pressed tarsus, but with toes connected by webs, as in the ducks. Wings relatively small and narrow, making it difficult for the bird to get started in flight; tail present, but short; bill powerful, sharp- pointed. We have but two species. a. Length, 28-36. Loon, p. 41 aa. Length, 24-27. E RED-THROATED LOON, p. 42 7 Gavia immer (Briinnich). Loon. PLATE 3. Adults in spring—Length, 28-386. Wing, 13-15. Above, black, with pur- plish gloss, speckled with square white spots; head and neck, black; fore neck, with a nearly complete collar and short jugular band, composed of white streaks; below, silvery white. Adults and young in winter.—Dull blackish above, unspotted, but edged with gray; throat and fore neck, white, like the rest of the under parts. Common transient along the coast and less frequent winter resident. On Long Beach, Scott? states that they are most abundant during April and early May, and October to November, and at Cape May Mr. Hand tells me that they are always more plentiful in spring, when they occur in flocks during late April and early May. In autumn he finds them more scattered and less concentrated in their migration, so that they seem less abundant. Probably the majority of the flocks stay well off shore during the migrations, as Mr. Chap- man* states that he observed a flock of fifty from a steamer while passing north off the coast of Delaware, May 9th, 1897. Mr. Hand’s latest date for Cape May is May 9th. Mr. Fowler® states that they occur frequently on the Delaware, between Philadelphia and Trenton, ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 228. ? Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., X., p. 2. 3 Cassinia, 1903, p. 45. 42 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. mostly in November. The report furnished to Mr. Rhoads that they bred on Lake Hopatcong has not been confirmed, though phay occur rarely both there and on Budd’s Lake in migrations.” Like the Grebes, the Loon is an expert diver, and will swim for long distances under water, or with only his head protruding. With us they are birds of the ocean and large bays, and only now and then a straggler, on his way to or from the northern lakes which form his home, is driven by storms to alight on some small pond or even on the ground. In the latter case he is in a sad predicament, as a Loon on land can only flounder along in a most ungainly fashion, falling forward upon his breast after every effort at progression, and darting his snake-like neck here and there with vicious lunges. 11 Gavia stellata (Pontoppidan). Red-throated Loon. Adults in spring.—Length, 24-27. Wing, 10—-11.50. Above, brownish-black, more or less speckled with white; head and neck, black above, streaked with white, a patch of rich chestnut on the fore neck ending in a point on the throat; under parts, white. Adults and young in winter.—Above, dull slate color speckled with white; below, white. This species occurs in practically the same way as the preceding, being most plentiful in migrations. It is apparently less common on the coast, but Mr. Fowler* states that on the upper Delaware it seems rather more plentiful than the larger species. Mr. Scott* states that he saw and took a number during April, 1877, while at Long Beach. Mr. I. N. DeHaven secured one at Atlantic City, November Sth, 1894,° which is the earliest coast record I have found, while one taken by Mr. Stanart on Grassy Sound,® June 15th, 1904, is the latest, and is, of course, unusual. In the Delaware, opposite League Island, Mr. Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 39. ? Thurber, Birds of Morris county. ° Cassinia, 1903, p. 45. * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 228. 5 Abst. Proc. D. V. ©. .C., II., p. 14. ® Burns, Wilson Bull., 1906, p. 25. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 43 Ernest Schluter saw a flock of ‘fifteen, October 20th, 1897, one of which he secured. The mention of Colymbus arcticus in Beesley’s Catalogue of Birds of Cape May County* undoubtedly refers to this species. Family ALCIDA. THE AUKS AND GUILLEMOTS. These birds are swimmers allied to the Gulls, and with similar webbed feet, although the small hind toe is entirely absent. They are pelagic, breeding in the far north, and coming southward, more or less casually, to New Jersey in winter. a. Inner claw much larger and more curved than the others; bill very much compressed, as high as long. PUFFIN, p. 43 aa. Inner claw not larger than the others; bill longer than high. b. Length, 9 inches or less. DovEKIE, p. 46 6b. Length, 12 inches or more. c. Nostrils not covered by feathers; length, 12—13.50 inches. BLACK GUILLEMOT, p. 44 ce. Nostrils covered by velvety feathers; length, 15-18 inches. d. Tail rounded, feathers not pointed. BruNNICH’S MurRE, p. 44 dd. Tail pointed, feathers pointed. RAZOR-BILLED AUK, p. 45 13 Fratercula arctica (Linnzus). Puffin. Adults—Length, 11.50-13. Wing, 6. Upper parts and fore neck, black; sides of head, gray or white; lower parts, white; bill, one inch high at base and about the same length, deeply grooved. ~ Turnbull says, “An extremely rare winter visitant along the coast,” while Warren’ states that a specimen in the possession of Mr. Joseph Krider was killed about 1876 on the Delaware River, near Chester. There is nothing more definite about its occurrence so far south, and there is but one recent record for Long Island. * Geology of Cape May county, 1857, p. 145. ? Birds of Pennsylvania, p. 9. 44 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 27 Cepphus grylle (Linnzus). Black Guillemot. Adults in spring.—Length, 12-13.50. Wing, 6.25-7. Entirely sooty black, except the wing-coverts, which are, for the most part, white (the greater ones with their basal half black); feet, bright red; bill, black. Adults in winter——Body plumage, white, except the back, which is black, broadly veiled with white; wings and tail as in summer. Young in first winter—Similar, but plumage above with much more black; wing-coverts and sides tipped with black. Very rare winter straggler from the north. Krider* records the capture of two specimens at Egg Harbor, and Cassin? includes New Jersey within the winter range of the species, while Turnbull says, “Occasionally migrates as far south as Cape May in winter.” These remarks are doubtless all based upon the same specimens. The only other record that we have is a single bird shot from a flock of Buftlehead Ducks on the Delaware, near Chester, December, 1898, and presented to the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club by Mr. Chas. A. Voelker.’ 31 Uria lomvia (Linnzus). Brunnich’s Murre. Adults in spring.—Length, 15-18. Wing, 7.50-8.50. Upper parts uniform, sooty black; secondary wing feathers tipped with white; neck in front rather browner than the back; rest of lower parts, white. Adults in winter.—Throat, fore neck and sides of head, white. Young in first winter—Similar, but sides of head dusky, and breast slightly mottled with dusky. Apparently a few occur every year off the coast in winter, and in some seasons they are rather plentiful. The earliest record that I can find is a specimen probably shot in New Jersey, procured in market at Philadelphia in 1840, and pre- served in the Academy of Natural Sciences. Other coast records are: 1 Field Notes, p. 84. ? Baird, Cassin & Lawrence, Birds of N. A., p. 912. 7 ZaN oti J BAY IDR AM (OL, (Oh, TUEIL Say ads THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 45 Abundant off Sandy Hook, December, 1863 (C. C. Abbott); several shot at Perth Amboy, January, 1890;' one shot on Great Bay, seven miles from Absecon, early in 1884 (W. J. Sherratt?), and another - Atlantic City, January, 1899 (Dr. J. F. Prendergast*). I have also heard of a number of other captures which must have related to this species. On the Delaware River it was reported by Mr. C. A. Voelker, in 1894,* to be of occasional occurrence, while on December 15th and 16th, 1897, several flocks of fifteen to twenty birds were seen near Beverly, N. J., by Mr. J. Harris Reed,® and several secured, while January 11th, 1901, another was killed opposite Byberry. In the interior Mr. Babson® records one taken at Princeton Novem- ber 25th, 1899, by C. F. Silvester, and another at Cranbury, in the same vicinity, December 16th, 1897. He also tells me of another on the reservoir at Orange, December 24th, 1899. It was formerly supposed that U. troile also occurred off our coast, and Mr. H. Bryant’ states, with some surprise, that Cassin considered the present species to be the only one found off the New Jersey coast. Subsequent experience seems to have confirmed his view. 32 Alca torda Linnzus. Razor-billed Auk. Adults in spring—Length, 15-18. Wing, 8-8.50. Plumage like that of Uria lomvia, but with a white line from the eye to the bill; bill, black, crossed by a white bar. Adults in winter.—Like winter plumage of Uria lomvia, but more white on the sides of the head. Young in first winter—Similar, but bill smaller without the grooves, and white bar. ~ Irregular winter visitant. Some are probably to be found off the coast every winter. Young birds so closely resemble the preceding species that they are constantly confused. 1J. K. L., Forest and Stream, January 15th, 1890, p. 511. 20. and O., 1884, p. 48. SADSt-oe roc! Ds Ve O: ©. LE. pel: *Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 40. 5 Auk, 1897, p. 202. ® Birds of Princeton, p. 34. * Proc. Bost. Soc., N. H., VIII., p. 142. oo REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. A specimen in the Academy of Natural Sciences, obtained in the Philadelphia market in 1856, was probably taken in New Jersey, and is the earliest record with which I am acquainted. Cassin, in 1858,? perhaps on the strength of this capture, includes New Jersey in its winter range. There is only one record for the Delaware, a specimen shot at Pennsgrove, November, 1891.? The other records that I have found are as follows: Long Beach; February 7th, 1878; one shot. W. E. D. Scott.? Cape May county (probably Five Mile Beach); January 20th, 1880. Dr. W. L. Abbott.4 Grassy Sound; February, 1891; three seen several times. P. Lau- rent.° Ocean City; January 10th, 1901; one shot. Mr. Schermerhorn.® Sea Isle City; January 23d, 1909; several seen; one shot by Thos. Mitchell; obtained by W. J. Fox." 34 Alle alle (Linnzus). Dovekie, Little Auk. Adults in spring.—Length, 7.25-9. Wing, 4.50. Above, black; head, neck and chest, sooty brown; rest of under parts and tips of secondaries, white; scapulars streaked with white. Adults in winter.—Similar, but throat and sides of neck white. Young in first winter.—Similar, but duller, with smaller bill. An irregular winter visitant along the coast, and occasionally up the bay. Breeds on the rocky Arctic coasts. The earliest New Jersey record is the one referred to by Ord in the ninth volume of the Ameri- can Ornithology, which “was killed at Great Egg Harbor in the month of December, 1811, and was sent to Wilson as a great curiosity.” Turnbull says it is shot occasionally at Egg Harbor and on the coast, and Krider (Field Notes) took two on the inlet at Atlantic City November, 1874, but there is no other definite record until 1879, 1 Birds of North America, p. 901. 2"Albst= roc) Dy ViacO.©..es sl: > Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 228. *Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. 5O. and O., 1892, p. 43. ® Cassinia, 1901, p. 46. *Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 47 when Scott states that he had procured many specimens during the past four winters at Long Beach.1 The winter of 1878-9 seems to have been a great season for these birds. Mr. C. A. Voelker took one at the mouth of the Schuylkill and four others in the Delaware, oppo- site Tinicum. Dr. W. L. Abbott shot one in Cape May county De- cember 17th,* another was taken at Atlantic City about the end of November,* and another was found in the woods near Camden in an exhausted condition early in December.* Since then there are but few records. One was shot at Pennsgrove, on the Delaware, in November, 1891; another at Cape May, Novem- ber, 1904 (H. W. Hand),*° while one was seen with other sea birds ten to twenty miles off Long Branch December 31st, 1904.7 A single bird was taken near West Creek, Ocean county, January 19th, 1909, by Joshua Parker.’ Order LONGIPENNES. Long-winged Swimmers. Family STERCORARIIDA. THE JAEGERS, The Jaegers differ from the Gulls mainly in their hooked upper mandible and in the presence of a sheath, which covers it at the base, overhanging the nostrils. These birds are parasitic in their habits, pursuing the smaller Gulls and compelling them to disgorge for their benefit the fish that they have swallowed. They are pelagic, and occur on the fishing banks off shore, breeding in the far north. * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 228. ?Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. ® Collins Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 236. *Trotter Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 236. 5 Voelker Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., I., p. 12. ®° Cassinia, 1905, p. 59. 7 Stackpole & Wiegman, Bird Lore, 1905, pp. 27, 28. 48 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. a. Length of bill, 1.45—1.75. POMARINE JAEGER, p. 48 aa. Length of bill, 1.10—1.30. b. Length of nasal shield greater than distance from its end to the tip of the upper mandible. PARASITIC JAEGER, p. 48 bb. Length of nasal shield less than distance from its end to the tip of the upper mandible. LONG-TAILED JAEGER, p. 49 36 Stercorarius pomarinus (Temminck). Pomarine Jaeger. Adults—Length, 20-23. Wing, 18.50-14. Above, dark slaty; wing feathers and tail, black; head, black; collar round the hind neck and whole side of neck white, tinged with buff or yellow; under parts, white, except abdomen and under tail-coverts, which are slaty gray; sometimes the whole breast is mot- tled with dusky, and the under tail-coverts with white. There is also a dusky phase in which the whole plumage is sooty gray. Young in first autumn are dark gray banded with buff. Apparently occurs well off shore, with more or less regularity, in spring and fall, very rarely coming in to the coast. Mr. Scott secured two on the bay at Long Beach, December, 1876," and another was shot on the Delaware, at Andalusia, October, 1898, by Mr. Chas. Vansciver.? Mr. W. L. Baily describes three birds seen at Ocean City, Novem- ber 9th, 1895, which were probably of this species. 37 Stercorarius parasiticus (Linnzus). Parasitic Jaeger. * Adults —Length, 16-21. Wing, 12—13.50. Similar in all plumages to the Pomarine Jaeger, but smaller and rather lighter colored; breast, dull gray, never mottled. Regular migrant off shore with the preceding. Mentioned by Turn- bull as of rare occurrence, but there is no definite New Jersey record until March, 1892, when Mr. J. F. Brown® examined one killed by 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 227. ? Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., III., p. 8. Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. Abst. Proc. Va ONC. we, peas THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 49 fishermen at Atlantic City. Subsequently Mr. C. A. Voelker reported one seen at Stone Harbor May 27th, 1901. Audubon, under date of “May, 1829, at Great Egg Harbour,” men- tions a Lestris [t. ¢., Jaeger] pursuing the Black-backed Gull, but it is not clear whether the incident occurred there or not, but from the date it seems impossible. 38 Stercorarius longicaudus Vieillot. Long-tailed Jaeger. Adults—Length, 20-23. Wing, 11.50-12.75. Similar to the light phase of the preceding, but with central tail feathers much more elongated (10-14) and proportions of bill different. (See key.) Apparently occurs with the other species off shore. Not yet re- ported on the coast. The only record of this species consists of two individuals seen by Mr. Chapman from a vessel, 80 miles off Barnegat,* May 6th, 1894. Family LARIDA. THE GULLS AND TERNS. Sea birds with webbed feet and strong wings. The differences be- tween the Gulls and Terns are not very pronounced, but in the New Jersey species the Gulls have the upper mandible curved or rounded at the tip, while in the Terns the bill is sharp pointed. Our Gulls, moreover, have a square tail, while the Terns have it more or less forked. Gulls average larger in size than the Terns, but the Caspian Tern exceeds many of the smaller Gulls. 1 Cassinia, 1901, p. 50. 2 Abst. Proc. Linn. Soca) N.wk pp. 4e: * Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 37. * Burns, Wilson Bull., 1905, p. 27. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 85 144 Aix sponsa (Linnzus). Wood Duck, Summer Duck. - PLATE 9. Adult male.—Length, 19-20. Wing, 9-9.50. Above, black or brownish-black ; feathers variously glossed and tipped with metallic blue and green; seconda- ries, tipped with white; outer edge of primaries toward their tips, silvery; head, crested metallic green and purple; a white stripe over the eye, another behind it; throat, white, running well up to the cheeks and back of the ear- coverts; breast, maroon-chestnut, spotted with triangular white spots; lower breast and abdomen, white; sides of body finely vermiculated with black and buff; under tail-coverts, dark brown, glossed with green, a maroon patch on each side at base of the tail, and a diagonal band of black and white across the shoulder. Adult female.—Length, 17-19. Dark brown above, somewhat glossed with metallic colors, but very much duller than the male; head, gray, glossed with green on thé crown; a white band all around the base of the bill, and a white spot before and behind the eye; throat, white, running up behind the ear- coverts; breast, dull brown, spotted with white and buff; abdomen, white. Nest in a hollow tree, composed of grass, leaves, etc., lined with down; eggs, eight to fifteen, pale buffy white, 2 x 1.50. Rare summer resident, and somewhat more plentiful transient. Formerly a common species, but rapidly reduced in numbers. Mr. R..T. Morris! records it in winter on the Hackensack marshes, and it has been reported by others as a winter resident, but it is cer- tainly rare at this season. Mr. Babson? says that four or five pairs breed along the Millstone River, near Princeton, where he observed them from February 28th to November 28th. Mr. W. L. Baily saw several at Spotswood November 23d, 1895. Two nests are mentioned by “B. B.,” one on the Passaic River and the other in Ocean county.® Mr. W. B. Crispin writes me that he found a nest containing sixteen eggs April 25th, 1908, in a natural cavity of a Black Gum tree, about forty feet up, in a wood containing a colony of Great Blue Herons, in Salem county. Mr. Stewardson Brown tells me of a duck’s nest that had been described to him, obviously of this species, found in a hollow tree near Blackwood, Camden county, in the spring of 1908. Alex. Wilson‘ describes a nest on the Tuckahoe River which he visited May 18th. 1Forest and Stream, 1888, p. 485. ? Birds of Princeton, p. 37. 70. and O., 1884, p. 3-4. * Amer. Orn., VIII., p. 97. 86 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 146 Marila americana (Eyton). Redhead. Adult male.—Length, 17-21. Wing, 8.50-9.25. Head and upper neck, en- tirely bright chestnut red; lower neck, breast and shoulders, black; back and sides narrowly vermiculated with black and white; upper tail-coverts, dusky; under surface, white; crissum, dusky; wings, gray; greater coverts lighter, some of them edged with black. Adult female.—Abovye, dull grayish-brown, brighter on head, neck and sides; breast, dusky; abdomen, white; brownish posteriorly; wings as in the male; chin, whitish. © Regular transient, and occasional in midwinter, but somewhat vari- able in its abundance. Rarely seen on the Delaware. Plentiful on Barnegat Bay (Justice), but not common at Cape May (Hand). Occurs from October to March. 147 Marila vallisneria (Wilson). Canvas-back. PLATE 10. Adult male—Length, 20-23. Wing, 8.75—-9.25. Similar to the Redhead, but top of head, lores and chin, dusky; back and sides very much whiter, and under surface grayer, due to scattered dusky specks and wavy lines; bill very dif- ferent; longer and sloping gradually from far up on the forehead. Adult female——Differs from female Redhead in lighter back; grayer under surface and darker crown. Bills differ as in males. Transient, but not common. Shot mainly on Barnegat Bay. Mr. W. W. Justice, Jr., took one there on November 14th, 1906; another was shot October 25th, 1907, at Manahawkin, and Dr. Braislin re- ports another January 25th, 1909. I have no recent records for the Delaware River, although in Wil- son’s time it was frequent from Burlington to Eagle Point. He also describes a wonderful congregation of these birds which assembled on Great Egg Harbor Bay when a vessel loaded with wheat was wrecked. Two hundred and forty were killed in one day, though the species had scarcely been seen there before. At Cape May Mr. Hand tells me that not more than two or three have been killed in his experience. 1Oldys, Auk, 1908, p. 80. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 87 148 Marila marila (Linneus). areater Scaup, Broadbill, Bluebill. Adult male.—Length, 18-20. Wing, 8.25-9. Entire head, neck, breast and fore part of back, as well as rump, wings, upper and lower tail-coverts and tail, black; head glossed above, and on the sides with green; throat with purple; scapulars and middle of back vermiculated with black and white; a white wing speculum; abdomen, white, vermiculated posteriorly and faintly on the sides with black. Adult female—Above, dull black; finely speckled with gray on middle of back, becoming reddish-brown on back, sides of neck and breast; a white area on side of head next to bill, involving forehead and chin; abdomen, white, be- coming brown on sides and dusky posteriorly; a white wing speculum. Abundant transient and winter resident; the most plentiful species on Barnegat Bay, where it remains so long as the water is open, re- turning when the ice disappears. Occasional on the Delaware and at Princeton. This species is so generally confused with the next that it is difficult to determine which is the more plentiful. According to Mr. Chapman,’ for the vicinity of New York; Mr. Scott,? for Long Beach, and Mr. Laurent,*® for Five Mile Beach region, this species is the more abundant one. Occurs from October to April 15th, while Mr. Scott has seen flocks as late as May Ist. 149 Marila affinis (Eyton). Lesser Scaup, Creek Broadbill. Adult male.—Length, 15-16.50. Wing, 7.50-8.25. Similar to the preceding, but head glossed with purple on top, and with sides of the body strongly vermic- ulated with black and white like the back. Adult female.—Differs only in size from female Greater Scaup. Common transient or winter visitant. Occurs at the same time and in the same way as the preceding, though probably not so plentiful. Usually confused with it. 1 Birds Vicinity N. Y., p. 33. SPINS OC: 1819s. p. 226: 30. and O., 1892, p. 44. 88 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 150 Marila collaris (Donovon). Ring-necked Duck. Adult male.—Length, 15.50-18. Wing, 8-8.50. Upper surface, black; head, neck and fore part of breast, black; the head and neck glossed with purple; chin, white; a narrow chestnut collar completely encircles the neck; wing speculum, gray; under part of body, white, finely vermiculated with gray on the sides and posterior part of the abdomen; under tail-coverts, black. Adult female.—Above, dull black; breast and sides and back of neck, brown, with a rusty tint; sides of face and throat, white, mottled with gray; abdo- men, white, brown on the sides and posteriorly. Rare transient. Wilsont records one shot on the Delaware March 10th, and Turn- bull (1869) regarded them as frequent, which they are certainly not at the present time. ; Mr. S. N. Rhoads tells me he has seen two or three on Newton Creek, Camden county. 151 Clangula clangula americana (Bonaparte). Golden-eye, Whistler, Cubhead. Adult male—Length, 19-28. Wing, 9-9.25. Head and throat all around, black, glossed with green above, violet below; a white patch at the base of the bill; back, black; wings with scapulars, coverts and secondaries, largely white, streaked with black; neck and entire under parts, white; a few black streaks on the sides and flanks; tail, gray. Adult female.—Length, 16.50. Wing, 8. Head and throat all around, brown ; upper parts, gray; wing with a large white patch; beneath, white, with a gray breast band. Young in first winter—Similar to adult female, but with white neck, and more or less developed white spots at the base of the bill; scapulars with white centers, and feathers of head and back somewhat tipped with black. Tolerably common transient or winter visitant on the bays along the coast. Rare or casual on the rivers. Occurs October 15th to April Ist. One was killed at Princeton in January, 1817.” *Amer. Orn., VIII., p. 61. * Green, Doughty’s Cab. Nat. Hist., II., pp. 7-10. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 89 153 Charitonetta albeola (Linnzus). Bufflehead, Butterball. Adult male—Length, 12.25-13.50. Wing, 5.90-6. Back, black; head crested with metallic purple and green, with a large fan-shaped area from the eye to the nape, white; entire under parts and collar around the neck, white; feathers oh sides narrowly edged with black; wing, black, with a large white shoulder patch, including some of the secondaries, some of the coverts edged with black ; rump, grayish-white; tail, gray. Adult female-—Dark grayish-brown above; a white area on each side of the face; throat, grayish-brown; rest of under parts, white; sides washed with gray; wing speculum, white; lesser coverts, gray. , Common transient and winter resident both along the coast and on Delaware Bay. November 1st to April 15th. A few each year on the Upper Delaware, and regular, and not uncommon at Princeton.* 154 Harelda hyemalis (Linnzus). Old-squaw, Old-wife, Longtail, South-southerly. Adult male in winter.—Length, 21-23. Wing, 8.50-9. Back and wings, black; scapulars, pale pearl-gray; head and neck all around, white; face, gray, and a large spot on the side of the neck, black, sometimes joined by a chestnut patch; whole breast, black; abdomen, white; tail, black in middle; outer feathers, white; center feathers, very much elongated; bill, black, with an orange band. In spring —Gray on front part of the head; rest of head and neck, black ; seapulars, black, edged with brown. Adult female in winter —Length, 15-16. Back nearly all dusky; top of head, dusky; black on under parts restricted to a collar on the neck. Common winter resident along the coast. October to the middle of April. Mr. W. W. Justice killed one at Beach Haven as late as June, in 1899; doubtless a barren bird. Casual on the Delaware above Phila-- delphia, and a rare migrant at Morristown (Thurber). 1 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 38. 90 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 155 Histrionicus histrionicus (Linnzus). Harlequin Duck. Adult male.—Length, 15-17. Wing, 7.50-8. General color, bluish-slate ; browner on the abdomen, and purplish-black on the throat, neck and rump, and a similar line down the crown; sides, bright rusty; a metallic blue-black patch on the middle of the wing. Conspicuous white marks, bordered with black, occur as follows: A patch at base of bill; one on the ear-coverts, followed by a streak on the side of the neck; a circle completely round the neck, and a broad band across the shoulder; the scapulars are streaked with white and the purplish crown streak is bordered with white and chestnut. Adult female and young in first winter—Brown above, including neck, breast, sides and crissum; abdomen, dull white; sides of face in front of the eye, whitish, and a white patch on the ear-coverts. Very rare winter visitant. There are no records for the State except Turnbull’s statement (1869) that it is “a very rare visitant from the North to the sea- shore.” 156 Camptorhynchus labradorius (Gmelin). Labrador Duck. Adult male—Length, 18-23. Wing, 8.75. Middle and lower back and tail, as well as a ring around the base of the neck, a stripe down the middle of the crown and entire abdomen, black; sides of head, breast, scapulars and wing- coverts, white. Female—Dull grayish-brown, with a white wing speculum. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female, but with white showing faintly on throat and breast. Extinct. Formerly a regular transient or winter visitant.: Audubon (1838) says: ‘Along the coast of New Jersey it occurs in greater or less numbers every year. It also at times enters the Delaware River and ascends that stream at least as far as Philadel- phia.” Turnbull (1869) says: “Rare; a few are ‘seen every season,” which seems to be the last word we have on its occurrence in New Jersey. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 91 160 Somateria dresseri Sharpe. Eider. Adults.—Length, 20-26. Wing, 11-12. Besides the totally different bill, this species differs from the King Hider in having the top of the head black, divided posteriorly by the white of the neck; by having white scapulars, and by lacking the black V on the throat. Adult female and young male are similar to corresponding plumages of the King Hider, but may easily be recognized by the shape of the bill and the feathering at its base. Very rare winter visitant. Turnbull (1869) says it “has been seen occasionally at Egg Har- bor,’ and John Kridert records “four full-plumaged birds obtained at Barnegat in the month of February.” 162 Somateria spectabilis (Linnzus). King Eider. Adult male—Length, 23-24. Wing, 10.50-11.25. Head, blue-gray on top, pale green on sides of face, black next to the swollen base of the bill, and a black V on the throat; whole neck and breast, cream color; a white patch on each side of the rump, and on the wing-coverts; bill, back, abdomen, wings and tail black. Adult female and young male in first winter—Head and neck, grayish-buff, finely speckled with black; throat, unspotted; sides and breast, brownish, with black bars, or semi-circles on the feathers; middle of abdomen, plain grayish- brown; above more coarsely barred with black and brown. Rare winter visitant. Wilson says it “is occasionally seen in winter as far South as the Capes of Delaware,” and Turnbull (1869), that “it has been observed at Egg Harbor during severe winters, the speci- mens obtained being generally. young birds.” rider? records two taken at Egg Harbor and one at Tuckerton. The only recent record that I know of is one obtained by Mr. L. I. Smith,* December 4th, 1900, on the Delaware, below Philadelphia. It is of regular occurrence on Long Island. 1 Field Notes, p. 76. ? Field Notes, p. 76. 3 Cassinia, 1901, p. 47. 92 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 163 Oidemia americana Swainson. Scoter, Coot Duck. Adult male.—Length, 17-21. Wing, 8.75-9.50. Entire plumage black; basal half of upper mandible and knob at base, yellow; rest of bill, black. Adult female and young in first winter.—Dusky grayish-brown above; gray- brown below; Dill, dull black. Common winter resident and abundant transient off the shore be- yond the breakers, occasionally driven into the bays or thoroughfares. 165 Oidemia deglandi Bonaparte. White-winged Scoter. Adult male.—Length, 20-28. Wing, 11-11.40. Black, more or less tinged with brown; a pure white speculum, and a white patch on the ear-coverts; sides of bill, orange-red. Adult female——Similar, but browner, with a white wing speculum, but no white on the head. Common winter resident, occurring with the other species. It is difficult to ascertain their relative abundance. 166 Oidemia perspicillata (Linnzus). Surf Scoter. Adult male—Length, 20-22. Wing, 9.50. Black, with a pure white trian- gular patch on the forehead, and a larger patch on the back of the neck; bill, red, with a large black spot on the swollen part on each side near the base. Adult female.—General plumage, grayish-brown or dusky, indistinctly mot- tled with lighter below; a little white at the base of the bill; bill not swollen. Young male in first winter—Similar to the female, but whiter beneath, with two dull white patches on each side of the head. Common winter resident with the other species of Scoter. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 93 167 Erismatura jamaicensis (Gmelin). Ruddy Duck, Sleepy Duck. Adult male in spring..—Length, 14-16. Wing, 5.75-6. Above, bright chest- nut; top of head, black, extending down the back of the neck in a point; sides of face and chin, white; entire neck, chestnut; under parts, silvery white, with gray bases to the feathers; wing and tail, brownish-black. Female and male in winter.—Above, minutely mottled black and white, with a trace of chestnut here and there in male; entire neck, gray; top of head, dusky; face, white. Young male in first autwmn.—Similar below, but upper surface blackish, with coarser transverse bands of dull white and buff; head, brownish on top, and white face not clearly defined; a dusky stripe runs from the bill to the ear-coverts. A tolerably common migrant, more plentiful on fresh water. Oc- curs at Princeton in small numbers, March to April and October 1st to November 20th. 169 Chen hyperborea (Pallas). Snow Goose. Aduits.—Length, 28-28. Wing, 14.50-17. Similar in all plumages to the next; differs only in size. Very rare transient or winter visitant. A pair were obtained many years ago by Mr. John Cassin in the Philadelphia market, said to have been taken in the vicinity, and one was shot on the Delaware, above Chester, December, 1890, by Mr. W. V. Wilbank.* 169a Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forster). Greater Snow Goose. Adults.—Length, 30-88. Wing, 17.35-17.50. Pure white, except the black primaries, and a rusty stain often seen on the head; bill, dull red, with a white “nail;’’ feet, dull red. Young in first winter.—Similar, but upper parts gray. 1Stone, Birds of BH. Pa. and N. J., p. 59. 94 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Rare transient or winter visitant. Gunners report them as casual along the coast. Formerly they were regularly abundant in Delaware Bay from the middle of February until March, and along both shores below Reedy Island,’ and some are still to be found there, according to Mr. Hand, who tells me they come up regularly to Salem Cove to feed. Dr. W. L. Abbott took two on the bay March 5th, 1879, and January, 1882, and according to C. S. Wescott,* they were common in the latter season just below Bombay Hook, though usually only seen there in spring. Mr. Julian Bur- roughs* reports a large flock fogbound on the Hudson, off Gordon’s Point, January, 1909. Mr. Fowler* reports several at Edgewater Park, on the Delaware, in the winter of 1904-5. 169.1 Chen caerulescens (Linnzus). Blue Goose. Adults.—Length, 27-30. Wing, 15-17. Head and upper neck, white (or with rusty stains); upper surface, lower neck, breast and sides, plumbeous; abdomen and crissum, white: wing-coverts, light gray. Young in first winter—NSimilar, but head and neck plumbeous, except the chin. Turnbull (1869) says: “In some seasons not uncommon on the Delaware and Atlantic coast.” Normally a bird of the interior. 171a Anser albifrons gambeli (Hartlaub). - White-fronted Goose. Adults—Length, 27-30. Wing, 14.50-17.50. Grayish-brown above, as well as head, neck, breast and sides, with white around the base of the bill and tail tipped with white; abdomen, white, with black feathers scattered here and there irregularly. Young in first winter—Similar, but no black feathers below, and white at base of bill dusky. Rare winter visitant. 1 Wilson, Amer. Orn., VIII., p. 76. * Forest and Stream, January 5th, 1882, p- 447. 3 Forest and Stream, January 23d, 1909, p. 133. * Cassinia, 1905, p. 72. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 95 Besides Turnbull’s statement that it is rare, we have Dr. C. C. Abbott’s (1868) record of one shot at Barnegat many years ago, and the statement of Mr. Chas. A. Voelker that one was shot on the Dela- ware in 1877, which was mounted by him. 172 Branta canadensis (Linnzus). Canada Goose. PLATE 11. Adults.—Length, 35-43. Wing, 16-21. Above, blackish-brown, feathers with lighter edgings; under parts, gray; whole head and neck, black, except a broad white patch running from behind the eyes across the cheeks and throat; chin, black. Common transient or winter visitant both on the coast and on Dela- ware Bay, and frequently seen in the migrations flying high overhead inland. October 1st to April 15th. Occasionally alights during storms on ponds in the interior. 172a Branta canadensis hutchinsi (Richardson). Hutchins’s Goose. Similar to the Canada Goose, but smaller. Length, 25-34. Wing, 14.75-— verte This is a western variety of the Canada Goose, and has been taken on Long Island. “Homo,” writing in Forest and Stream, March 2d, 1882, says that he shot one at Tuckerton, and that the bird is well known on Barnegat Bay by the name of Sedge Goose. I know of no other record for New Jersey. 173. Branta bernicla glaucogastra (Brehm). Brant. Adults.— Length, 24-30. Wing, 12.50-13.50. Brownish-gray above, feathers edged with whitish; pale gray below, becoming white on posterior parts and crissum; whole head, neck, upper breast and back, black, making a sharp con- trast with the gray abdomen; a small patch of white streaks on each side of the neck. *Chapman’s Handbook, p. 122. 96 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Abundant transient and winter resident; probably the most com- mon game bird of Barnegat Bay. At Cape May Mr. Hand tells me it is only a straggler, the flights keeping well off shore. Occurs from October to May. Mr. Fowler reports it as occasional on the Delaware. 174 Branta nigricans (Lawrence). Black Brant. Adults.—Length, 22-29. Wing, 12.50-13.50. Similar to the Common Brant, but upper parts darker and more sooty; abdomen, dark sooty, scarcely dis- tinguishable from the breast, but anal region and crissum, white; neck with larger white areas, forming a nearly complete collar. Winter straggler from the West; rare. Mr. G. N. Lawrence obtained the type specimen of this species at Egg Harbor, January, 1846, and later two more were obtained at the same place.t Mr. John Krider shot one at Barnegat and another at Beesley’s Point,? and Mr. W. E. D. Scott? saw two taken by gunners, April 5th, 1877, at Long Beach. 180 Olor columbianus (Ord). Whistling Swan. Adults.—Length, 55. Wing, 21-22. Whole plumage, pure white; bill, lores and feet, black, sometimes with a small yellow spot on the lores. Young in first winter, ashy gray; bill, flesh color; feet, grayish. Rare transient. One was shot on the Delaware River, below Philadelphia, Decem- ber, 1890, by Mr. W. V. Wilbank,* and others have occasionally been taken in the same vicinity. Mr. W. E. D. Scott saw a flock of nine passing over Barnegat Bay in November, 1876,° and Mr. H. W. Hand tells me that a flock of four passed over Cape May in the eighties, and one was shot. In the winter of 1908-1909 several were seen on Barnegat Bay, and one was shot at Atlantic City, in January. av Amine iy. Gay Ney s.mlViee spel (ell ? Field Notes, p. 71. 3 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 226. 4 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 60. 5 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 226. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. | 97 Order HERODIONES. Ibises and Herons. Family IBIDIDA. THE IBISEs. Birds of the south, only occasionally straggling north to New Jer- sey. The Ibises are allied to the Herons, but with a curved bill, which is nearly round in cross-section. a. Plumage bronze above; chestnut or dull brown below. GLossy IBIS, p. 97 aad. Plumage white. WHITE I[sIs, p. 97 aaa. Plumage brown above, white below. WHITE IsIs (young), p. 97 184 Guara alba (Linneus). White Ibis. Adults.—Length, 21.50-27.50. Wing, 10.50-11.50. White, the four outer primaries tipped with black; head with bare orange-red patches. Young in first year grayish-brown on the back, head and neck streaked with dusky. Formerly a very rare straggler from the south. Audubon states, in 1835, that “a few individuals of this species have been procured in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.” Turnbull “shot one at Great Egg Harbor in the summer of 1858,” and there is a mounted specimen, possibly this same one, in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy, labeled New Jersey. 186 Plegadis autumnalis (Linnzus). Glossy Ibis. Adults—Length, 22-25. Wing, 10.20-11.80. Above, glossy bronze, with green and purple reflections; head, neck and under parts, chestnut. Young in first autumn.—Lower parts, dull brownish; head and neck streaked with white and dusky. 7 98 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Very rare straggler. ai d* states that Mr. Thomas Suir on May 7th, 1817, “received from r. Oram, of Great Egg Harbor, a fine specimen” of this Ibis. This Ieee was figured by Bonaparte, and was possibly the type of his Ibis Ordi. The only other record is one mentioned by Turnbull, that was shot in 1866 by Mr. John Krider, below Philadelphia. Krider’s statement that “the bird is often shot in September on the marshes of the Delaware River; when shooting rail I have seen as many as four kiiled in a day,” * can hardly be taken seriously. Family ARDEID. THe HERONS AND BITTERNS. The members of this family are long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with a powerful bill and a well-developed hind toe, placed on a level with the others, so that the foot is used in grasping. The Herons are arboreal in their nesting habits, usually forming large communi- ties or “rookeries,” while the Bitterns live in pairs in swamps of reeds and cat-tails. They all feed upon frogs, small reptiles and fish, which they spedr in the shallow water. When flying, their long legs are stretched out behind, while the head is drawn back on the shoulders. The nests and eggs of all our Herons are of the same character, differ- ing only in size. a. Plumage of upper parts slaty-blue, gray or bronze green. b. Size, large; wing, 18.50. GREAT BLUE Heron, p. 101 bb. Size, medium; wing under 13. c. Crown bluish-slate or purplish. d. Neck similar. LIrTLE BLUE Heron, p. 105 dd. Neck with white and rufous feathers. LOUISIANA Heron, p. 105 ce. Crown streaked with buff. d. Wings plain gray. BLACK-CROWNED Nicut Heron, p. 107 dd. Wings bronze-green. GREEN Heron, p. 106 cece. Crown white. YELLOW-CROWNED NicHT Herron, p. 108 + Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., I., p. 538. * Wield Notes, p. 60. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 99 aa. Plumage pure white, or nearly so. b. Size, large; wing, 14.25—-16.75. EGRET, p. 105 bb. Size, medium; wing under 11. c. Tips of primaries blue-gray. LitTLeE BLUE HERON, p. 105 ec. Entire plumage white. Snowy Eaerer, p. 104 aaa. Plumage with buff and chestnut predominating, crown not streaked. b. Size, very small; wing, 4.30—5.25. LEAST BITTERN, p. 100 bb. Size, medium; wing, 9.80—12. BITTERN, p. 99 aaaa. Plumage gray-brown, spotted above with white or buff, crown streaked. b. Primaries rusty on the outer web. BLACK-CROWNED NicHtTr HERON (young), p. 107 bb. Primaries slate color, with no rufous tint. YELLOW-CROWNED NicgHtT HERON (young), p. 108 ' 190 Botaurus lentiginosus (Montague). Bittern, Stake-driver, Dunk-a-doo. Adults —Length, 24-34. Wing, 10-12. Above, brown, edged and mottled with buff; top of head, bluish-slate; a black stripe on each side of. the neck; under parts, buff, broadly streaked with brown. Young in first summer.—More buff than adults. Nest on the ground in marshes; eggs, three to five, pale drab, 1.95 x 1.50. The Bittern seems to be a regular but not abundant migrant along the coast and on the streams and marshes inland. Mr. Babson* states that it occurs near Princeton April 10th to May 5th and September 20th to October 20th, and these dates coincide closely with its occur- rence near Philadelphia, though it has been seen as early as March 30th.2 It seems to be especially common on the salt meadows in autumn. Specimens have been taken as late as November 2d, 1894, on the Delaware, at Holmesburg,? and November 19th, 1878, in Cape May county.* It nests in various parts of the State, but is by no means as plenti- ful in summer as during the migrations. Thurber calls it a summer resident in Morris county, and Messrs. Haan and Callender found nests near Summit May 30th, 1894; May 30th, 1899, and June 30th, 190%, while Mr. P. B. Philipp states that at least one pair breed regularly at Newton, Sussex county, where he found young June 15th, 1908. On the Newark marshes Mr. C. G. Abbott found it nesting 1 Birds of Princeton, p. 38. * Fowler, Cassinia, 1903, p. 50. 3 Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. 100 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. June 17th, 1906.1. Professor A. H. Phillips took a half-fledged bird at Princeton June 24th, 1899,? and Dr. C. C. Abbott tells me it breeds on his marshes below Trenton. In the southern part of the State Mr. H. W. Hand reports occasional nests near Cape May, on the bay side marshes, and Mr. W. B. Crispin found a nest near Salem, May 28th, 1904. Only about five, he tells me, have been found there in the last fifteen years. The Bittern is a somewhat solitary inhabitant of the great coast and river marshes, where heavy growths of cat-tails, reeds and coarse grasses offer concealment. They are perhaps more frequently seen and shot during the Railbird season in the autumn, when gunners often flush these innocent, ungainly birds and then wantonly use them for targets. Their peculiar vocal performance in springtime, which has given the bird the names of “Thunder Pumper,” “Stake Driver,” etc., can be heard for long distances, and is well likened to the noise of an old pump or of pounding on a stake. 191 Ixobrychus exilis (Gmelin). Least Bittern. Adult male—Length, 12-14. Wing, 4.30-5.25. Above, glossy black; back of neck, rufous; wings, mainly buff; under parts, buff, with a black spot on each side of the breast. Adult female—Similar, but browner, and under parts somewhat streaked. Young in first winter.—Similar to adults, but with chestnut on the back, and somewhat streaked below. Nest.—A platform of leaves and stems of grass and rushes supported among cat-tails and other coarse vegetation; eggs, three to five, pale bluish, 1.20 x .90. The Least Bittern is a summer resident in various parts of the State, and is doubtless more plentiful than generally supposed, fre- quently escaping notice on account of its secretive habits. It arrives from April 24th to 27th, and the latest fall date that IT have is September 3d. It seems to be mainly a fresh or brackish-water bird, and is usually rare on the seacoast. It nests in Morris county (Thurber), at Paterson (J. H. Clark), on the Newark marshes, May 30th to June 17th (Haan and 1 Auk, 1907, pp. 1-11. ? Birds of Princeton, p. 38. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 101 Callender).t | Mr. Holmes states that it is a summer resident at Sum- mit, but he has found no nests. Alexander Wilson stated that it bred sparingly on the Delaware, and of recent years its nests have been found rather frequently at Camden (Wilde), Pensauken (Miller® and Hunt‘), and at Pt. Richmond.* Mr. W. B. Crispin tells me that it is a regular breeder about Salem, and I have found it breeding rather commonly along the bay shore at Cape May. About Princeton Mr. Babson says it breeds commonly, and he found six nests during the first week of June, 1900. When overtaken in the marshes the Least Bittern frequently re- mains perfectly still, grasping the stems of the reeds, and with neck extended and bill pointed skyward, sways back and forth with the reeds, so closely resembling them that he is easily passed by, and is not forced to expose himself by flight. When the danger is past he drops to the muddy ground and goes skulking away. 194 Ardea herodias Linnzus. Great Blue Heron. PLATE 12. Adults—Length, 42-50. Wing, 18-19.50. Above, blue-gray, the narrow scapulars largely white; primaries, shoulders, sides of crown and occipital feathers, greenish-black; sides of neck, rich vinaceous, white in front streaked with black; throat, sides of face and middle of crown, white; long breast plumes, gray and white; belly, greenish-black; thighs and edge of wings, light chestnut; crissum, white. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but duller, and without plumes on back or breast; crown, black; under parts streaked with black, white and buff. Nest.—A large bulky affair of sticks, usually in a tall tree in retired wood- land; eggs, four or five; pale greenish-blue, 2.50 x 1.50. Rather common transient throughout the State; most common during April and from August 1st to November. Occasional in winter, according to Turnbull, and one was seen December 9th at Audubon, N. J., by S. N. Rhoads. In the southwestern counties the Great Blue Heron nests regularly. One heronry near Pennsgrove, Salem county, that I visited some years 1 Also Abbott, Auk, 1907, p. 1. Pa Cah UAs ™~ ? Wilson, Bulletin, 1905, p. 9. EX» ot f ®’ Fowler, Cassinia, 1903, p. 50. IZ ie? on-7 * Cassinia, 1907, p. 48. ices Ae teem o\o— $ . {LIBRARY} 3, ' ‘ \ oe Ce ase) : Ye” ~— — ~)> a J >»! : 102 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ago was in an oak woods, in pin oak trees, 100 to 115 feet high.t Mr. Crispin tells me that other nests are placed in white oaks and tulip poplars, and he knows of one colony which breeds in pines. Dr. Wm. E. Hughes* also describes a heronry of this species in pines near Pitman Grove. In Alexander Wilson’s time they bred in cedar swamps, one rookery which he mentions especially being located near the head of Tuckahoe River, Cape May county. I have not heard of them breeding in this section of late years, and I know of no heronry in the northern part of the State, although Thurber mentions the species as breeding in Morris county. rider says that they bred on the beach strip of Cape May county, and Mr. Harry G. Parker* describes a small heronry on Seven Mile Beach in 1885, and Mr. Laurent* says a few bred on Five Mile Beach.? For some years past, however, they have not nested on the coast islands. There is no more weird spot than one of the rookeries of the Great Blue Heron. They are located in some low, dark wood, flooded with water in the early spring and thick with a tangle of low shrubs and twining smilax, where tall pin oaks rear their tops above the other vegetation, their limbs loaded with the great, bulky nests, whitened by the excrement of the birds, which is also liberally scattered over the ground and shrubbery. Later it is mingled with broken egg shells, feathers and decayed fish, as the activity of the rookery increases with the hatching of the young. There are sometimes a dozen nests in one tree, and all around on the branches sit the grotesque birds, craning their long necks and flying about overhead in great anxiety over the intrusion into their privacy. It is a pity that the few remaining New Jersey rookeries cannot be left unmolested, but wanton gunners and collectors, who in the name of “science” gather eggs in a way which science never sanctioned and always condemned, will eventually exterminate them. Of what possible good to science is the gathering of dozens of egg shells of a bird whose breeding habits have been known and described for a hun- dred years, and whose eggs have been measured over and over again! * Abst. Proce. D. V. ©. G:, IL, p. 20. 2Abst. roc. DV cOmC Die pp orang wale 30. and O., XI., 1886, p. 140. *Q. and O., 1892, p. 53. Cf. also, W. B. Crispin, Oologist, 1905, p. 101, and E. J. Darlington, Oologist, 1903, p. 41. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 103 196 Herodias egretta (Gmelin). Egret, White Heron. PLATE 13. Adults—Length, 37-41. Wing, 14.25-16.50. Pure white throughout with a bunch of long, straight ‘‘aigrette” plumes on the back; bill, yellow; legs and feet, black. Young and adults after the nesting season lack the plumes. Nest.—A platform of sticks in a tree; eggs, four, bluish-green, 2.25 x 1.45. A not uncommon but irregular migrant from the south along the sea- coast, and less frequently up the Delaware River, usually occurring from August 1st to the end of September. Formerly this species bred in the southern part of the State. Wil- son says: “Breeds in several of the extensive cedar swamps in the lower parts of New Jersey. * * * In the months of July and August the young make their first appearance in the meadows and marshes in parties of twenty or thirty together.” He also adds that they come up the Delaware regularly to the meadows below Phila- delphia. Turnbull (1869) still includes it as a summer resident, but states that it is rather rare. Scott? says it was common during the summer of 1879 at Beach Haven, and adds: “They breed in large numbers about forty miles south, near Townsend’s Inlet.” This remark, however, almost cer- tainly refers to the Snowy Egret, as Mr. Scott was obviously not speaking from personal experience. Dr. C. C. Abbott? describes a flock of these birds which visited the meadows near Trenton August 17th, 1876, in company with the Little Blue Herons, and similar occurrences, both here and on the coast, have occurred every few years. Farther north Mr. Henry Hales writes me of two that visited Saddle River Pond five miles north of Ridgewood in July, 1902, remaining several weeks, and one was shot on Wading River August, 1905. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. ? Amer. Nat., 1876, p. 473. 104 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 197 Egretta candidissima (Gmelin). Snowy Egret, Snowy Heron. Adults —Length, 20-27. Wing, 8.25-10.50. White throughout; ‘“aigrette”’ plumes upturned at the end; legs, black; feet, yellow; bill, black, yellowish at the base. Young and non-breeding adults lack the plumes. Nest as in the last; eggs, 1.80 x 1.25. Formerly a regular summer resident along the southern coast, at least. For many years, however, it has not been seen in the State, even as a straggler. Wilson (1812) says: “On the 19th of May I visited an extensive breeding place of the Snowy Heron among the red cedars of Sommer’s Beach, on the coast of Cape May,” and describes the heronry in some detail. Turnbull (1869) regards it as not uncommon along the salt marshes of the sea coast from the beginning of April to October. In 1872 Mr. W. H. Werner states that he found them nesting in numbers where Ocean City is now located, eight to ten nests to a treet This was apparently the same rookery that Wilson referred to. In 1886 Mr. H. G. Parker® reports that the colony on Seven Mile Beach still existed, the birds mingling with the Night Herons. In 1888 he records one pair nesting at this spot, saying: “They have been almost exterminated, though formerly very abundant, one ornithologist having recently shot seventy-three birds in one day.” This ends the record of the species, except for one mentioned by Thurber shot at New Vernon, Morris county, about 1881, by John Tunis. Many alleged Snowy Herons prove to be young Little Blue Herons in the white plumage.* + Cassinia, 1902, p. 21. QO. and O., 1886, p. 140. 70. and O., 1889, p. 2. *C. C. Abbott, Amer. Nat. 1876, pp. 473-476, evidently refers to A. caerulea, although he records the species as A. candidissima. The record of a bird seen by R. F. Miller in July, 1904, and not published until 1907. (Auk, p. 436), is by no means conclusive. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 105 199 Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis (Gosse). Louisiana Heron. Adults —Length, 23-28. Wing, 8.85-10.80. Above, bluish-slate; back of neck, maroon, with some white feathers, especially on the occiput; long plumes at base of neck, maroon and slate; throat and under parts, white; “train” of hair-like feathers from the back, light drab. Young in first autumn slate-colored above, white below, more or less rusty on throat and head; upper tail-coverts, white. Jery rare straggler from the south in former years. ‘Turnbull says AY straggler from the south in f y Turnbull say (1869): “This species has occasionally been obtained on the New Jersey coast.” There is no more definite record. 200 Florida czrulea (Linnzus). Little Blue Heron. Adults —Length, 20-29. Wing, 9-10.50. General color, uniform bluish- slate; head and neck, purplish-chestnut; legs and feet, black; bill, black; lores, blue. Young in first summer and autumn, white, except the tips of the primaries, which are slate color; legs, feet and lores, greenish-yellow. Nest like that of the Egret; eggs, 1.75 x 1.25. A not uncommon but rather irregular migrant from the south in late July, August and early September. Most of these migrants are young birds in the white plumage, and as most persons are not aware that the Little Blue Heron is white during the first year of its life, they are constantly confused with the Snowy Heron and the Egret. I am inclined to think that most of the “White Herons” reported belong to this species. Most of the recent records given under the Egret refer also to this species, especially in the account by W. B. Evans. I find no definite record of the nesting of this species in the State, except that of Wilson, who found them with the Snowy Herons, but only in small numbers, and Turnbull, who may be merely quoting from Wilson, his statement being “rare, but has been found breeding at Cape May.” A. G. Van Aken refers casually to this species nesting with the Night Herons at New Brunswick April, 1882, but I think the Green Heron was the species intended.t. Dr. C. C. Abbott assures me that one pair once nested near Trenton. ‘OQ. and O., 1883, p. 46. 106 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Adult birds in the blue plumage are very rare in New Jersey. There is one specimen in the Philadelphia Academy collection without detailed data, and several mentioned by Evans. In 1902 a remarkable flight of these two species occurred, which has been described by Wm. B. Evans,* and Mr. 8. N. Rhoads saw a similar assemblage below Camden.? Along the coast of Cape May Mr. Hand tells me that White Herons occur regularly in late summer, and at Tuckerton at least a few are reported nearly every year. Farther north in the State Mr. C. C. Owen* records two shot at Maplewood July 27th, 1897, and there have been a number of records in the vicinity of Point Pleasant.‘ 201 Butorides virescens (Linneus). Green Heron, Fly-up-the-creek, Poke. Adults.—Length, 15.50-22.50. Wing, 6.50-8. Above, glossy green; back, more or less bluish-gray ; wing-coverts edged with whitish; head and neck, for the most part, chestnut; top of head, glossy black, tinged with green; throat, pale buff, and a narrow stripe of the same down the fore neck; abdomen, gray, tinged with buff. Young in first summer and autumn.—NSimilar, but no gray above, the neck and under parts streaked with black. Nest a loose structure of sticks in a low tree; eggs, four to five, pale greenish- blue, 1.45 x 1.10. Common summer resident throughout the State, nesting both singly and in colonies. Formerly nested along the coast islands, but now nearly exterminated there. Occurs April to October 5th. Mr. W. W. Justice, Jr., saw one at Salem November 23d, 1898, which is our latest record. This is the best-known and most universally distributed of our Herons, and no doubt its abundance is due to the fact that it has to a great extent abandoned the habit of nesting in communities. Had it 1 Cassinia, 1902, p. 15. SADSt Er0c sav O-Ci ile. pple: 3 Auk, 1898, p. 51. *T. B. A., Forest and Stream, 1884, February 14th, p. 44; Stone, Birds of BH. Pa. and N. J.; Evans, Cassinia, 1902, p. 15. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 107 been unfortunate enough to possess desirable plumes or “aigrettes” it would have been exterminated long ago for millinery purposes like most of the foregoing species. Every secluded stream has its pair or two of “Pokes” or “Fly-Up-the-Creeks,” and they nest contentedly in some small tree in the low, thick woodland, where they easily escape observation. 202 Nycticorax nycticorax nzevius (Boddert). Black-crowned Night Heron. PLATE 14. / Adults —Length, 23-26. Wing, 11-12.50. Top of head, back and scapulars, glossy greenish-black; rest of upper parts, gray; forehead, neck and under parts, grayish-white; several slender white plumes from the back of the head, six to eight inches long. Young in first summer.—Light brown, streaked with white; below, streaked with grayish-brown and white; wings tinged with cinnamon. Nest of coarse sticks; eggs, four to five, pale bluish-green, 2 x 1.40. A rather common bird throughout the State, nesting usually in colonies in woodland, especially along the lower Delaware Valley, west of the Pine Barrens, and formerly on the coast islands, particu- larly Seven Mile Beach. They usually arrive during April, and are most common in August and September. Mr. C. J. Hunt finds them occasionally in midwinter at Pensauken,* and Mr. L. I. Smith took one on February 15th, 1902, on the Delaware, below Philadelphia, which was still in the brown plumage. They formerly associated with several other species in the heronries on the coast islands, and I have found them near Salem nesting with the Great. Blue Herons.” Mr. Thurber states that there were formerly several large heronries of this species near Morristown, and Mr. Hann says a few still nest near Summit, the remnant of a former large heronry. Night Heron rookeries differ from those of the Great Blue Herons only in size and in the fact that they are usually in lower trees. The birds are nocturnal feeders, and roost during the daytime. In the evening, after dusk, and in the early hours of the morning, we can often hear them going overhead through the darkness, uttering now and then their hoarse “quak, quak.” 1 Cassinia, 1907, p. 51. 2 Of. also, Shick Auk, 1890, p. 327; Coggins, Cassinia, 1902, p. 54. 108 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 203 Nycticorax violaceus (Linnzus). Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Adults.—Length, 22-28. Wing, 10.50-12.50. Above, bluish-gray, streaked with black on the scapulars; crown and ear-coverts, white, the former tinged with buff; sides of head and throat, black; under parts, bluish-gray; several slender white plumes from the back of the head; legs and feet, greenish; bill, black. Young in first summer.—Similar to the young Black-crowned Night Heron, but wings bluish-gray, without rufous edgings. A very rare straggler. I know of but one record—a full-plumaged bird obtained by Mr. Ware, at Woodbine, N. J., May 23d, 1892, which was mounted by Mr. C. A. Voelker and exhibited before the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club.t_ While he gives no definite record, Au- dubon says: “I am not aware of any having been seen farther [north] than New Jersey.” Order PALUDICOLA,. Rails and Cranes. Family GRUIDA. THE CRANES. Large Heron-like birds, but strictly terrestrial, with the hind toe reduced and elevated above the plane of the others. Birds of open marshy districts. Nest on the ground. 204 Grus americana (Linnzus). Whooping Crane. Adults.—Length, 50-54. Wing, 22-25. Plumage, white; primaries, black; top of head lores and sides of throat nearly naked, dark red with a few black hair-like feathers. Young in first summer.—Plumage, dull buff; head entirely feathered. Stone, Birds of BH. Pa. and N. J., p. 65. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 109 Formerly a very rare straggler. Wilson says (1812): “A few sometimes make their appearance in the marshes of Cape May in December, particularly on and near Egg Island [in Delaware Bay], where they are known by the name of ‘Storks.? Some linger in these marshes all winter, setting out north about the time the ice breaks up.” Turnbull (1869) writes: “Now very rare; while at Beesley’s Point in 1857 I saw three off the inlet; they were very wary, and could not be approached; in Wilson’s time it bred at Cape May.” Peter Kalm saw Cranes migrating north in the spring while at Swedesboro in 1748-9, but whether Sand Hill Cranes, as stated by Turnbull (p. 49), or this species, I cannot say. Family RALLIDA. THE RAILs AND Coots. The Rails are birds of the more open marshes, where they run about rapidly, easily keeping concealed in the grass and seldom taking wing. ‘They can swim if forced to do so, and fly in a rather labored fashion. The Coots are much more aquatic, and the Gallinules inter- mediate between the two. The downy young are black or dark slaty gray. a. Bill, 2.40—-2.50. b. Under parts cinnamon rufous, flanks barred black and white. Kine Ram, p. 110 bb. Under parts grayish-buff, flanks barred gray and white. CLAPPER Ratt, p. 110 aa. Bill, 1.50 or less. b. Plumage mainly bright blue; wing, 7. PURPLE GALLINULE, p. 115 bb. Plumage dark slaty-gray; wing, 6.50—-8.50. c. Toes broadly lobed. Coot, p. 116 cc. Toes not broadly lobed. FLorIDA GALLINULE, p. 115 bbb. Plumage streaked or mottled, different above and below. : c. No narrow silvery-white lines or spots above. d. Bill, 1.50. VIRGINIA Ran, p. 111 dd. Bill, .90. Corn CRAKE, p. 114 ce. Fine, narrow silvery-white lines or spots above. d. White lines longitudinal; wing, 4.25. Sora, p. 112 dd. White lines transverse, general color buff; wing, 3.25. YELLow Ratt, p. 113 ddd. White dots on back, general color black and slate; wing, 2.75. Brack Rat, p. 118 110 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 208 Rallus elegans Audubon. King Rail. PLATE 15. Adults—Length, 17-19. Wing, 6-6.75. Above, dark olive, or nearly black with grayish edgings; wing-coverts, rufous chestnut; under parts, cinnamon rufous; throat, white; sides of body and abdomen, blackish, barred with white. Nest of grass in fresh-water marshes; eggs, seven to twelve, buff, speckled with rusty brown and lilac, 1.60 x 1.20. Not uncommon summer resident along the Delaware meadows, where it breeds. Dr. J. B. Brinton found a nest at Repaupo July 15th, 1892,' and Prof. A. H. Phillips? found an old bird with a brood near Princeton July 2d, 1899. Mr. H. H. Hann records a nest found in 1895 on the Passaic River, below Summit.* Occurs from April to the end of September. Apparently almost exclusively a fresh-water bird. The only coast record with which I am acquainted is one given by Mr. P. Laurent for Five Mile Beach.* Wilson figured this bird for the Clapper Rail, following the current opinion of gunners that it was a very old example of that species. Audubon subsequently described it as distinct, his type specimen being shot near Camden in July, 1832. This bird is the fresh-water representative of the Clapper Rail, dif- fering from it in its deeper, richer coloration. 211 Rallus crepitans Gmelin. Clapper Rail, Mud-hen. Adults.—Length, 13.50-15.50. Wing, 5.40-6.30. Upper parts, dull olive, margined with gray; wing-coverts, grayish-cinnamon; under parts, pale grayish- buff; throat, whitish; sides and abdomen, gray, barred with white. Nest in salt marshes, made of grass; eggs, eight to twelve, buffy-white, spotted with rusty brown and gray, 1.70 x 1.20. Abundant summer resident on the salt marshes of the coast and up Delaware Bay as far as Greenwich, which, according to Mr. 8S. N. ADS ETO Ve O MCs elle. pies * Birds of Princeton, p. 40. ’ Wilson Bulletin, 1905, p. 120. 2@Fandi@= 1892) pi bs: THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. LA Rhoads, is the northern limit,’ while Mr. Crispin tells me they do not reach Salem. They occur from the middle of March to the middle of November, and are occasionally found in midwinter at Atlantic City (DeHaven) and at Five Mile Beach (Laurent).? Full sets of eggs may be found from May 25th to June 10th and later, when the first nest has been destroyed. Wilson, writing in 1812, states that “about June 1st the people of the neighborhood go off on the marshes an egging, as it is called. So abundant are the nests of this species, and so dextrous some persons at finding them, that 100 dozen of eggs have been collected by one man in a day,” and “B. B.” records purchasing over seven hundred in market for exchange specimens.* Fortunately this practice, which threatened the extinction of the bird, is now unlawful. Through the summer they are inconspicuous, searching for food along the bottoms of the little sloughs and thoroughfares, and build- ing their nests on the higher parts of the marshes among the taller grass. At sunset they may be heard uttering their peculiar cackle, and can often be induced to show themselves by imitating the call. They run rat-like through the grass, dodging this way and that with great agility when pursued. In the autumn they are shot in large numbers, and when the high autumnal tides flood the meadows, as they sometimes do, and the Mudhens are forced to swim or to gather on the islands that here and there stand above the water, the slaughter is a disgrace to those who call. themselves sportsmen. 212 Rallus virginianus Linnzus. Virginia Rail. Adults—Length, 8.25-10.50. Wing, 44.25. Colors almost exactly like the King Rail. Differs in its smaller size. Young in first autumn.—Middle of abdomen, white, with scattered black feathers all over the under surface. Nest and eggs.—Similar to those of the King Rail, except in size, 1.25 x .90. Rather common summer resident, occurring April 15th to October Ist. Breeds all along the Delaware meadows from the fresh or 'Cassinia, 1901, p. 51. =“ @2 and @:, 1892) p. 53. *O. and O., 1883, pp. 39-40. 112 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. semi-brackish marshes of Cape May to Trenton; also at Elizabeth,’ the Newark marshes,? near Summit,’ and at Princeton. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads also found it breeding in the Wallkill valley, Sussex county, June 11th, 1909. Dr. C. C. Abbott® records two birds killed at Trenton in January, 1869, and several were seen and shot by Dr. Huey on Dennis Creek, Cape May county, December 30th, 1895. Along the coast it occurs in migrations, and has been shot at Atlantic City as late as November 6th, 1891 (I. N. DeHaven). In all respects a miniature of the King Rail. 214 Porzana carolina (Linnezus). Sora, Carolina Rail. PLATE 16. Adults.—Length, 7.85-9.75. Wing, 4.25-4.80. Forehead, fore part of face, center of crown, chin and throat, black; upper parts, brownish-olive, streaked with black, and with narrow white tips and edgings; sides of head and neck and entire breast, plumbeous; sides of body and flanks, broadly barred black and white; middle of abdomen, white; crissum, buff. Young in first autumn.—Similar above, but sides of face and the breast brownish; throat and abdomen, white; sides, duller. Nest of grass in fresh-water marshes; eggs, eight to fifteen, buff, spotted with rusty brown and lavender, 1.25 x .90. A common migrant along the Delaware meadows and in marshes in the northeastern portion of the State. April 1st to May 10th and August 20th to October 25th. At Greenwich, Salem county, it occa- sionally winters, according to Mr. S. N. Rhoads. Mr. Chapman says it is a rare summer resident near New York City,’ and Mr. Scott took a half-fledged young in July, 1880, near Princeton. Dr. W. E. Hughes has found nests on the Delaware marshes below Philadelphia, and both Wilson and Audubon mention young birds taken in the same vicinity. 1H. T. Haines, O. and O., 1888, p. 7. 2J. P. Callender. 3H. H. Hann, Wilson Bulletin, 1905, p. 120. + Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 40. 5 Amer. Nat., IV., p. 549. ® Cassinia, 1901, p. 51. 7 Birds Vicinity N. Y. City, p. 144. 8 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 40. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 113 The Sora is best known in New Jersey as a transient game bird, and in the autumn both it and the Reedbird are killed in large num- bers on the marshes bordering the Delaware and other large rivers, which are then covered with the tall stalks of the wild rice. The gunners are poled about in old flatboats, and the feeble-winged Rail- birds fall an easy prey to their guns. 215 Coturnicops noveboracensis (Gmelin). Yellow Rail. Adults—Length, 6—7.50. Wing, 3-3.50. Head, neck and breast, bright ochraceous, slightly edged with darker; top of head, lores and entire back, blackish; head narrowly, back and wings broadly streaked with ochraceous ; neck, back and wings narrowly barred with white; secondaries, white; middle of abdomen, white; sides barred with black and white; crissum, brown. Rather rare transient, most frequently seen in fall, when quite a number are doubtless shot by gunners and not recorded. I have the following records: Palmyra; W. L. Baily; October 13th, 1886." Princeton; A. H. Phillips; April 10th, 1895.? Hackensack; George Richards; September 30th, 1893.* Salem; Mr. McKee; October 24th, 1908.4 Dr. Trudeau told Audubon that they reached Salem by the end of April, and that a few remained there for the summer. The latter statement has never been confirmed. 216 Creciscus jamaicensis (Gmelin). Black Rail. Adults—Length, 5-6. Wing, 2.50-3.20. Above, brown, darker and blacker on the head and lower parts; lower back and wings spotted with white; sides of head and under parts, deep plumbeous; lower abdomen and crissum spotted and barred with white. Nest on the ground in marshy places, made of grass and rushes; eggs, creamy-white, speckled with reddish-brown, 1.03 x .75. 1 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 67. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 41. * Forest and Stream, September 20th, 1893, p. 336. *Harlow, Auk, 1909, p. 190. 8 114 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Rare transient, but formerly, and possibly still, a summer resident at several localities in the State. The elusive habits of the smaller Rails render it difficult to judge of their abundance. The first specimen from this neighborhood was probably one in Peale’s museum, taken about 1806 in the vicinity of Philadelphia.* Dr. Trudeau told Audubon that they nested in great numbers at Salem, but so far as I know, no one has verified this statement. In 1844 and 1845 three nests of this species were found near Bees- ley’s Point, Cape May county,” and there is no reason why the bird should not be found breeding in the same vicinity to-day. In May, 1872, Mr. C. L. Mather found a nest with eight eggs on the marshes along Rancocas Creek, about five miles from Mt. Holly, and shot the bird,? and in 1885 a set of eggs now in Mrs. Drown’s collection was collected near Tuckerton. The only records of the capture of specimens beside one taken with the Beesley’s Point nests are as follows: Salem: Wm. Patterson.* Mouth of Big Timber Creek, near Camden; September 22d, 1887; “WJ sherratt. [=—W.. J. Rogers].® Also one flushed by Prof. A. H. Phillips at Princeton.® 217 Crex crex (Linnzus). Corn Crake. Adults.—Length, 10-10.50. Wing, 5.70-6. Above, light grayish-brown, striped with black; wings, mainly light rufous; breast and sides, pale grayish- brown, the latter barred with white; throat and abdomen, white. Accidental straggler from Europe, probably by way of Greenland. Only two instances of its occurrence in the State are known. One shot by Mr. Wm. Patterson at Salem in the fall of 1854,” and another shot by Mr. H. Walker Hand at Dennisville, Cape May county, No- vember 11th, 1905.8 Both specimens are preserved in the Philadel- phia Academy. 1 Audubon’s Orn. Biog. 2 Stone, Auk, 1900, p. 172. 3A. R. Justice, Atlantic Slope Nat., I., No. 2, p. 11, 1903. * Stone, Birds of H. Pa. and N. J., p. 67. 5 QO. and O., 1887, p. 206. ® Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 41. 7 Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., VII., January, 1855, p. 265. ® Cassinia, 1905, p. 75. : THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 115 218 lonornis martinica (Linnzus). Purple Gallinule. Adults.—Length, 18-14. Wing, 7-7.50. Head, neck and under parts, bluish- purple; back and wings, bright green, shading into verditer blue on the neck and coverts; crissum, white; bill, red, with a yellow tip. Very rare straggler from the south. Cassin states’ that the Purple Gallinule occurs occasionally north to New Jersey, and Turnbull records one shot by John Krider at League Island, in the Delaware. Dr. Abbott (1868) also states that one was taken at Trenton November 2d, 1864. More recent records are as follows: Cape May; May, 1892. OC. F. Gardner (C. A. Voelker).? Tuckerton; prior to 1894. Jillson Brothers (several).’ Longport; May 23d, 1898. W. H. Werner. Ventnor; May, 1902. W. H. Werner. Cape May; May 10th, 1907. H. W. Hand. Beach Haven; May 10th, 1907. C. W. Beck.® 219 Gallinula galeata (Lichtenstein). Florida Gallinule. PLATE 17. Adults.—Length, 12-14.50. Wing, 6.85-7.25. Similar in coloration to the Coot, but the gray-tint is bluer; the back is browner, and there are a few white stripes on the flanks; bill, red, tipped with yellow; shield, red. ’ Nest in wet swamps, supported among cat-tails and rushes; eggs, eight to twelve, 1.75 x 1.20. Regular summer resident in the Newark marshes and the marshes of the Delaware. This bird is an excellent example of the secretiveness of birds of this family. It was unknown as a New Jersey bird to the older orni- thologists, and while Turnbull calls it a summer visitant, he calls it * Birds of N. A., p. 753. ? Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J. > Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. 116 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. very rare, and makes no suggestion of its breeding. Dr. Abbott says it is only occasionally met with, though he records a specimen shot at Trenton in July, 1862. Other specimens have been taken, especially by gunners in the autumn, but not until 1904 had anyone found a nest in this vicinity. It was discovered nesting commonly in deep cat-tail swamps on the Delaware, at Philadelphia, in that year by Mr. Richard F. Miller,* and in 1906 on the Newark marshes by Messrs. C. G. Abbott, Hann and Callender.?, Eggs were found May 28th to July ist. Thurber mentions the species as a rare summer visitor to Morris county, and Babson® says it was once seen in April at Princeton. 221 Fulica americana Gmelin. Coot, Crow Duck. PLATE 17. Adults.—Length, 16. Wing, 7.75-8.75. Head and neck, dark sooty gray; rest of plumage, lighter plumbeous; a tinge of brown on the back; tips of secondaries and outer edge of wing, white; middle of abdomen, tipped with white, and under tail-coverts, mainly white; bill, white; shield, brown. Young in first winter—Head, lighter gray; plumage of under surface more or less tipped with white. Nest in swamps on floating piles of vegetation or among rushes; eggs, six to sixteen, gray, speckled with black, 1.80 x 1.30. Common migrant along the coast and on the bay; occasionally inland. March 30th to May 3d, September Ist to October 29th. Thurber* records it as breeding near Morristown, and Mr. C. G. Abbott® records a nest on the Newark marshes, found May 30th, 1907. 1 Cassinia, 1905, p. 24. ? Auk, 1907, p. 1. ° Birds of Princeton, p. 41. *True Democratic Banner, November 10th, 1887. 5 Auk, 1907, p. 486. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 117 Order LIMICOLA. Shore Birds. Family PHALAROPIDA. THE PHALAROPES. These birds are essentially “swimming Sandpipers” with curiously lobed feet, somewhat like those of the Coot. They are peculiar also in the fact that the female is more brightly plumaged than the male, while the latter attends for the most part to the incubation of the eggs. Wilson’s Phalarope nests in interior North America, the others in the far north. a. Wing, 5.25-5.50. RED PHALAROPE, p. 117 aa. Wing less than 5.25. b. Bull, .85. NoRTHERN PHALAROPE, p. 118 bb. Bill, 1.25 or over. WILSON’S PHALAROPE, p. 119 222 Phalaropus fulicarius (Linneus). Red Phalarope. Adult in spring—Length, 7.50-8.50. Wing, 5.25-5.50. Above, streaked broadly with black and buff; top of head, dull black (streaked with buff in the male); wing, grayish, with a white wing band; sides of head, white; entire under parts, cinnamon, with a purplish cast. Adult in autumn.—Above, pearl-gray; wings and tail, gray or dusky; ear- coverts, dusky; rest of plumage, white. Young in first autumn.—Dusky above, edged with buff; white below, suf- fused with brown on breast and throat. Pelagic, occurring well off shore during migrations, but rarely com- ing in to the coast or up the rivers. Ord states that the specimen figured by Wilson was taken near Philadelphia in the latter part of May, 1812. There were three in the flock. Doubtless they were driven into the Delaware River by a storm. Audubon (1835) says that stragglers at times reach New Jersey. Dr. Abbott (1868) records one shot on the Hackensack June 27th, 1863, and Turnbull (1869) says a few are obtained every season, 118 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. and that one was shot September, 1868, at the mouth of Big Timber Creek, by Mr. B. A. Hoopes. Mr. F. M. Chapman saw a number of specimens of this and the following species from a vessel well off the Delaware coast on May 9th, 1897, and Mr. W. E. D. Scott saw five Phalaropes, species not determined, five miles off Long Beach May 20th, 1877.2. The only recent records that I have from New Jersey are one killed at Ocean City May 6th, 1907 (W. H. Werner), and another obtained by Mr. H. W. Hand at Cape May, May 3d, 1909. Dr. B. H. Warren mentions two in the possession of C. D. Wood, shot in New Jersey.? 223 Lobipes lobatus (Linnzus). Northern Phalarope. Adults in spring—Length, 7-8. Wing, 44.40. Above, dusky, streaked on the back with buff, a narrow white wing bar; lower parts, white; breast, more or less dusky (chestnut in female) ; a patch of rusty chestnut on the side of the neck. Adults in autumn.—Gray above, white beneath; forehead and line over the eye, white. Young in first autumn.—Dusky above, with buff edgings; forehead and lower parts, white; breast somewhat clouded with dusky. Pelagic, occurring off shore regularly during migrations, and occa- sionally coming in to the coast or up the rivers. It is more fre- quently seen than either of the other species in New Jersey, occurring in May and September. Mr. Chapman observed them off the coast of Delaware May 9th, 1897 Specimens have been obtained in the State as follows: One shot by Dr. C. C. Abbott at the mouth of Rancocas Creek prior to 1868; one obtained May, 1892, on Delaware Bay, and mounted by C. A. Voelker ;> two obtained on Peck’s Beach (Ocean City) May 22d and May 23d, 1894, by L. F. Bowers and F. L. Burns;® one shot by A. P. Willets September 13th, 1895, at Anchoring Island, near 1 Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., X., p. 2. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 224. * Birds of Penna., p. 77. Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., X., p. 2. 5 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 69. * Auk, 1895, p. 189. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 119 Tuckerton; one shot by D. N. MeCadden at Stone Harbor Septem- ber 4th, 1903; one procured by H. Bergen May 22d, 1896, at Cran- bury, near Princeton,* one in the Turnbull collection labeled N. J. without date. 224 Steganopus tricolor Vieillot. Wilson’s Phalarope. Adults in spring.—Length, 8.50-10. Wing, 4.75-5.25. Above, blue-gray, with several longitudinal bands of chestnut; head, pearl-gray, becoming white on the nape; a broad black band down each side of the neck from the bil¥ to the sides of the breast, which are chestnut; lower parts, white; lower throat tinged with cinnamon. Adults in autumn.—Dull gray above, white below. Young in first autumn.—Upper parts, dusky, edged with buff; below, white; throat tinged with cinnamon. A rare straggler from the interior of North America. Ord records a specimen of Wilson’s Phalarope shot near Philadel- phia May 7th, 1818, and prepared for Peale’s museum.* Audubon was informed that they bred in New Jersey by a person who showed him the skins of two specimens procured in July near Cape May, and assured him that he shot them near their nest, and that they had four eggs. There is no other evidence that the species ever bred on the Atlantic coast and it would seem probable that his informant was not reliable. Dr. Abbott (1868) records two captures—one at Deal Beach, the other at Atlantic City. More recently there are two records—a specimen shot at Ocean City, May 19th, 1898, by Mr. Gilbert H. Moore,® and two shot from a small flock at Cape May, May 4th, 1909, one of which was shown to me by Mr. H. Walker Hand. Abst. Erocs D: iV. O.1C.1L;. p. as: ? Cassinia, 1903, p. 76. ° Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 41. *Ord’s Reprint of Wilson, X., p. 234. Coll] Di V2. O}. Ce Of, Auk, 1898; 1p: 268: 120 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family RECURVIROSTRIDZ. THE AVOCETS AND STILTs. Long-legged Snipe, which habitually wade, and can swim when necessity arises. a. Bill decidedly upturned at the tip, hind toe present. AVOCET, p. 120 aa _ Bill very slightly or not at all upturned, hind toe absent. BLACK-NECKED STILT, p. 121 225 Recurvirostra americana Gmelin. Avocet. Adults in spring and summer.—tLength, 15.50-18.50. Wing, 8.50-9. Head, neck and breast, pale cinnamon; scapulars and wings (except secondaries and tips of greater coverts), dull black; rest of plumage, white. In winter the head and breast are white, tinged with gray. Young in first autwmn.—Similar to winter adults, but with some buff or rusty mottling above. Nest a depression in marshy ground; eggs, three to four, pale olive or buff, spotted with chocolate-brown, 1.90 x 1.30. A very rare straggler from the south. In 1812 Wilson wrote that he found these birds and the Stilts “associated together on the salt marshes of New Jersey [Egg Harbor] on the 20th of May. They were then breeding. Individuals of this species were few in respect to the other.” Audubon says: “In May, 1829, I saw three of these birds at Great Egg Harbor, but found no nests, although those of the Long-legged Avocet of Wilson [7. e., the Stilt] were common.” From these statements it would seem that the Avocet was never a common species in the State. In 1869 Turnbull describes it as “rather rare, appearing late in April and leaving in October.” Since then we have only four records for the State: One shot by Mr. I. N. DeHaven," last of August, 1886, near Tuckerton; one seen by Mr. W. E. D. Scott,? Long Beach, May 20th, 1877; one seen by Mr. I. W. Griscom,* middle of September, 1 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 70. ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 224. ’ Forest and Stream, January 23d, 1909. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 121 1908, at Avalon, and another shot by John Fonda at Barnegat, May 31st, 1880.1 John Krider states that it formerly nested on Egg Island, in Delaware Bay.*. There is a specimen in the Philadelphia Academy collection, taken at Beesley’s Point by Samuel Ashmead, without date. 226 Himantopus mexicanus (Miller). Black-necked Stilt, Lawyer. Aduit male.—Length, 138.50—-15.50. Wing, 8.50-9. Wings, upper back, back of head and neck, glossy greenish-black; rest of plumage, including forehead and ring around the eye, white; legs, bright red. Female.—Similar, but back browner. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but edged above with buff. Nest a depression in the ground; eggs, three to four, buff spotted with choco- late-brown, 1.80 x 1.25. Very rare straggler from the south. Wilson and Audubon found the Stilt a common summer resident at Egg Harbor, breeding on the salt meadows in 1812 and 1829, respect- ively, and Turnbull and Krider state that they found it nesting on Egg Island, Delaware Bay [evidently prior to 1869], but it was rather scarce. A letter from Wm. M. Baird to his brother, Spencer F. Baird, dated Cape Island, July 16th, 1843, states that they were present there at that time, and a few days later, on July 21st, at Cape May Court House, he secured a specimen.* The only recent record I have is one shot at Stone Harbor April 27th, 1894, by C. A. Voelker.* 1 Braislin, Auk, 1905, p. 78. 2? Forty Years’ Notes, p. 62. * Baird, Cassin & Lawrence, Birds of N. A., p. 704. “Stone, Birds of H. Pa. and N. J., p. 152. i © a) w REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family SCOLOPACIDA. THE SNIPE AND SANDPIPERS. Long-billed, usually long-legged, birds which secure their food by probing in the soft mud or sand of the sea shores. The great majority of the species nest in the far north, and are familiar to us as coast migrants, occurring in mixed flocks or flights in spring, late summer and autumn. They have been much shot for game, with the result that they have been greatly reduced in numbers, and some species threatened with extermination. a. Bill, 2.15—6.25. b. Curved downward at tip. ce. Bill, 5-8. LONG-BILLED CURLEW, ce. Bill, 3-4. HUDSONIAN CURLEW, cece. Bill, 2.25-2.50. ESKIMO CURLEW, bb. Slightly upturned at tip. ec. Tail barred black and rusty. MARBLED GODWIT, ce. Tail black with white band at base. HUDSONIAN GopwIT, bbb. Bill, straight. ec. Under parts uniform rufous. Woopcocgr, ce. Under parts rufous, barred with black. EUROPEAN WOODCOCK, cece. Under parts rufous, spotted with black. DOWITCHER, ccec. Under parts white, more or less barred or streaked on and flanks. d. Wing over 7. e. Base of primaries white. « WILLET, eé€. Base of primaries not white. GREATER YELLOW-LEGS, dd. Wing less than 6. e. Tail black, with a subterminal rusty bar. WILSoN’s SNIPE, ee. Tail transversely banded, black and white. DowWITCHER (autumn), aa. Bill, .75—1.50. b. Throat and breast rufous or dull buff. c. Wing, 6.50 or over. KNOT, cc. Wing, 5.50 or less. p. 140 p. 141 p. 142 p. 183 p. 134 p. 124 p. 128 p. 126 breast p. 1387 p. 185 p. 125 p. 126 p. 127 d. Under side of primaries finely vermiculated, black and white. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, dd. Under side of primaries uniform. CuRLEW SANDPIPER, p. 139 p. 181 bb. Entire under parts barred black and white (streaked on the throat) and tinged with rusty. Stitt SANDPIPER, bbb. Entire under parts white with round black spots. pe len Spottep SANDPIPER, p. 140 bbbb. Entire under parts black, except crissum. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, p. 143 bv. vb. 0%. bv. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 123 Breast black, throat and belly white. TURNSTONE, p. 147 Belly black, throat and breast white with black streaks. RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, p. 130 Head, back and breast dusky, belly and chin white. PURPLE SANDPIPER, p. 128 Belly white, breast white or buff, often more or less streaked with dusky. c. Breast tinged with buff, in contrast to white throat and belly, and streaked with black. d. Wing, 6 or more. UPLAND PLOVER, p. 138 dd. Wing under 5. PECTORAL SANDPIPER, p. 128 ec. No buff-tint on the breast. d. Wing, 6 or more. e. Tail feathers gray. Knor (autumn), p. 127 ee. Tail feathers barred black and white. jee) Boe YELLOW-LEGS, p. 136 ff. Bill, 1.15. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (autumn), p. 143 dd. Wing, 4.50-5. e. Bill, 1 or less. f. Rump entirely white. ff. Rump dusky in the middle. Barrp’s SANDPIPER, p. 130 ee. Bill, 1.25—1.50. WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, p. 129 f. Tail feathers banded black and white. SoLirary SANDPIPER, p. 136 ff. Tail feathers plain gray. RED-BACKED SANDPIPER (autumn), p. 130 fff. Tail feathers gray, with white centers. Srizt SANDPIPER (autumn), p. 127 ddd. Wing, 4 or less. e. Two toes slightly webbed at base. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, p. 132 ee. No webs at base of toes. ; fe Leildls ab Sporrep SANDPIPER (young), p. 140 ff. Bill, .60. Least SANDPIPER, p. 130 227 Scolopax rusticola Linnzus. European Woodcock. Adults.—Length, 13.50. Wing, 8. Similar in general appearance to the Woodcock on the upper surface, but buff below, transversely barred with dusky, and wing quills and tail feathers with rusty bars on the outer webs. An accidental straggler from Europe. A specimen was obtained in Washington Market, New York, De- cember 6th, 1859, said to have been killed at Shrewsbury, N. J.,1 and Dr. B. H. Warren records another obtained from a game dealer in Philadelphia September, 1889, said to have been shot in New Jersey. 1 Lawrence, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., VIII., 1866, p. 223. 124 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 228 Philohela minor (Gmelin). Woodcock. PLATE 18. Adults—Length, 10.50-11.75. Wing, 4.80—-5.70. Upper parts barred irregu- larly with black and rusty, with pale gray spots down the back; back of head with three broad black transverse bands bounded and separated by narrow ful- vous bands; under parts, uniform cinnamon, a dusky bar from the eye to the bill, and another across the ear-coverts; wing quills, dull brownish-gray; tail feathers, black, tipped with gray above and white beneath. Nest in dry leaves in the woods; eggs, four, buff, spotted with reddish-brown, 1.50 x 1.15. Summer resident, but most abundant in migrations, and occasional in winter. Much less abundant than formerly. Mr. H. W. Hand tells me that the spring flight is particularly noticeable at Cape May, beginning from February 28th to March 9th. In autumn the migration occurs during October and November. About South Orange Mr. W. A. Babson states that the birds seem to be increasing with the abandonment of summer shooting. The flight occurs there in fall, from October 15th to November 28th. At Princeton he found them staying until December, and at Haddonfield Mr. S. N. Rhoads found one on January Ist, 1881. Mr. Hand also tells me that they occasionally occur in winter at Cape May. Mr. W. B. Crispin found a nest at Pennsgrove May 20th, 1903; Mr. A. H. Jillson took a set of eggs at Tuckerton May 13th, 1884, and Mr. Hann reports a few nesting at Summit, but it is becoming a rare breeder in the State. In the old days the abundance of the Woodcock may be judged from the statement of a writer in Doughty’s Cabinet of Natural History, who says that in 1825, on the Cohansey River, three men, in two hours, killed upwards of forty on a very small tract of ground. The Woodcock is a grotesque-looking bird, with his large round eyes perched high up and far back on the head. He is a bird of low-wooded country, where areas of soft mud afford him good feeding grounds, and where we can see countless borings as evidence of his presence. ‘ The unfortunate and absurd practice of shooting Woodcock in July THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 125 has done much to reduce the numbers of this splendid bird until it has been classed among the vanishing game birds." During the mating season the male Woodcock at dusk performs a re- markable aerial performance, mounting in a spiral, his rapidly movy- ing wings making a continuous whistle, and then back to earth pre- paratory to another ascent. 230 Gallinago delicata (Ord). Wilson’s Snipe, English Snipe. PLATE 19. Adults.——Length, 10-12. Wing, 5-5.30. Above, black, striped and mottled with buff and rusty; edge of outer primary and tips of greater coverts, white ; throat and abdomen, white; breast, buff, mottled with dusky; sides broadly barred with black; under tail-coverts, buff, barred with black; tail, rufous, barred with black and tipped with white; middle feathers, largely black. A dusky line from the eye to the bill and another across the ear-coverts. Nest a hollow on the ground; eggs, three to four, olive or buffy-brown, heavily mottled with darker brown, 1.50 x 1.10. A regular transient, occurring in spring, March 20th to May 10th; sometimes as early as March 3d; in autumn, from October Ist to December 1st, and casually all winter. Dr. C. C. Abbott has seen it in winter at Trenton, and Mr. Scott has found it in springy places where the.ground remains unfrozen. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads found one at Haddonfield in midwinter about 1875. W. B. Evans* saw one at Moorestown December 25th, 1902, and Mr. W. A. Babson* shot one January 4th, 1900, at Princeton. In the vicinity of New York Mr. Chapman‘ says that a few pass the winter. Wounded birds have been observed as late as June by Mr. Scott at Princeton, and Turnbull says some stay during summer. Mr. Her- rick® reports that such birds have nested on several occasions near Chatham, and Dr. Abbott (1868) states that some breed at Trenton, but gives no specific instance. The only positive record with which I am acquainted is a nest found a few years ago at Newfoundland by Mr. A. R. Dugmore. 1Of. A. K. Fisher, Two Vanishing Game Birds, U. 8S. Dept. Agriculture. 2 Bird Lore, 1903, p. 17. ’ Birds of Princeton, p. 42. * Birds Vicinity of N. Y., p. 39. > Forest and Stream, 1879, p. 165. \ 126 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 231 Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmelin). Dowitcher, Brownback. Adults in spring—Length, 10-11. Wings, 5.25-5.75. Upper parts, dusky, blacker on the back, edged and barred or streaked with rusty or buff, rump and tail barred black and white; under parts, including sides of head and neck, cinnamon rufous, spotted or barred (on sides) with black; center of abdomen, white. In autumn.—Throat, middle of abdomen and line from bill through the eye, white; rest of plumage, ashy-gray, except the rump and tail, which are barred black and white. Young in first autumn.—Upper parts varied with dusky and edged with brown; chest tinged with brown and indistinctly speckled with dusky. Regular transient, not uncommon on the coast; May 6th to 20th and July 20th to October 1st. Mr. W. E. D. Scottt found them as early as July 6th at Long Beach, and Dr. W. L. Abbott got one in Cape May county July 18th, 1878, while others, apparently on the northward migration, were taken as late as June 10th, 1879, and May 22d, 1882.? 232 Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say). Long-billed Dowitcher. Very similar to the Dowitcher of which it is the western representative. Dis- tinguished by its longer bill, which averages 2.70 instead of 2.30; its generally larger size, length, 11-12.50 against 10-11, and the deeper coloration of the lower parts in spring and summer. While I do not know of any actual New Jersey specimen of this species, it undoubtedly occurs as a rare visitant with the other Dow- itcher. Krider mentions it, and it has been secured on Long Island. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. ?Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 127 233 Micropalama himantopus (Bonaparte). Stilt Sandpiper. Adults in spring.—Length, 7.50-9.25. Wings, 5-5.25. Black above, streaked or mottled and edged with buff and rusty; rump and upper tail-coverts barred black and white; a cinnamon rufous patch from the eye over the ear-coverts and another from over the eyes around the back of the neck; under parts, pale cinnamon, streaked on the neck and barred elsewhere with black. In autumn.—Tail-coverts and rump barred black and white; rest of upper parts, ashy-gray; lower parts, white, streaked with gray on the chest, sides of neck and under tail-coverts. Young in first autumn.—Upper tail-coverts white, back edged with buff; under parts, dull white, tinged with buff and obscurely streaked with gray. Rare transient on the coast, and according to Dr. C. C. Abbott, single specimens have been killed on the Delaware at Trenton. The type specimen was shot by Bonaparte’ from a flock at Long Branch, in the middle of July, 1826. Turnbull (1869) states that it occurs in May and again in August, but gives no definite records. One New Jersey specimen is in his collection from Brigantine Beach. In 1879, between July 15th and September 15th, Dr. Jonathan Dwight? secured ten specimens at Squan Beach; Mr. W. L. Baily got two from a flock of four at Cape May August 11th, 1897, and on August 20th, 1897, got another from a flock of three on Two Mile Beach. 234 Tringa canutus Linnzus. Knot, Grayback, Robin-snipe. PLATE 20. Adults in spring..—Length, 10-11. Wing, 6.50. Above, pale gray, irregularly streaked and mottled with black; rump and upper tail-coverts barred black and white; under parts, pale cinnamon rufous; flanks, under tail-coverts (and sometimes belly), white, with some dusky streaks. In autumn.—Ashy-gray above, except rump and upper tail-coverts, which are barred black and white; below, white with dusky streaks on foreneck, chest and sides. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but feathers of back narrowly edged with black and tipped with whitish; under parts, white, finely mottled or streaked with dusky on breast and sides. AMMO VGs UN Ne. L., op. Lote ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 63. 128 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Transient; much less common than formerly. Occurs during the latter half of May, and again from the middle of July to October. Dr. W. L. Abbott took one in Cape May county as late as June 3d im lSig: 235 Arquatella maritima (Briinnich). Purple Sandpiper. Winter adults—Length, 8-9.50. Wing, 5-5.40. Above, sooty black, edges of greater coverts and some secondaries entirely white; under parts, gray, passing into white on the abdomen. Young in first winter edged with buff above. A very rare winter visitant. Turnbull (1869) says it is very rarely seen so far south, and one specimen from Egg Harbor is contained in his collection without date.t Dr. Abbott (1868) states that a specimen was found dead near the Ab- secon lighthouse, and Mr. A. P. Willets shot one at Beach Haven October 31st, 1896.1 Krider* states that he only obtained two speci- mens during his long experience. These are the only definite New Jersey records, although Chapman,’ referring probably to Long Island, says it is a rare but regular winter resident. 239 Pisobia maculata (Vieillot). Pectoral Sandpiper, Grass-snipe. Adults.—Length, 89.50. Wing, 5-5.50. Head and neck streaked pale buff and dusky; back and rump, blackish, the former edged with buff; throat and entire abdomen, white; neck and breast, buff, streaked with dusky. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but more rusty above. Transient along the coast; common in the vicinity of New York, according to Chapman, but apparently less abundant along the New Jersey beaches. It occurs in April and from August to October, always more plentiful in fall. It was common in the time of Bona- parte and Turnbull. Mr. Scott found it scarce at Long Beach in 1Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. * Field Notes, p. 64. 3 Birds Vicinity N. Y., p. 39. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 129 1877,1 and Mr. Laurent makes the same statement for Five Mile Beach. Dr. W. L. Abbott? obtained specimens on the beaches of Cape May county October 4th, 1879, and September 14th, 1880, and Mr. W. L. Baily? found a number at Holly Beach in September, 1895. Mr. Baily reports a specimen shot on the Delaware River March 26th, 1886, and Dr. C. C. Abbott* and Dr. Thomas’ state that they are occasional on the upper part of the river. Near Princeton they also occur occasionally, and on August 29th, 1895, Dr. Farr found them abundant at Cranbury Millpond.® | 240 Pisobia fuscicollis (Vieillot). White-rumped Sandpiper. Adults—Length, 6.75-8. Wing, 4.90-5. Plumage similar to Hreunetes pusillus, but the rump pure white, and streaks on breast and sides of head rather finer and narrower. Distinguished also by its larger size, being inter- mediate between the Semipalmated and Red-backed Sandpipers. Transient, and apparently rather scarce on the New Jersey coast, although Mr. Chapman says it is not uncommon in the vicinity of New York City.’ Bonaparte was apparently the first to find this species in the State, as he shot specimens on the coast prior to 1832, and stated that they were rather common there in autumn. Turnbull (1869) says that it is frequent, and Mr. Scott* found it common at Long Beach in 1877. Mr. Laurent,’ however, regards it as rare at Five Mile Beach, and I have found no specimens in collections made on the New Jersey coast in recent years. It is quite likely that it is confused with the Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, with which it associates, and which it so closely resembles. These birds are so common that they would be passed by and not collected, and this probably accounts for the scarcity of the present species in local collections. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 225. 2? Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. SMe Weare, IDE WS KOR (Ges JE oy ales * Birds of N. J., 1868. 5 Birds of Bucks county, Pa. ®* Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 42. 7 Birds Vicinity N. Y., p. 39. § Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. 7@ rand ©:, 1892 psd. 130 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 241 Pisobia bairdi (Coues). Baird’s Sandpiper. Length, 7-7.50. Wing, 4.60-4.80. Closely resembles the preceding in size and general appearance, but the rump is broadly dusky in the middle and the breast strongly tinged with buff. Rare transient in the autumn. There is but one record, a male shot at Stone Harbor September 5th, 1898, by Mr. David McCadden, and now in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy. It was pre- sented by Mr. H. W. Fowler. 242 Pisobia minutilla (Vieillot). Least Sandpiper, Peep, Oxeye. Adults in spring.—Length, 5-6.50. Wing, 3.50-3.75. Above, black, irregu- larly marked and streaked with rusty and buff; rump and upper tail-coverts, dull black; under parts, white, except foreneck and chest, which are tinged with brown and streaked with dusky. In autumn.—Plain brownish-gray above; throat and abdomen, white; breast, ashy-gray, obscurely streaked. Very common transient, occurring during May, and again July 15th to September 15th. At Long Beach, in 1877, Mr. Scott? found them as early as July 7th. They occur up the Delaware occasionally, usually in August, and at various places inland. Mr. Babson? found them at Princeton in May, and from July 25th to September 10th. Audubon found them on the Raritan River July 29th, 1832, and Wilson records them on the Schuylkill, at Philadelphia, in August. 243a Pelidna alpina sakhalina (Vieillot). Red-backed Sandpiper, Black-breast, Dunlin. Adults in spring.—Length, 7.60-8.75. Wing, 4.60-4.95. Head, neck and breast (except chin), dull white, streaked with black; top of head strongly tinged with rusty; back, black, bordered with rusty; wings, dull brownish, 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. ? Birds of Princeton. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 151 middle coverts tipped with white; belly, black; flanks and posterior part of abdomen and crissum, white, latter with narrow black streaks. In autumn.—Above, plain ashy-gray; throat and abdomen, white; breast, ashy-gray. Young in first autumn.—Similar, feathers of upper parts edged with rusty or buff; under parts, white; neck streaked, breast and belly spotted with black. Very common transient, occurring in May, and from September Ist to November 1st. Mr. Scott? found them at Long Beach as early as April 17th, 1877, and Dr. W. L. Abbott found them plentiful in Cape May county April 18th, 1878, and at Five Mile Beach Mr. Laurent? states that they remain all winter, while Turnbull (1869) also states that a few winter, and Dr. W. L. Abbott obtained two specimens in Cape May county November 29th, 1878. Occasional on the Delaware, but apparently rare, according to Drs. C. C. Abbott and Thomas.? I have no recent record. 244 Erolia ferruginea (Briinnich). Curlew Sandpiper. Adults in spring.—Length, 7-9. Wing, 4.80-5.20. Head, neck and lower parts, cinnamon rufous; upper parts, blackish and rusty. In autumn.—Above, plain brownish-gray, with indistinct shaft streaks, stripe over the eye, rump and under parts, white; grayish on chest. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but back dusky, streaked with buff, and breast tinged with buff. A very rare straggler from the old world. Audubon says “two were shot at Great Egg Harbor in the spring or 18295" Turnbull states that Wilson must also have met with it, as in his portfolio of drawings he found a figure of the species in autumnal plumage. Dr. C. C. Abbott (1868) says that specimens have been taken at Tuckerton and Cape May. The only other record of its occurrence in the State is one in the collection of Mr. John Lewis Childs,* shot on Long Beach July 29th, 1904. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. =O: and ©:, 1892, p. 53. ® Birds of Bucks county, Pa. * Auk, 1904, p. 485, and Warbler, 1904, p. 71. 132 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 246 Ereunetes pusillus (Linnezus). Semipalmated Sandpiper, Peep, Oxeye. PLATE 21. Adults in spring.—Length, 5.25-6.50. Wing, 3.65-4. Upper parts, black, feathers edged with buff and strongly streaked with rusty; rump, plain dusky ; under parts, dull white, breast and sides spotted or streaked with dusky. In autumn.—Above, plain ashy-gray; below, unspotted. Young in first autumn.—sSimilar to spring adults, but duller, and breast washed with buff and unstreaked. Abundant transient, occurring in May, and from July 10th to Oc- tober Ist. Occurs on the Delaware occasionally and at suitable places inland. This species is probably our most abundant migrant Sandpiper, but it associates so intimately with the Least Sandpiper and resembles it so closely that it is practically impossible to distinguish them in life, so that statements made about one apply equally to the other. 247 Ereunetes mauri Cabanis. Western Sandpiper. Closely related to the Semipalmated Sandpiper of which it is the western representative, and from which it may be told by its much longer bill—.85 to .95 instead of .68 to .75—and by the greater amount of rusty edgings to the feathers of the upper parts. The Western variety of the preceding, with which it occurs, more or less regularly, in autumn. A specimen was obtained by Dr. W. L. Abbott in Cape May county September 14th, 1880, and another by Mr. I. N. DeHaven at Atlantic City May 17th, 1892. Mr. W. L. Baily found it quite as plentiful as the Eastern form on Two Mile Beach September Ist to 15th, 1895, and secured twenty specimens. ? Auk, 1896, p. 174. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 133 248 Calidris leucophza (Pallas). Sanderling. Adults in late spring—Length, 7T-8.75. Wing, 4.70-5. Above, black, edged with rusty; throat and sides of neck and head, rusty, spotted with black; rest of under parts, white. In early spring.—Head and back with more or less black and rusty feathers appearing among the gray. In autumn and winter.—Pale gray above, under parts entirely white. Young in first autumn.—Gray above, mottled with black and white; below, white, washed with buff on the breast. Very common transient, occurring in spring, April 18th to June 1st, and July 15th to October 15th. Dr. W. L. Abbott obtained a specimen as late as June 13th, 1879, in Cape May county, which is in the full rusty breeding plumage. Mr. W. L. Baily obtained adults at Cape May August 4th, which were just beginning to molt into the winter dress. Turnbull (1869) says that many Sanderlings remain on the coast all winter, and Mr. H. W. Hand tells me that a few still winter at Cape May, while Dr. W. L. Abbott took one on Five Mile Beach on November 28th, 1878, and Mr. Scott found six or seven the last week of December at Long Beach. Dr. C. C. Abbott (1868) states that Sanderlings have been killed at Trenton and New Brunswick, but I have no recent record inland. This species is more strictly a beach bird than many of the others, and is seldom found on the bays or marshes. 249 Limosa fedoa (Linnzus). Marbled Godwit, Marlin. Adults.—Length, 16.50-20.50. Wing, 8.50-9. Plumage a mixture of cinna- mon-buff and dull black; head and neck streaked, back and tail barred; throat, white; rest of under parts, buff, barred with black. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but under parts plain buff. Rare fall migrant, formerly more plentiful, occurring in May and September, according to Turnbull (1869). Wilson (1812) says: “They are found along the salt marshes in May and for some time in 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. 134 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. June, also in October and November, but they are much less numer- ous than the Short-billed [7. e., Hudsonian] Curlews.” Krider? re- garded them as plentiful in autumn. Mr. Scott? met with but three at Long Beach in 1877, an adult in May and two young late in July. His observations, however, ceased September Ist. Dr. W. L. Abbott only obtained two during many trips to Cape May county. These were on September 14th, 1880. Dr. Warren® states that a few have been taken in Philadelphia and Delaware counties, presumably along the river, but I have nothing definite on this subject. 251 Limosa haemastica (Linnzus). Hudsonian Godwit, Ring-tailed Marlin. Adults——Length, 14-16. Wing, 8.10-8.60. Black above, head and neck streaked with buff or light chestnut; rump, base and tip of tail, pure white; lower parts, darker chestnut, barred with dusky. Young in first autumn.—Brownish-gray above, head, neck and under parts, very pale gray or whitish; rump and tail as in adult. Most specimens seen from New Jersey are molting from one plumage to the other and are variously mottled. Rare and irregular fall migrant. It was first mentioned from New Jersey by J. Doughty,* who describes and figures a specimen taken May, 1828, at Cape May, by Titian R. Peale. Another specimen in the Philadelphia Academy was procured by Mr. A. Galbraith in the Philadelphia market in 1855, which had been secured in New Jersey. Turnbull (1869) states that it is rather scarce, arriving late in Sep- tember. One was shot by C. D. Wood,® September, 1878, on the Schuylkill, below Philadelphia, and another, labeled “Delaware River, Dr. Gam- bel,” is in the Philadelphia Academy collection. About 1885 Mr. I. N. DeHaven informs me that they occurred at Atlantic City with the Willet in autumn, two or three in each flock. Since then I have seen a specimen obtained at Cape May September, 1900, by Mr. Henry Hazlehurst, and two were shot at Anglesea by Mr. H. W. Wenzel August 26th, 1901, one of which is in the collec- tion of the Philadelphia Academy. 1 Wield Notes, p. 67. ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. 2 Birds of Pa., p. 88. 4 Cabinet of Nat. Hist., II., p. 158. 5 Trotter, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 275. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 135 254 Totanus melanoleucus (Gmelin). Greater Yellow-legs, Tell-tale. Adults in spring—Length, 12.15-15. Wing, 7.50-7.75. Above, blackish, mottled all over with white or grayish; rump, white, with dusky tips to some of the feathers; tail, barred black and white; under parts, white; neck and chest streaked, sides barred with dusky. Adults and young in autumn.—Similar, but gray above spotted with white, spots below much less distinct. Common transient, occurring April 20th to May 16th, and again July 15th to October, some lingering until November. Mr. H. W. Hand tells me that the main flight at Cape May is in October. The latest records we have are one shot by Dr. W. L. Abbott at Five Mile Beach November 7th, 1877, and another shot by Mr. Ernest Schluter at League Island, on the Delaware, November 9th, 1897.7 I saw two at the mouth of Pensauken Creek, on the Delaware, May 30th, 1897, and Mr. W. L. Whitaker took one on Tacony Creek, Pa., May 11th, 1895. Mr. Babson?’ also finds it occasionally at Princeton in August and September, and it has been seen at other points inland. An idea seems to have been prevalent that the Greater Yellow-legs bred in New Jersey. Wilson and Audubon were so informed by natives at Egg Harbor, and Turnbull gives the species as a summer bird, without comment. Dr. C. C. Abbott? includes both species of Yellow-legs and the Solitary Sandpiper as breeders in Mercer county, but, like many other statements made in the same paper, there is a lack of definite data and no confirmation. Mr. T. Morgan‘ records a nest at Somerville, N. J., June 9th, 1883, but his detailed description shows that it belonged to some other species. As a matter of fact, the bird has never been found nesting within many hundred miles of New Jersey. 1 Fowler, Cassinia, 1903, p. 53. ? Birds of Princeton, p. 43. 3 Amer. Nat., IV., p. 548. SOrandi Or WLLL», p6t. 136 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 255 Totanus flavipes (Gmelin). Yellow-legs, Summer Yellow-legs. toler) Adults.—Length, 9.50-11. Wing, 6.25-6.65. Plumage similar to the Greater Yellow-legs at all seasons; easily distinguished by the difference in size. Transient; very rare in spring, but usually common in autumn. Occurs from July to October 15th. Mr. Scott? saw none in spring at Long Beach in 1877, but they arrived as early as July 9th, and were common through August. Messrs. H. W. Hand and Philip Laurent? state that it is not so com- mon on the Cape May beaches as the preceding. It is said to occur occasionally on the Delaware, although I have no recent record. At Princeton a few appear the latter part of every summer, and August 14th, 1875, Mr. Scott secured five specimens. In Wilson’s time it was very plentiful in autumn, and large num- bers were brought to market. On September 5th he “shot several dozens on the meadows of Schuylkill, below Philadelphia.” The alleged records of nesting in the State are without foundation, as stated under the preceding species. 256 Helodromas solitarius (Wilson). Solitary Sandpiper. Adults in spring—Length, 7.50-8.50. Wing, 5-5.40. Upper parts, dull blackish-brown, with an olive tint; head streaked and back spotted with white, sides of rump and all the tail feathers but the middle pair, broadly barred with black and white; under parts, pure white, breast narrowly streaked and sides barred with dusky. Adults and young in autumn.—Similar, but duller and grayer above, with less spotting. Rather common transient. Occurs on fresh-water streams, meadows and ponds, but is rare on the seacoast. In spring it is with us from April 25th to May 30th, and in autumn from September 15th to Oc- tober 20th. Mr. H. W. Fowler has taken specimens as early as July, on the Delaware, at Holmesburg, Pa. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 225. 20. and O., 1892, p. 53. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 137° Notwithstanding Dr. Abbott’s statement’ that this species “breeds in the State as regularly as Spizella socialis,’ the Chipping Sparrow, no one else has found the nest, and none of the alleged nests or eggs seems to have been preserved. There is no doubt, 1 think, but that this species nests on the Pocono Mountains, in Pennsylvania, and there is, of course, a chance of its breeding in the mountainous coun- ties of Northwestern New Jersey, but hardly in Mercer county. This is almost the only migrant Sandpiper that one is likely to see regularly away from the coast. We come upon them singly or in parties of two or three about some pond or meadow. In general ap- pearance they recall the Spotted Sandpiper, but may be easily recog- nized by their larger size. 258 Catoptrophorus semipalmatus (Gmelin). Willet. Adults in spring.—Length, 15-17. Wing, 7.50-9. Gray above, tinged with brown, streaked and barred with dusky; rump and a large patch on the wing feathers, white; middle tail feathers, barred; others white, mottled with gray ; ander parts white, washed with gray on the neck and buff on the sides; neck and chest streaked and sides barred with dusky. Adults and young in autumn.—Pale gray above, white beneath, rump and wings as in spring. Rare fall migrant. Formerly common along the coast, April 20th to May 15th and July 17th to September 15th; and casual up Dela- ware Bay. Also bred extensively. Wilson (1812) says: “This is one of the most noisy and noted birds that inhabit our salt marshes in summer. * * * It breeds in great numbers, and has eggs May 20th.” Turnbull (1869) records it as still common from the middle of April to October. At Long Beach Scott? (1879) writes: “Said to have been formerly one of the most abundant breeding species, but is fast becoming rare by the inroads of gunners and egg-hunters. I took a male April 6th, 1877, and saw no others until May. On the 17th of July they began coming from the north, and were very common for a time.” Mr. 8. N. Rhoads secured one September 1st, 1881, on the same beach, and another October, 1882, and Mr. W. L. Baily got one at Atlantic City in the fall of 1884; saw a number at Five Mile Beach July 23d to August 17th, 1896; three at Cape May in August, 1897; one at Five 1 Amer. Nat., IV., p. 548. 2 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 225. 138 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Mile Beach May 21st, 1898, and one at Beach Haven August 9th, 1902. Mr. C. 8. Shick* states that the Willets were still breeding on the salt marshes adjoining Seven Mile Beach in 1889, when he took two sets of eggs on Gull Island. Dr. W. L. Abbott, on Five Mile Beach, took only two of these birds May 15th, 1877, and September 14th, 1880, and Mr. Laurent,” writing of the same spot in 1892, says a few are seen in spring and fall. On the bay side of the Cape May peninsula they also bred, and a nest is recorded by Mr. C. E. Bellows,* which was taken May 19th, 1884, near the Warner House, on Delaware Bay. The last capture of the bird that we know of in this vicinity was one obtained by Mr. W. R. Wharton, October 8th, 1904, near Salem, and presented to Mr. F. L. Burns.* 260 Machetes pugnax (Linnzus). Ruff. Adult male.—Length, 10-12.50. Wing, 6.40. Mottled above, black, buff and gray, long pendant feathers forming a cape and extended “ruff; these are varied—glossy black, white, buff or mottled, differing in each individual; under parts, white, varied with black. Female without “cape” or “ruff ;” upper parts barred, black, white and buff; below, white. Young dusky above, edged with buff; breast, buff; abdomen, white. Accidental straggler from Europe. Mr. Chapman’ records one in the Elliott collection in the American Museum collection labeled “Barnegat, N. J.,” and Turnbull mentions one secured on the New Jersey coast. i 261 Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein). Upland Plover, Field Plover. PLATE 22. Adults—Length, 11-12.75. Wing, 6.50-7. Head and neck streaked black and buff; back, ete., barred with the same; wings and middle tail feathers, brownish; outer primary barred with white, rest of tail feathers, white and buff, barred with black; under parts, buff, becoming white on the belly. 1 Auk, 1890, p. 328. 20. and O., 1892, p. 53. 3’ Forest and Stream, XXII., p. 364. * Wilson, Bulletin, 1905, p. 27. 5 Birds Vicinity N. Y., p. 40. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 139 Young in first autumn.—Similar, but deeper buff, with streaks and bars less distinct. Nest a hollow on the ground, usually in an old upland field; eggs, four to five, cream or buff, with reddish-brown spots clustered about the larger end, efor 1.20: Transient, but not common, breeding very rarely. Formerly a com- mon migrant and summer resident in many parts of the State. They arrive in the Delaware Valley from April 10th to 24th, and are seldom seen after September 10th. Mr. Babson? states that a nest found near Princeton June 30th, 1898, was the only instance of its breeding there in four years, although twenty years ago Professor Phillips told him it was a com- mon summer resident. Mr. H. W. Fowler? found it evidently breeding at Ridgewood, Ber- gen county, in 1901, and Mr. W. D. W. Miller writes me that it nests near Raritan. At Salem Mr. W. B. Crispin tells me he has seen the young, but never found a nest. Thurber records it as a breeder in Morris county in 1886, and Bonaparte*® says it was common in sum- mer “on plains near the seacoast.” Wilson found it apparently nesting near Burlington in June. It is rare on the coast. 262 Tryngites subruficollis (Vieillot). Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Adults—Length, 7-8.50. Wing, 5.10-5.50. Above, grayish-brown, varied with blackish; below, pale buff, with obscure mottlings of black on the breast; axillars, white; inner webs of primaries, white, finely mottled with black; tail feathers, except middle pair, buff, irregularly barred with black. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but duller, with mottling on primaries still finer. A rare straggler from the interior of North America. Turnbull (1869) states that it is rather rare, and generally seen late in autumn. The only occurrences of the bird with which I am familiar are two specimens secured by Mr. W. M. Swain, one in September, 1898, 1 Birds of Princeton, p. 48. * Cassinia, 1901, p. 50. SAN eyes ONe Yet lorp. one. 140 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. between the 7th and 21st,* half a mile south of Cedar Creek, Barnegat Bay; the other, September 8th, 1899, one and a half miles north of Toms River, on the west shore of the Bay. 263 Actitis macularia (Linnzus). Spotted Sandpiper. PLATE 23. Adults in summer.—Length, 7-8. Wing, 4.10-4.60. Above, grayish-brown, with a slight bronze gloss; feathers mottled with black; tail, narrowly tipped with white; outer feathers more or less obscurely barred with black; lower parts, white, everywhere marked with round black spots smaller on the throat. In autumn.—Plain bronze-brown above and white beneath, slightly tinged with gray on the chest. Young in first summer and autumn.—Similar to winter adults, but feathers of upper parts edged with buff and dusky. Nest a mere hollow on the ground; eggs, three to four, olive-buff, spotted with dark brown and purplish, 1.35 x .90. Common summer resident, nesting throughout the State wherever conditions are favorable, even along the coast marshes. Arrives April 20th to 25th; departs October 1st. Mr. Babson? saw one at Princeton as late as November 1st. The most widely distributed and most familiar of our Sandpipers and almost the only one now breeding in the State. It may be seen running along the mud flats of our rivers and creeks, now taking wing and circling out over the water to alight again a little further on, every now and then uttering its clear whistle or series of short whistles. It nests often quite well away from the water in a grass field or even in a garden, and the downy young can later be found running about with their parents. 264 Numenius americanus Bechstein. Long-billed Curlew, Sicklebill. Adults.——Length, 20-25. Wing, 10-11. Above, black and buff; head and neck streaked, other parts barred; below, cinnamon-buff, streaked on the breast with dusky; axillars, nearly plain cinnamon. 1 Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., III., p. 12. Specimen in D. V. O. C. Colln. * Birds of Princeton, p. 44. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 141 Rare and irregular fall migrant. Formerly regular and frequent both in spring and fall, appearing about the middle of May, according to Wilson, and again in Septem- ber. He further states that “a few instances have been known of one or two pair remaining in the salt marshes of Cape May all summer. A person of respectability informed me that he once started a Curlew from her nest, which was composed of a little dry grass, and contained four eggs. This was in July.” Wilson, however, never saw a nest himself, so that the breeding of the species in the State is not posi- tively established. Turnbull in 1869 still regarded the “Sickle Bill” as frequent. In 1877 Scott? reports it rare at Long Beach, and very shy; seen the middle of April. The only subsequent record with which I am ac- quainted is a specimen taken by Dr. W. L. Abbott, in Cape May county, September 14th, 1880.2, Mr. Laurent’s* remarks on this species in his “Birds of Five Mile Beach” evidently refer to the fol- lowing. 265 Numenius hudsonicus Latham. Hudsonian Curlew, Jack Curlew. Adults —Length, 16.50-18. Wing, 9-10.25. Differs from the Long-billed Curlew in size and in having the axillars barred with dusky and the lower parts paler buff. Common transient. April 25th to June Ist, and again July 15th to September 15th. Mr. Scott* found them at Long Beach as early as July 9th in 1877, and Mr. H. W. Hand saw them in spring of 1907 on April 12th. Mr. Hand found a roosting spot on the meadows on May 23d, 1907, to which great numbers of the birds resorted at dusk.° 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. *Colln. Phila. Acad. UOmands OL 4892. ps dos * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. 5 Cassinia, 1907, p. 69. 142 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 266 Numenius borealis (Forster). Eskimo Curlew. Adults.—Length, 12.50-14.50. Wing, 8-8.50. Differs from the Hudsonian Curlew in smaller size and in having V-shaped marks on the under parts in- stead of narrow streaks. The head, too, is uniformally streaked, with no light median stripe as in the other species. Inner webs of quills uniform dusky, which at once distinguishes it from the preceding in which they are barred. Formerly a “rather rare transient in May and September” (Turn- bull, 1869) ; now apparently almost extinct. Wilson was not acquainted with this species, the bird he called “Hskimo Curlew” being the Hudsonian Curlew, as long ago pointed out by Bonaparte. Nevertheless, both Nuttall and apparently Dr. C. C. Abbott have quoted Wilson’s remarks as applying to this species. The only definite information regarding the occurrence of the Eskimo Curlew in New Jersey is Bonaparte’s statement that he had “occasionally met with it in the markets of New York and Philadel- phia, though in the middle States it is by no means common.” Family CHARADRIIDA. THe PLOVERS. Close allies of the Snipe and Sandpipers, but with short bills, and usually with the hind toe lacking. a. Upper parts speckled. b. A small rudimentary hind toe. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, p. 143 bb. No hind toe. GOLDEN PLOVER, p. 143 aa. Upper parts plain. b. Two black bands on breast. KILLDEER, p. 144 bb. One breast band or merely a blotch on each side of the chest, black or gray. c. Deep grayish-brown above. d. Bill, .50—.55. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, p. 145 dd. Bill, .80. WILSON’S PLOVER, p. 146 ce. Pale brownish-gray above. PIPING PLOVER, p. 145 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 143 270 Squatarola squatarola (Linnzus). Black-bellied Plover, Bull-head. Adults in spring.—Length, 10.50-12. Wing, 7.50. Upper part coarsely mot- tled black and white; crown, largely dusky; forehead and back of neck, white ; tail, white at base, rest barred black and white; under parts, sides of face and axillars, black; flanks and under tail-coverts, white. Adults in autumn.—Above, dull black, thickly spotted with grayish-white ; below, white; lower neck, chest and sides of face streaked with gray or dusky. Young in first autumn.—Similar to winter adults, but spots on upper parts pale yellowish. Common transient. April 30th to May 22d and August 1st to No- vember Ist. Dr. W. L. Abbott has taken specimens as late as June 3d, 1879, in the spring flight, in Cape May county, and as late as November ‘th, 1877, in the fall. Mr. W. E. D. Scott’ states that they arrived in late July at Long Beach in 1877. 272 Charadrius dominicus Muiiller. Golden Plover. Adults in spring.—Length, 9.50-10.50. Wing, 6.80-7.40. Similar to the Black-bellied Plover below, but upper parts dusky blackish, spotted with bright yellow; forehead and back of neck, white, as in that species. Adults in autumn.—Above, similar, lower parts brownish-gray, except the throat and belly, which are white; slightly streaked on the breast. i Young in first autumn.—Similar to winter adults, but yellow spots brighter and a yellow tinge below. Autumnal transient, very rare in spring. Apparently not abundant on the lower New Jersey coast; certainly much less so than it is about New York, where Mr. Chapman? says it is rare in spring, but common in autumn. Like many other shore birds, it seems to fly direct from Long Island to the Delaware coast, thus avoiding New Jersey unless driven in shore by storms. Its occurrence inland is also irregular. According to Dr. Farr, it is occasionally common during August at Cranbury, near Princeton,® * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. * Birds Vicinity N. Y., p. 41. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 44. 144 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. and Mr. Fowler’ was informed that it was common on the Upper Delaware in 1870. One was shot there also in 1895, and several at League Island on the Delaware September 30th, 1904.? 273 Oxyechus vociferus (Linnzus). Killdeer. PLATE 24. Adults.—Length, 10-11.25. Wing, 6.25-6.75. Above, grayish-brown, with a slight bronze gloss; rump, rufous buff; forehead crossed by a white and black bar; a dusky streak from the bill under the eye; throat and collar all around the neck, white, followed by a complete black collar, and this at a short interval by a black breast band; rest of under parts, white; wing feathers ' marked with white, tail feathers tipped with white and with a subterminal black bar (obscure on middle pair) ; outer ones largely white and buff, barred on inner web with black. Nest a hollow, often with small stones as a flooring; eggs, three to four, nearly white, with very dark brown markings. Tolerably common migrant and local summer resident in the south- ern half of the State; apparently much rarer in the northern coun- ties. In the southern part of the State it also occasionally winters— Atlantie City, 1905-6 (G.S. Morris) ;? Salem county (Rhoads) ; Five Mile Beach (Laurent) .* It usually arrives March 20th, stragglers appearing in February, and departs by October 25th. Mr. W. C. Southwick® saw one at Raritan February 22d, 1892, a remarkably early date for that vicinity, and one was found at Nave- sink December 15th, 1888, after the unusual flight of birds that were apparently blown north by the remarkable hurricane that prevailed at that time.® The Killdeer breeds at Princeton (Babson), Plainfield (Miller), Medford (Stone), Salem (Crispin), and near Pennsgrove (Stone), and is given by Thurber as a breeder near Morristown. Mr. S. N. Rhoads saw two June 11th, 1909, in the Wallkill valley, Sussex county. A familiar bird of old fields, where it may be seen running grace- 1 Cassinia, 1903, p. 53. 2 Cassinia, 1904, p. 55. °> Cassinia, 1906, p. 59. *O. and O., 1892, p. 53. Absts Proc, linn Soe uN \e. Vis Dae. ® Chadbourne, Auk, 1889, p. 255. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 145 fully along the ground or taking wing with its wild plaintive cry, “Kill-deer, Kill-deer, Kill-deer.” Its solicitude for nest and young, and its tireless efforts to draw the intruder away from them, are pathetic. During the migrations Killdeers may be seen along the seashore, but for the most part they are to be associated with the inland pasture fields. 274 Aegialitis semipalmata Bonaparte. Semipalmated Plover, Ring-neck. Adults in summer.—Length, 6.50—7.50. Wing, 4.65-5. Grayish-brown above; forehead, white; fore part of crown and band from bill under the eye, black; throat and complete collar, white, followed by a complete black collar; rest of under parts, white, tail with white tip and subterminal black bar; outer feathers largely white. In autumn.—Black markings replaced by grayish-brown. Common transient, occurring in May, and again July 19th to Oc- tober Ist. Stragglers have been reported on the Delaware and Raritan, and one obtained at Gloucester, May 20th, 1882, is in the collection of the Philadélphia Academy. 277 Aegialitis meloda (Ord). Piping Plover. PLATE 2d. Adults in summer.—Length, 6.25—-7.50. Wing, 4.50-4.80. Pale gray above, with a white forehead, followed by a narrow black bar; a black spot on each side of the breast, sometimes uniting into a breast band; tail similar to A. semipalmata, but paler. In autumn.—Similar, but black marks replaced by brownish-gray. Nest a mere hollow in the sand; eggs, three to four, creamy-white, with dark brown spots and markings, 1.25 x1. A rare migrant, if indeed it occurs at all in the State. Formerly a common summer resident, breeding on the beaches. In Wilson’s time (1812) it was very abundant on the low sandy shores of the entire seacoast, and he procured his type specimen from a colony breeding in July on Sommer’s Beach, at the mouth of Great Egg Harbor. In 1877 Mr. Scott? states that they were common on * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 224. 10 146 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Long Beach, arriving April 16th. The majority went farther north, but a number bred and had fresh eggs June 12th. Mr. R. C. Harlow has a set taken at Beach Haven June 8th, 1886, and Mrs. Drown has a set taken there as late as May 30th, 1887. Krider’.(1879) says that it bred on Seven Mile and Peck’s [=Sommer’s] Beaches. By 1889 Mr. Shick? reports that it bred only in very moderate numbers at the former locality, though it seems to have been plentiful in 1888, ac- cording to Mr. H. G. Parker.* On Five Mile Beach a few bred up to 1892, according to Laurent,* and occasionally wintered. Dr. W. L. Abbott took it there in 1879 as early as April 11th. The last records we have are birds seen by Mr. W. L. Baily at Holly Beach July 23d and August 23d, 1896, and at Cape May August 8th, 1897. Stragglers have been reported in former years on the Delaware.° 280 Ochthodromus wilsonius (Ord). Wilson’s Plover. Adults—Length, 7.50-7.90. Wing, 4.50. Similar to the Semipalmated Plover, but with larger bill; black face stripe restricted to the lores, and black collar merely a breast band; often with a rufous wash on the sides of the head behind the eye. Very rare straggler from the south. No recent records. Formerly a regular summer resident, but apparently never common, as compared with the Piping Plover. Wilson discovered this species on May 13th, 1813, on Cape Island (now Cape May City), but did not live to describe it, and George Ord, in publishing Wilson’s drawing in the ninth volume of the American Ornithology, named the bird after him. Later Ord and Titian R. Peale made an excursion along the coast and found the species pretty common at Brigantine Beach, and at various localities between Great Egg Harbor and Long Beach.*® Wm. M. Baird secured two specimens opposite Cape May Court House July 15th and 17th, 1843.7. Turnbull in 1869 regarded it as 1Wield Notes, p. 61. 2 Auk, 1890, p. 328. 30), chal Oy) DOW, ids ay #0. and O., 1892, p. 53. 5 Warren’s Report on Birds of Penna., p. 102. ° Ord. in Hall’s Ed. of Wilson, 1829, Vol. III., p. 156. 7 Baird, Cassin & Lawrence, Birds of N. A., p. 694. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 147 rather rare, arriving early in May, and Beesley? (1857) listed it as a rare breeder. Mr. Scott? did not find it on Long Beach in 1877, nor did Dr. W. L. Abbott or Mr. Laurent find any on Five Mile Beach from 1877 to 1892. There is, however, a set of eggs in Mrs. E. Drown’s collection said to have been taken at Beach Haven June 26th, 1886. In 1886 Mr. H. G. Parker*® stated that they still bred on Seven Mile Beach, but that is the last record of the species with which I am acquainted. Mr. Shick* does not mention them as occurring on this beach in his paper of 1890. Family APHRIZIDZ. THE TURNSTONES. Close relatives of the Plover and Snipe, and strictly maritime birds, frequenting the beaches and turning over pebbles, shells and beach “trash” in search of food. We have but one species. 283 Arenaria interpres morinella (Linnzus). Turnstone, Calico-back. Adults——Length, 9-9.75. Wing, 6. Above, coarsely mottled with black, white and rusty; back of neck, upper tail-coverts, base and tip of tail, white; throat, sides of face, breast and abdomen, white; a black line from the eye and another from the bill join a large black area covering the lower neck and sides of the breast, and reaching up, almost form a collar. Young in first autumn.—No rusty on upper parts, breast mottled with dusky. Common transient, occurring May 1st to June 1st and August 1st to September 15th. Dr. C. C. Abbott (1868) states that specimens have twice been shot on the Delaware, at Trenton, after severe storms, and there are other records for the river in early years. One of these was a specimen 1 Geology of Cape May, p. 1438. * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 224. °O. and O., 1886, p. 140. 4 Auk, 1890, p. 326. 148 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. “shot by Audubon, near Camden, in May, 1824, which served as the subject for his plate of this species. Dr. W. L. Abbott secured one in Cape May county as late as June 3d in 1879. Family HAMATOPODIDA. OYSTER-CATCHERS. These are large Snipe-lke birds with a strong, flat, knife-like bill, which is used to pry open clams and other bivalves upon which they live. They are strictly maritime, and but one species occurs in our State. 286 Heematopus palliatus Temminck. Oyster-catcher. PLATE 26. Adults.—Length, 17-21. Wing, 9.80—-10.25. Whole head and neck, includ- ing upper breast, black; back, brownish; secondaries, upper tail-coverts, base of tail, lower breast and abdomen, white; tip of tail, dusky; bill, red. Young in first summer.—Similar, but duller, upper parts margined with buff. Rare straggler from the south. It occurred regularly in Wilson’s time (1812) in small parties of two or three pairs together, and he found nests at Egg Harbor between May 15th and 25th. Turnbull (1869) and Beesley* (1857) both give it as a rare sum- mer resident. Mr. Scott? did not find it at Long Beach in 1877, but Mr. S. N. Rhoads saw three there in the fall of 1880. At Tuckerton one was shot by Mr. Jillson in May, 1894, and another was taken by a gunner on Chester Island, in the Delaware, May 14th, 1891.2 Mr. W. L. Baily saw three at Wildwood August 9th and 12th, 1896. 1 Geology of Cape May, p. 148. ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 42. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 149 Order GALLINA. To this group belong the so-called gallinaceous birds—or birds allied to the common Chicken, including nearly all the upland game birds of the world. They are mainly terrestrial and usually associate in flocks or coveys after the nesting season is over. Family ODONTOPHORIDA, THE QUAIL. 289 Colinus virginianus (Linnzus). Bob-white, Quail, Partridge. PLATE 19. Adult male—Length, 9.50-10.50. Wing, 4.80-4.70. Above, chestnut, barred and speckled with black; rump, grayer; inner edges of tertials edged with buff; wing and tail feathers, gray; forehead, a band below the eye, and a half collar around the chest, black; throat and line from bill over the eye and down the side of the neck, white; a band of chestnut below the black half collar; rest of under parts white, tinged with buff and barred with black; sides, flanks and crissum broadly striped with chestnut. Adult female—Similar, but throat and stripes over the eye, buff, and scarcely any black on the head or chest. Nest a hollow usually in a field among grass; eggs, ten to eighteen, white, 120 =< .95.- tesident, varying in abundance in different years, sometimes nearly exterminated in severe winters. Quail are migratory to some extent, and flights are noticed at Cape May toward the end of October, but the species is always present in the State. In order to prevent its ex- termination sportsmen have introduced birds from the south and southwest, so that it is questionable whether any true unmixed C. vir- gimianus remain. Mr. F. M. Chapman reports a typical Florida Bob White, C. v. floridanus, taken near New York City. The Bob White is one of our best known game birds, called also Quail in the northern States and Partridge in the south—neither of 1 Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., IV., p. 5. ‘ 150 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. which names is, strictly speaking, correct, as the bird is materially different from both the Quail and Partridge of Europe. In the spring we hear the clear, sharp whistle of the male from which the name “Bob White” is taken. The birds are then paired and busy with their nest or young. By autumn the whole family is asso- ciated in a “covey,” roosting on the ground in the grass, and taking wing very suddenly when approached. The Bob White is best known to the gunner, but the farmer has good cause to know him and protect him. He is a famous insect eater, and among the species which he habitually devours are the Potato beetle and Chinch bug, two of our worst pests. Family TETRAONIDA. THE GROUSE. a. Tarsus feathered down to the toes. HeEatH Hen, p. 151 aa. Tarsus feathered above, bare below. RUFFED GROUSE, p. 150 300 Bonasa umbellus (Linnzus). Ruffed Grouse, Pheasant. PLATE 27. Adult male.—Length, 15.50-19. Wing, 7—7.50. Above, rufous, streaked and mottled with black, buff and gray; a tuft of glossy black feathers on each side of the neck; tail sometimes gray, sometimes rusty red; a broad subterminal black band and numerous narrower bands and vermiculations; below, pale buff, or nearly white, barred with dusky, and with more or less black across the breast. Adult female——Similar, but neck tufts much smaller. Nest a hollow among dead leaves, usually at the base of a tree; eggs, eight to twelve, pale buff, 1.55 x 1.15. Resident, but common only, in the wilder and thickly wooded dis- tricts. The Ruffed Grouse—the “Partridge” of the northern States and “Pheasant” of the South—is a bird equally as misnamed as the Bob White, so far as these popular terms are concerned. It is a wood- land species, and in the spring the males may be heard producing their curious booming sound known as drumming. During the per- THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 151 formance they mount a dead log and flattening the tail upon it rapidly vibrate the wings against the air.t Much discussion was formerly in- dulged in as to the method by which the sound was produced, but all doubts have now been settled and the bird even photographed in the act. With the extermination of the Wild Turkey and the Heath Hen, the Grouse becomes our largest upland.game bird, but unfortunately it, too, is decreasing as the timber is cut away, as it must have thick cover for its welfare. 306 Tympanuchus cupido (Linnzus). Heath Hen, Eastern Prairie Chicken. Adult male.——Length, 17-19. Wing, 8.60—9.40. Above, barred with dusky, brown and buff; scapulars with conspicuous buff spots; under parts, white, broadly barred with dark brown; chin and throat, buff; tail, brownish, tipped with white, a tuft of not more than ten lanceolate, pointed black feathers mot- tled with buff on each side of the neck, with a patch of bare skin below them capable of inflation. Adult female.—Similar, but with neck tufts much reduced and tail barred. Nest similar to that of the Ruffed Grouse; eggs, six to thirteen, creamy-buff, with a slight tinge of green, 1.70 x 1.25. The Heath Hen is now extinct in New Jersey and throughout its former habitat, with the exception of Martha’s Vineyard, where a small remnant of the species still remains. It was very similar to the Prairie Chicken of the West, which is likewise disappearing rapidly. The home of the Heath Hen in New Jersey was the extensive sandy areas known as the “Plains,” extending westward from Barnegat and Tuckerton, which are covered with a growth of low, stunted oaks and pines only a foot or two in height. Krider* states that he shot the birds here in 1840, and Turnbull, in 1869, says, “Within the last year or two it has been found in the Jersey Plains.” This, however, seems to mark the time of its final extinction. A writer in Doughty’s Cabinet of Natural History, in 1832,° says, “The barrens of Gloucester, and other counties of this State, have been the most celebrated grounds, east of the Allegheny, for this chief of our feathered game. In former years they were in great abundance *See HE. J. Sawyer, Bird Lore, 1908, p. 246. * Field Notes, p. 56. 5 Pages 15, 16. 152 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. on these barren grounds which were then visited by old and scientific sportsmen, who regarded the laws of shooting. But lately, through great persecution by those who have no claims to the principles which constitute sportsmen and who visit these grounds months before the season commences by law and while the birds are in an unfledged state, the Grouse are driven from this favorite abode. Year after year has this unhallowed persecution of the Grouse been carried on, until the species has been almost exterminated from the State.” Family MELEAGRIDA. THE TURKEYS. 310 Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Vieillot). Wild Turkey. Adult male.—Length, 48-50. Wing, 21. Distinguished from the domestic Turkey by the deep rusty tip to the tail, and chestnut instead of white tips to the upper tail-coverts; the dewlap, moreover, is but little developed, if at all. Long since extinct in New Jersey. Letters of early voyagers show that Turkeys must have occurred throughout the State as they found “stores of them” in Cape May county.* Family PHASIANIDA. THE PHEASANTS. To this group belong the common Chicken and the introduced English Pheasant. Phasianus colchicus Linneus. Ring-necked Pheasant. Adult male.—Length, 30. Wing, 10. Tail, 18-20. General color coppery chestnut, with bright purple and bronze reflections; neck, metallic blue; tail, long and pointed, with darker crossbars. * Beesley Geol. of Cape May, p. 166. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 153 Adult female——Brownish mottled and varied with dusky; lower parts, plain; tail, barred. Young males in first autumn.—Similar to female. Eggs, buff or greenish-buff, eight to fourteen, 1.50 x 1.50, These birds were introduced in nearly all the counties of the State in 1897, and again at Princeton in 1900,” and probably elsewhere, but they do not seem to have established themselves. Perhaps this is just as well, as it is claimed that the blackhead disease so fatal to Turkeys is spread by the Pheasants through the fields and woodlands where Turkeys feed, so that raising the latter in a country stocked with Pheasants is impossible, and in the same way the native Ruffed Grouse is said to disappear when Pheasants are established. Order COLUMBA.. Family COLUMBIDA. THe PIGEONS. These birds form a very well marked group typified by the domestic Pigeon. We have now but one wild species in the State, the Mourning Dove, though formerly the Passenger Pigeon occurred, and once the Ground Dove strayed within our boundaries. Two of the characteristic peculiarities of Pigeons are the soft, more or less swollen, cere at the base of the bill and the habit of drinking without raising the head or removing the bill from the water. a. Wing under 4. GRounpD Doves, p. 155 aa. Wing over 5. b. Rump plumbeous. PASSENGER PIGEON, p. 154 bb. Rump grayish-brown. Mournineé Dove, p. 155 1 Rept. N. J. Fish and Game Com., 1898; also, Oologist, 1898, p. 81. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 25. 154 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 315 Ectopistes migratorius (Linnzeus). Wild Pigeon, Passenger Pigeon. PLATE 28. Adult male—tLength, 15-17.25. Wing, 8-8.50. Head, neck and rump, plumbeous; back, grayish-brown; some black spots on the wing-coverts and scapulars; an iridescent patch on each side of the neck; under parts, vinaceous; belly and under tail-coverts, white; tail, black at base, passing into blue-gray with a white tip; middle pair of feathers, uniform dusky brown. Adult female——Similar, but head and breast grayish-brown, and iridescence on neck much duller. Young in first summer.—Similar to female, but feathers of head, wing-coverts and breast edged with white. Nest of small sticks, loosely put together on the branch of a tree; eggs, one or two, white, 1.50 x 1.02. We may safely say that the Wild Pigeon is extinct in New Jersey, if not throughout its former range. While there have been numerous rumors of Pigeons having been seen, the fact remains that for about ten years none have been secured, while many supposed Pigeons proved to be Doves. The former wonderful abundance of the bird and its wanton slaugh- ter are now matters of history. David Pieterson DeVries, one of the early explorers of Delaware Bay, states that in April, 1633, when he crossed from Cape Henlopen to Cape May, an immense flight of Wild Pigeons obscured the sky, and Peter Kalm in 1725 tells us how, in Philadelphia, people killed them from their house-tops as they flew over. While such occurrences are long past, there are yet many men living who remember the Pigeon as a common bird regularly shot in the autumn. For thirty years, however, it has been rare, and it only remains for us to list the last specimens that have been taken, so far as they have been recorded : Englewood (two) ; September, 1878. F. M. Chapman. Haddonfield; March 22d, 1879. W. L. Abbott, M.D.? Morris Plains; September 16th, 1885. Thurber.® Morristown; October 7th, 1893. A. B. Frost.? Englewood; June 23d, 1896. C. Irving Wood.* 1 Auk, 1889, p. 302. ? Cassinia, 1907, p. 84, in Colln. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. ’ Birds of Morris county. *Chapman, Auk, 1896, p. 341. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 155 316 Zenaidura macroura carolinensis (Linnzus). Mourning Dove. PLATE 29. Adult male—Length, 11-13. Wing, 5.70-6. Grayish-brown above; crown, plumbeous; coverts and tertials spotted with black; under parts, vinaceous ; an iridescent metallic patch on the side of the neck, and a black spot below the ear; tail feathers, plumbeous, with a black band across the middle; outer ones, white, terminally; middle pair, dark brown. Adult female.—Duller, with less iridescence. Young in first summer.—Similar to female, but feathers largely tipped with white. Nest a platform of twigs on the branch of a tree; eggs, two, white, 1.15 x .80. A common summer resident, arriving early in March, and occa- sionally remaining throughout the winter. The Dove is in appearance a small edition of the Wild Pigeon, and as it is often hard to gauge the size of a flying bird, it is not surprising that they should often be mistaken for Pigeons. In fact, I have seen an old Pigeon hunter shoot what he was positive was a Wild Pigeon only to have it prove to be a Dove. Doves are common about orchards, where they often nest. and are likewise found on the ground in open fields or along the roadside. In autumn they collect, sometimes in large flocks. 320 Chzemepelia passerina terrestris (Chapman). Ground Dove. Adult male.—Length, 6.75. Wing, 3.60. Above, brownish-gray, becoming dusky on the tail and bluish-slate on the crown; forehead and under parts, vinaceous; breast feathers dusky in the center; base of bill, red; tips of tail feathers, white; inner webs of wing quills, rufous. Female.—Similar, but forehead and under parts brownish-gray. Very rare straggler from the South. Turnbull says that John Krider shot one near Camden in the autumn of 1858. Krider himself says: “I was out hunting Quail in November, and on my return towards the ferry through a thick pine wood this bird flew up from the ground.” ? Field Notes, p. 56. 156 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Order RAPTORES. Birds of Prey. Family CATHARTIDA. THe AMERICAN VULTURES. These birds are not closely related to the Vultures of the Old World, which they resemble in habits, but which are more nearly allied to the Hawks and Eagles. The Turkey Vulture is a common species in New Jersey, while the Black Vulture is but an accidental straggler. a. Wings reaching to or beyond the tip of the tail; tail rounded. TURKEY VULTURE, p. 156 aa. Wings not reaching beyond the middle of the tail; tail square. BLACK VULTURE, p. 157 325 Cathartes aura septentrionalis (Wied). Turkey Vulture. Adults.—Length, 26-32. Wing, 20-23. Plumage, brownish-black; darker on upper surface where feathers are edged with grayish; in fresh plumage, the black is slightly glossy, but later becomes dull brownish; head and fore part of neck, red, unfeathered; bill, white. Young in first autumn.—Similar, naked skin of head dusky; bill, blackish. Downy young, white, with head dusky gray. Nest, none; eggs, two, laid on the ground under an overhanging rock or a fallen tree top, white, coarsely spotted with chocolate and lavender, 2.70 x 1.85. Common resident in Southern New Jersey, from Camden and Ocean counties southward, ranging north in summer, more or less regularly, to Sandy Hook (Chapman),* Plainfield (Miller), Lebanon, Hunterdon county (8. A. Kram),? and Princeton (Babson).? Casu- ally farther; Muscontiang Valley, Morris county (Caskey) ; Summit (Hann), and Orange county.* 1 Birds Vicinity of N. Y., p. 48. SAlbst. Proc: suinne, Soc, IN Ye.) Villines ° Birds of Princeton, p. 46. * Reynolds, Forest and Stream, XVIII., p. 181. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 157 Summer or winter one seldom fails to see Turkey Vultures in southern New Jersey soaring high overhead in graceful flight, or in the former season often assembling in considerable numbers where some choice piece of carrion offers them an opportunity to enjoy a feast. The wrangling, clumsy birds, with their worn and dingy plumage and naked pink heads, as they tear and devour the entrails of some dead animal, offer a sharp contrast to the graceful navigators of the air, and when we add the all-pervading odors that attend such a feast, most persons are content to view their Turkey Vultures when sailing at a distance. Their nesting site is some low, dark wood or some pile of rocks which furnishes a safe retreat, and here the two little Vultures remain clad in pure white down until they have reached the size of a hen, when the black feathers begin to appear. They do not stray far from the spot where they were hatched, and are visited by the parents, and fed by regurgitation, the carrion passing from their overloaded crops into the throats of the young. The latter not infrequently again disgorge as a means of defense against too inquisitive intruders. 326 Catharista urubu Vieillot. Black Vulture. Adult—Length, 23-27. Wing, 16.50-17.50. Plumage, dull black; under surface of wings near the base, whitish; naked head, blackish; bill, dusky. A very rare straggler from the South. Mr. Robert Lawrence says, “A specimen was shot at Sandy Hook during the spring of 1877; it is now in my collection,” + and Dr. C. C. Abbott (1868) says, “Proba- bly the rarest of the visiting species,” but gives us no clue as to what his statement was based upon. There is no other record for the State. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, p. 116. 158 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family BUTEONIDA. THE HAWKS AND EAGLES. These are the typical birds of prey with their powerful curved claws and beak. The family as a whole has gotten a bad name with the farmers as destroyers of poultry, but all intelligent men to-day should be willing to set aside the prejudice of generations and accept the results of modern scientific investigation into the food habits of these birds, which shows beyond the possibility of a doubt that, with the exception of two of our Common Hawks and one or two of those which visit us at rare intervals, these birds are of the greatest benefit to us, living almost entirely upon mice and larger insects. The most familiar species, the large Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, commonly but erroneously called “Chicken Hawks,” and the Marsh Hawk, are in fact our very best friends. The injurious species are the long-tailed more slender species, the Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Goshawk.* a. Tarsus feathered down to the toes. b. Wing over 20. GOLDEN HAGLeE, p. 165 bb. Wing under 18. ROUGH-LEGGED HAwk, p. 164 aa. Tarsus not feathered, its front covered with small rounded scales like the sides and back. FisH Hawk, p. 168 aaa. Tarsus not feathered, its front covered with broad transverse plates dif- ferent from the small granular scales on the sides and back. b. Tail deeply forked, outer feathers 12 to 14 long. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, p. 159 bb. Tail not forked. c. Wing over 20. Bap HAGte, p. 165 cc. Wing under 18. d. Head bluish-slate, centered with rufous. Sparrow Hawk, p. 167 dd. Head not slaty and rufous. e. Rump white. Marsu Hawk, p. 160- ee. Rump not white. f. Upper parts slaty-gray. g. Below white, transversely marked with dark slate and somewhat streaked with blackish. GOSHAWE, p. 162 gg. Below white, barred with rusty and slightly streaked with the same. h. Wing over 8.75. Cooprer’s HAwkK, p. 161 1The species of the families Falconids and Pandionide are included in the key so as to cover all the Hawks and their allies. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 159 hh. Wing under 8.75. SHARP-SHINNED Hawk, p. 161 ggg. Below pinkish or _ buffy-white, slightly streaked on breast and broadly spotted on the belly with dusky. Duck Hawk, p. 166 ff. Upper parts brown, mottled with white and rusty. g. Tail rusty red. ReED-TAILED HAwkE, p. 162 gg. Tail blackish, with three narrow white bars. RED-SHOULDERED HAwk, p. 163 ggg. Tail dusky, with one broad white bar and one or two obscure narrower ones. BROAD-WINGED Hawk, p. 164 gggg. Tail dark slaty or brown. h. With about seven narrow broken bars of rusty or buff. Duck Hawk, p. 166 hh. With four broken bars of rusty or buff. PigEON HAwk, p. 167 ggggg. Tail grayish, with four broad dusky bands (younger birds). h. Wing over 12. GOSHAWE, p. 162 hh. Wing, 9-11. Cooprr’s Hawk, p. 161 hhh. Wing less than 8.75. SHARP-SHINNED HAwE, p. 161 gggggg. Tail with about eight narrow dusky bands on gray, white or rusty ground (younger birds). h. Many of the primaries rusty or whitish on the outer web. RED-SHOULDERED Hawk, p. 163 hh. Primaries all dusky on the outer web. a1. Wing over 14. RED-TAILED HAWKE, p. 162 ui. Wing under 12. BROAD-WINGED Hawk, p. 164 327 Elanoides forficatus (Linnzus). Swallow-tailed Kite. Adult.—Length, 19.50-25.50. Wing, 15.40-17.50. Back, wings and tail and tip of tertials, glossy black; rest of plumage, white; tail, deeply forked. Young in first autumn has the head streaked with dusky. A rare straggler from the south. The following specimens have been taken: One shot by John Krider, near Philadelphia, in 1857, recorded by Turnbull, doubtless the same referred to by Krider* as shot in New Jersey. Mr. Harold Herrick® records one at Chatham, Field Notes, p. 10. ? Forest and Stream, XII., 1879, p. 165. 160 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. and in Thurber’s list? two are reported seen by L. P. Shirrer and George Held, at Morristown, September 18th, 1887. Another was procured at Jerseytown, Pa., on the Delaware, by Mr. William Kester,’ August 18th, 1894. Dr. 0. C. Abbott* reported seeing one near Bor- dentown, July 28th, 1883, but subsequently* changed the date to No- vember, 1883. Mr. J. Harris Reed® saw one in southern Cumberland county, June 4th, 1893, and Mr. C. F. Silvester® saw one some years ago near Princeton. According to Mr. Babson® Dr. Abbott states that taxidermists had shown him specimens of the Mississippi Kite shot in New Jersey. The record, however, does not seem sufficiently explicit to warrant inclu- sion in the lst. 331 Circus hudsonius (Linnzus). Marsh Hawk. Adult male—Length, 19.50-24. Wing, 13-16. Above, bluish-gray; darker on the crown and back; nape streaked with white or buff; rump, white; under parts, white, with scattered spots of rusty, especially on the sides; tail, gray, obscurely barred with dusky; outer feathers more or less white, barred with reddish-brown. Adult female—Brown above; rump, white; head, shoulders and coverts streaked or spotted with buff; below, pale buff, heavily streaked with brown. Young in first winter—Brown above; rump, white; occiput streaked with white or rusty; wing-coverts spotted with rusty; under parts, rich rufous buff; breast slightly streaked with brown. Nest on the ground in marshes; eggs, four to six, pale bluish-white, 1.80 x 1.40. Common resident, but a rare breeder in the southern half of the State and less common in winter in the northern half. A hawk of the open meadows, sailing low over the ground when searching for mice and always identified by the conspicuous white rump. Adult males are rare, most of the birds being in the brown plumage. Nests regularly at Summit (Holmes), Newton (Philipp). Paterson (Clark), etc. One nest was found by Mr. W. E. D. Scott, at Long Beach, June 28th, 1877," and another set from there is in 1 Birds of Morris county. 2R. Kester, Cassinia, 1903, p. 76. 3 Science, Vol. II.. No. 29, 1888, p. 222. * Birds of Mercer county. 5 Stone, Birds of H. Pa. and N. J., p. 85. ® Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 46. * Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. =" THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 161 Mrs. Drown’s collection, taken June 25th, 1886, while Professor A. H. Phillips has found a nest on Phillips’ meadows, near Princeton.’ Beesley reported it nesting in Cape May county in 1857,* and on May 13th, 1900, Mr. Robert 'T. Moore* found a nest at Griscom’s Swamp, back of Great Egg Harbor. 332 Accipiter velox (Wilson). Sharp-shinned Hawk. PLATE 30. Adult male.—Length, 10-11.50. Wing, 6.10—-7.10. Above, bluish-gray; head, darker; throat and sides of head, white or buffy, with black shaft lines; rest of under parts, white, thickly barred with rufous; tail, gray, with several dusky bars. Adult female—Length, 12.50-14. Wing, 7.80-8.80. Similar to male, but browner. Young in first year.—Brown above; under parts, white, streaked with brown; tail, grayish-brown, broadly barred with dusky. Younger (?) birds have strong rufous edgings above and under parts strongly suffused with buff. Nest of sticks in a tree; eggs, three to five, bluish-white, coarsely blotched with chocolate, 1.45 x 1.15. Apparently a rather rare breeder in New Jersey, and most plentiful in spring and fall, though present all the year. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small edition of Cooper’s Hawk, and exhibits the same disparity in the size of the male and female. It is also, like Cooper’s Hawk, destructive to small birds, and I have found the remains of a dozen in a nest occupied by young nearly ready to fly. It is one of the few Hawks that are not entitled to protection. 333 Accipiter cooperi (Bonaparte). Cooper’s Hawk. Adult male.—Length, 14-17. Wing, 8.90-9.40. Adult female—Length, 18-20. Wing, 10.10-11. Plumage at all stages simi- lar to the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Nest in a tree; eggs, three to five, pale bluish-white, 1.90 x 1.45. 1 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 47. * Geology of Cape May, p. 138. ° Cassinia, 1908, p. 29. 11 162 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Cooper’s Hawk is a more common breeder than the Sharp-shinned, and, like it, is most common in migrations, being rare in winter in the northern part of the State. This is probably our most destructive Hawk, and much damage to poultry and small birds that is charged up to the harmless Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks belongs to this species. In fact, the only other species which are injurious are the Sharp-shinned, Goshawk and Duck Hawk, but the last two are too rare to require much considera- - tion. If the poultry yard defender would learn to distinguish the Cooper’s Hawk, instead of slaughtering the beneficial Hawks as well, he would find it to his advantage, as these other species live almost entirely upon field mice and grasshoppers. 334 Astur atricapillus (Wilson). Goshawk. Adults.—Length, 22-24. Wing, 12-14. Above, bluish-gray, with narrow black shaft lines; nape somewhat streaked with white; head, dusky; under parts, white finely vermiculated with gray and with black shaft lines; under tail- coverts, white; tail, gray, obscurely banded with dusky. Young in first year.—Brown above, spotted and edged with buff; head and neck with buff streaks; under parts, white or pale buff, streaked all over with brown; tail broadly barred with brown and buff. A rare winter visitant from the north. In some years the Goshawk is rather plentiful, but generally it is rare or absent. ‘The winter of 1895-6 was a notable one for Goshawks, even as early as November. They were also plentiful in 1906, oceur- ring as far south as Cape May Point. This, like its close relatives, the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, is a destructive species. 337 Buteo borealis (Gmelin). Red-tailed Hawk. PLATE 38l. Adults.—Length, male, 19-22; female, 23-25. Wing, 14-17. Upper parts, dark brown, edged with grayish, buff and white; wing-coverts, uniform ; under parts, white, streaked across the abdomen with brown; sides of neck and body THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 163 more or less streaked with brown or rufous; tail, bright rufous, with a dusky subterminal band. Young in first year.—Similar, but tail brown, barred with dusky; under surface with more brown streaks, but no rufous. Nest in tall trees; eggs, two to four, dirty white, slightly marked with rusty brown, 2.35 x 1.80. Common resident, but most abundant in winter and during mi- grations. This is the common large hawk of the Delaware meadows during the winter, and like its relatives, the Red-shouldered and Broad- winged Hawks, it is a valuable bird to the farmer, destroying thou- sands of meadow mice in winter and grasshoppers in summer. Hawks of this and various other kinds often associate in large straggling flocks during the autumn migrations.’ 339 Buteo lineatus (Gmelin). Red-shouldered Hawk. Adults.—Length, 17.50-21. Wing, 12-14. Above, dark brown, edged with grayish, buff and white; lesser wing-coverts strongly edged with rufous; under parts, rufous, with narrow white crossbars; throat, whitish, streaked with dusky; crissum, white; tail, dark brown, with distinct, rather narrow white crossbars. Young in first year.—Very similar to young of the Red-tail, but usually more regularly streaked below, and always identified by the white spots on the outer edge of the outermost primary, which is uniform brown in the Red-tail. Nest in tall trees; eggs, three to five, dirty white, blotched or streaked with rusty brown or chocolate, 2.15 x 1.75. Common resident, but apparently a more common breeder in the northern half of the State. Habits similar to those of the Red-tailed Hawk, which it very closely resembles during the first year. . 1 Of. Cassinia, 1904, p. 65; Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., IIL, p. 11; Forest and Stream, 1893, p. 518; Amer. Nat., VIII., p. 388. 164 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 343 Buteo platypterus (Vieillot). Broad-winged Hawk. Adults—Length, 14-18. Wing, 10—-11.50. Above, dark brown, edged with buff and gray; lower parts, white, heavily barred with buffy-brown; tail, dark brown, with two bars and a terminal band of gray. Young wm first year.—Similar, but under parts white, somewhat tinged with buff, and streaked with brown; tail, grayish, with indistinct dusky bars and a light tip. Easily recognized from the Red-tail and Red-shouldered Hawk by its smaller size and the fact that only three instead of four outer primaries are notched on the inner web. Nest in trees; eggs, two to four, dirty white, blotched with rusty brown or ochraceous, 1.90 x 1.55. A resident species in the southern part of the State and summer resident in the north, but nowhere common in the winter and not as abundant as the Red-shouldered Hawk in summer. 347a Archibuteo lagopus sanctijohannis (Gmelin). Rough-legged Hawk. Adults.—Length, 20-23. Wing, 16-18. Above, dark brown, edged with white or buff; tail, white or buff at the base, and with several light bars; under parts, buffy-white, spotted with black, spots often confluent on the belly; some- times the entire plumage is black except the bars on the wings and tail. Young in first year.—Browner, without bands on the tail. Distinguished in all plumages from all our other hawks by having the tarsus feathered all the way to the toes. Winter visitant from the north, but usually not common and not uniformally distributed, apparently much more plentiful on the Dela- ware meadows than elsewhere. Some entirely black individuals were formerly shot every year, but such birds are now rarely seen. The Rough-leg seems to be rare on the coast, but a specimen was shot at West Creek, Ocean county, March 8th, 1909. Meadow mice constitute almost the entire food of this Hawk while it is with us. 349 Aquila chrysaetos (Linnzus). Golden Eagle. Adults—Length, male, 80-35; female, 35-40. Wing, male, 23-24; female, ' 25-27. Entire plumage, brown, except the back of the head and tarsi, which are more or less buff or tawny, and the tail, which is somewhat streaked with Se THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 165 Young birds have the basal half of the tail and the tarsi white. Distinguished at all times from the Bald Eagle by the fact that the feathering on the tarsus extends to the toes. Rare and irregular visitant. The following specimens have been captured in the State: Vineland; February, 19th, 1868. In collection John H. Sage.* Rocky Hill, near Princeton; March, 1881. Collection Wm. C. Osborn.° Crosswicks Creek; autumn, 1888. W. E. Daw.’ Cape May; October 20th, 1892. J. Milford.* New Egypt; 1893. Collection of C. A. Voelker.® Long Branch; August, 1897; caught alive.® Moorestown; November 8th, 1901. Collection Moorestown Nat. Hist. Soc.* 352 Halizetus leucocephalus (Linnzus). Bald Eagle. PLATE 382. Adults—Length, male, 30-85; female, 34-48. Wing, male, 20-25; female, 24-28. Head, neck and tail, pure white; remainder of plumage, dark brown; bill and feet, yellow. Young birds.—Entire plumage, dark brown, more or less edged with white; tail, brown, somewhat mottled with white; bill, black. Nest in tall tree; eggs, two, dull white, 2.75 x 2.10. Resident in the southern part of the State, but much rarer than formerly. Of irregular occurrence elsewhere. The Bald Eagle formerly nested regularly about Beesley’s Point, where Wilson observed it about 1808. He describes how his friend and companion, George Ord, then a young man, climbed up to one of the nests only to find it empty. 1J. H. Sage, Auk, 1895, p. 179. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 48. ’Dr. W. C. Braislin, Auk, 1896, p. 81. “C. A. Voelker, Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., II., p. 6. 5 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 88. °F. M. Chapman, Auk, 1898, p. 54. ™W. B. Evans, Cassinia, 1901, p. 51. EGS ‘REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. In 1892 I saw young birds that had been taken from a nest in Timber and Beaver Swamp, Cape May county, and Mr. W. B. Crispin has found several nests in Salem county. One contained eggs March 5th, 1905, and another February 27th.* Back of West Creek and Tuckerton, at a location known as “Eagles- wood,” these birds have long been of frequent occurrénce, and un- doubtedly nest, but the wanton killing of them is rapidly causing their extermination. Now and then an Eagle may be seen flying high overhead in various parts of the State, and specimens have been shot at Princeton, Had- donfield, ete. Family FALCONIDA. THE FALCONS. 356 Falco peregrinus anatum (Bonaparte). Duck Hawk. Adults.—Length, male, 16-18; female, 18-20. Wing, male, 11.50-13; female, 13-14.50. Dark plumbeous above, with buff bars on the primaries, and obscure black bars on the tail; tip of tail, white; below, buff, streaked or spotted with black on the sides. Young in first year—Upper parts, brown, edged with rusty or buff; below, deep buff, streaked with brown. Nest merely a ledge of rock; eggs, three to four, cream or reddish-buff, thickly marked with brown of several shades, 2.05 x 1.55. The Duck Hawk is a tolerably common transient visitant, and occa- sionally remains through the winter in the southern counties. It breeds on the Palisades of the Hudson,” in the northern part of the State, and on the Nockamixon Cliffs on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware. While Duck Hawks feed mainly upon other birds, they confine their attention for the most part to water birds, and seldom visit the poultry yard. The statement made by George Ord, and copied by others, to the effect that this bird nested in the cedar swamps of South Jersey, was evidently hearsay and quite erroneous, as he adds that he and Wilson were unable to find a nest. 1 Of. also, E. J. Darlington, Oologist, 1906, p. 106. 2 Cf. Wm. P. Lemmon, Osprey, IV., p. 42. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 167 357 Falco columbarius Linnzus. Pigeon Hawk. Adults.—Length, male, 10-11; female, 12-18. Wing, male, 7.50: female, 8.50. Above, bluish-slate, with black shaft streaks; tail, black, tipped with white and barred with gray; wings, black, with white bars on inner webs; bases of feathers on the hind neck, white and buff; under parts, buff, whiter on breast and throat; everywhere streaked with black. Young in first year.—Brown above, with tail and wing markings buff; under parts, deep buff, streaked with blackish-brown. A rather common transient visitant, most frequent along the coast. In southern New Jersey it is a casual winter resident. It has been observed as late as April 21st, and as early as September 14th. Dr. C. C. Abbott has mentioned this species as breeding near Tren- ton, but there is no confirmation in the experience of others, nor has its nest been found nearer than the mountainous parts of northern New York, so far as I am aware. 360 Falco sparverius Linneus. Sparrow Hawk. PLATE 33. Adults.—Length, male, 9-10.50; female, 9.50-12. Wing, 6.60-8.10. Crown, blue-gray, with rufous center; wing feathers, black, with white bars; coverts, blue-gray, spotted with black; back and scapulars, rufous chestnut, barred with black; rump and tail, rufous chestnut, with a broad black subterminal band and gray tip; lateral feathers, barred gray and black; under parts, buff, be- coming white on throat and abdomen, more or less spotted with black on the sides and breast; sides of face, white, with two vertical black bars. Adult female.—Head like the male; upper parts, including the tail, chestnut rufous, barred with black; wings, black, with rufous bars; under parts, white, tinged with buff and streaked, except on the throat and flanks, with light brown. Young.—Similar to adults. Nest in a hollow tree; eggs, four to five, cream, spotted with reddish-brown, 1.35 x 1.10. A common resident sti]l more common during migrations. One of our most familiar hawks, nesting in hollow trees or old Woodpeckers’ nests. In summer it may be seen hovering over the fields catching grasshoppers and field mice, which constitute the bulk of its food, 168 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family PANDIONIDA. THr Fish Hawks. 364 Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmelin). Osprey. Fish Hawk. Adult male.—Length, 21-25. Wing, 17-21. Above, grayish-brown; tail barred with dusky and tipped with white; head, neck and under parts, white, a dusky stripe on the side of the head and some dusky feathers on the crown; sometimes with spots or blotches of brown on the breast. Adult female.——Similar, but breast always with brown spots. Young in first year with light edgings to the feathers of the upper parts. Nest very bulky, of sticks, etc., in a tree top; eggs, two or three, cream blotched with chestnut-brown, 2.40 x 1.80. Formerly an abundant summer resident along the sea coast and Delaware Bay, March 20th to November, but of late years greatly re- duced in numbers, though still a familiar bird along the coast. The enormous nest, occupying the top of some dead tree, is a familiar sight. Often both birds are perched upon it and perhaps we can see the heads of the young also. The old bird, when disturbed, utters its peculiar whistling cry quite unlike most hawk calls. The Fish Hawks are fearless birds, nesting close to houses and even on platforms built for their use on poles planted in the farmer’s fields, or on telegraph poles. They often make use of very low trees, and in some instances—though not in New Jersey, so far as I am aware— nest on the ground. They fly out over the bay or ocean in search of their prey, and diving from considerable altitudes, come up with the fish wriggling in their talons. When Bald Eagles were more abundant along the coast many a Fish Hawk was pursued and compelled to drop his prey so that the Eagle might grasp it and carry it off. The Fish Hawk never attempts to pick up a fish that he has dropped but goes patientty _ back to the sea and catches another. The birds are now most abundant along the northern coast of New Jersey where they have always been carefully protected and on the mainland of the Cape May peninsula. On the coast islands the persecution of egg collectors and the spread THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 169 of the resorts has almost exterminated them. Mr. C. 8S. Shick writes that in 1884 fully one hundred pairs nested on Seven Mile Beach, while in 1890 not a quarter of that number remained. To-day I may add that I believe there are none nesting on the island at all. Mr. Crispin tells me they are still fairly abundant breeders in Salem county. Inland they occur as casual visitors during summer. Family ALUCONIDZ, THE Barn OwLs. The Barn Owl is distinguished from the other species by its nearly bare tarsi, which in our other Owls are feathered. It also has the inner toe as long as the middle one, while the inner edge of the middle claw is pectinated. 365 Aluco pratincola (Bonaparte). Barn Owl. Adults.—Length, 21-25. Wing, 17-21. Above, ochraceous rufous, overlaid with gray and minutely spotted with black and white; tail, whiter; under parts, white or buff; face, white, with a chestnut spot near the eye; wing and tai] feathers obscurely barred. Nest in a hollow tree or similar cavity; eggs, four to six, white, 1.70 x 1.30. Rather common resident through the southern half of the State; less plentiful northward, where it has been found breeding at Prince- ton (Babson),? Plainfield (Miller), Summit (Holmes).* A specimen was taken by Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., at Chatham, November 8th, 1890,* and Mr. F. M. Chapman’ records its presence at Englewood on several occasions, while Thurber records two shot at Whippany, Morris county. * Auk, 1890, p. 328. Cf. also, Shick, Bay State Oologist, I., No. 2, pp. 18-15; Norris, O. and O., 1891, p. 162; Wheeler, Oologist, 1888, p. 147; “Old Salt,” Oologist, 1886, p. 49. * Birds of Princeton, p. 50. > Wilson, Bulletin, 1905, p. 9. S-ADSt. kaints SOG., Ne Y¥., DV., p. 3. * Auk, 1886, p. 485; 1889, p. 303. .170 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. The Barn Owls are “at home” in some spacious hollow tree, or in some steeple or barn that offers an interior shelter and a hole for entrance. Here the pair rest during the day, and start out at dusk to scour the meadows for mice of all sorts, which constitute their food, and often we find a supply of these rodents laid away in the nest hole. The eggs are often laid at considerable intervals, and young of various sizes may be found in the same nest. Family STRIGIDA. THE HorNED Owls, ETc. Owls, like Hawks, are for the most part very beneficial as destroyers of mice. Only one species, the Great Horned Owl, ever raids the poultry yard. The Owls are nocturnal birds of prey resembling the Hawks in many ways, but probably more intimately related to the Picarian stock from which have come the Goatsuckers, Parrots, etc. They have flat faces with large eyes directed forwards, the face surrounded by a “ruff”? and often with two ear-like tufts on the top of the head, that of course have nothing to do with the ears, which are large openings located just behind the eyes. a. Wing, 14.50-18. b. Wing, 14.50-16; plumage brown, mottled with buff, rusty and white. Great HorNED Owl, p. 174 bb. Wing, 16-18; plumage gray, mottled with dusky. GREAT GRAY OWL, p. 173 bbb. Wing, 17.30-18.70; plumage white,-more or less barred with dusky. Snowy Owt, p. 175 aa. Wing, 11.50-14. b. Breast barred, belly streaked with dusky. BarreD Ow1, p. 172 bb. Breast streaked, belly barred with dusky. LoNe-EARED Owl, p. 171 bbb. Entire under parts buff, streaked with dusky. SHORT-EARED Owl, p. 171 aaa. Wing, 9; tail long and pointed. Hawk Owt, p. 175 aaaa, Wing, 5.25-7.10. b. Wing over 6, horned. SorEEcH Owt, p. 174 bb. Wing under 6, not horned. SAw-WHET Owl, p. 173 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. Le 366 Asio wilsonianus (Lesson). Long-eared Owl. Adults—Length, 18-16. Wing, 12. Upper parts, brown, vermiculated with white and varied more or less with rufous or buff; “ear tufts’ prominent; under surface, buffy-white, streaked and mottled with brown; face, rufous, black around the eyes; throat, white; wing-coverts spotted with white; tail and wing quills barred with brown. Nest usually an old nest of a Hawk or Crow; eggs, four to seven, white, 1.55 x1.35. A resident, though somewhat irregular in its distribution, and often much more common in winter. Their nests have been found at Plainfield and New Providence (Callender) late in May, and as far south as Salem (Crispin), on March 21st, 1908; also at Princeton (Babson). At Yardville Miss Rachel Allinson writes me that a colony of Long- eared Owls roosted in the evergreens in her yard regularly from the winter of 1902-3 to that of 1905-6, and sometimes individuals re- mained as late as May 29th. Mr. Babson records a similar gathering at Princeton.* 367 Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan). Short-eared Owl. Adults —Length, 14-16.50. Wing, 12-18. Upper parts striped with buff and dark brown; wing quills with white spots; tail, barred; under parts, white or buff, streaked with brown; face, whitish or buff; eye region, black. Nest on the ground in marshy localities; eggs, four to seven, 1.55 x 1.25. This bird is a rather common winter resident in open meadows or marshes, October to March, generally occurring in colonies, the in- dividuals roosting close together among the grass. Mr. W. E. D. Scott? reports about two hundred of these Owls at Harlingin Station, near Princeton, in 1878-9. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads found a colony on the marshes near Tuckerton in the winter of 1893-4, and I have several times seen them on the Delaware meadows. I know of but three definite records of nests in the State. One with six eggs, near + Birds of Princeton, p. 50. ? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 83. 172 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Canton, Salem county, May 9th, 1905, found by W. B. Crispin; one at Long Beach, June 28th, 1878, by W. E. D. Scott, and another set of eggs in Mrs. Drown’s collection from Beach Haven. Dr. Abbott states, in his Birds of Mercer County, that he has fre- quently found this species “breeding in hollow trees near Trenton.”? This remarkable statement must surely refer to the Barn Owl, es- pecially as Dr. Abbott says later, “nests usually on the ground, in one instance I found the nest in a huge hollow of an old maple.’ 368 Strix varia Barton. Barred Owl. Adults—Length, 20-24. Wing, 13-14. Grayish-brown above barred with white; face, gray, with dusky concentric rings; below, dull grayish-white; barred on breast; striped on abdomen with brown; bill, yellow; eyes, dark brown. Nest usually in hollow trees; eggs, two to four, white, 1.95 x 1.65. Resident and apparently rather more plentiful in the northern part of the State. A number of nests have been taken about Summit by Messrs. Hann and Callender, and nests are found at Plainfield (Miller),* Mont- clair (Green)* and Newton, Sussex county (Phillip). At Princeton three nests have been found,® and at Salem Mr. W. W. Justice, Jr., got a nest in April, 1897,° while Mr. C. S. Shick records a pair of birds on Seven Mile Beach, May 10th, 1890, which were probably breeding.” In Camden county I have seen it most frequently in winter. 1 Naturalist’s Rambles About Home, p. 468. Cf. also, comment in Auk, 1885, p. 87. ? Birds About Us, p. 180. 3 Bird Lore, 1907, p. 1738. * Oologist, 1893, p. 230. 5 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 51. ® Abst. Proce. D. V. O. C., IIL., p. 24. 7 Auk, 1890, p. 328. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 173 370 Scotiaptex nebulosa (Forster). Great Gray Owl. Adults.—Length, 25-30. Wing, 16-18. Brownish-gray, mottled with white; face, gray, barred with black; below, grayish-white; breast streaked and ab- domen barred with brown; bill and eyes, yellow. Very rare straggler in winter. Thurber (1887) records one shot near Mendham many years ago, and Dr. C. C. Abbott (1868) states that one was killed in Sussex county in December, 1859. I know of no other record for the State. 372 Cryptoglaux acadica (Gmelin). Saw-whet Owl, Acadian Owl. Adults.—Length, 25-30. Wing, 16-18. Brown above; forehead narrowly streaked; back and wings spotted with white; tail with several narrow white bars; under parts, white, coarsely streaked with reddish-brown; feet, white; face, white; eye ring and ear-coverts, dusky. Winter resident; apparently regular, but somewhat variable in abundance or local. Mr. Babson records but two at Princeton during his experience, but in the winter of 1878-9 Mr. W. E. D. Scott took about twenty-five, eighteen between December 1st and 11th.” Our records for South Jersey are Cape May, December Ist, 1904 (Hand); Friendship, December 20th, 1899 (W. B. Evans) ;* May’s Landing, December 2d (S. N. Rhoads) ;* Cape May Point (Spaeth) ; Haddonfield, November 15th, 1907. This is our smallest Owl, and is easily overlooked. 1 Birds of Princeton, p. 51. 2? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 85. MAbs. eroes Ds) Vv. O C., EV, p: 2: SAnst. broc: D: ¥. ©.'C.. 11.3 ps 1. 174 REPORT OF. NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 373 Otus asio (Linnzus). Screech Owl. PLATE 34. Adults.—Length, 8-10. Wing, 6-7. Two phases—(1) Bright rufous above with black shaft lines, and scapulars spotted with white; tail and wings barred with dusky; under parts, white, streaked with black and rufous; feet and face, white. (2) Brownish-gray above, streaked and vermiculated with dusky and buff; scapulars and wing feathers spotted with white; under parts, white, finely barred with gray and coarsely streaked with black. Young in first summer transyersely barred above and below with gray, white and rufous. Nest in hollow trees; eggs, five to seven, white, 1.35 x 1.20. Common resident throughout the State. This is our most abundant and most familiar Owl, nesting in old orchards, which furnish convenient natural hollows or old Wood- peckers’ nests. At dusk they frequently fly about one’s head, snapping their bills, and their hoot is familiar to all. This species is peculiar among all our birds in exhibiting two phases of plumage independent of age, sex or season. Red and gray birds pair indiscriminately, and the young in one family may be of either color. 375 Bubo virginianus (Gmelin). Great Horned Owl. Adults.—Length, male, 18-23; female, 22-25. Wing, 15-16. Upper parts finely vermiculated with dark brown and white, the former predominating, and more or less varied with rufous; wings with broad dusky bars; face, rufescent ; throat, white; breast rufescent, with large black blotches; abdomen barred with white and dusky; feet, buff; eyes, yellow. Nest usually an old nest of a Crow, etc.; eggs, two to four, white, 2.25 x 1.85. A rather rare resident. Nests have been found at Bay Head, Feb- ruary 23d, 199% (Hann); at Montclair, March 14th, 1903 (Callen- der): two at Princeton (Babson), and one pair had young in an old Great Blue Heron’s nest near Salem in April, 1904 (Crispin). This is our largest Owl, except the very rare Great Gray Owl, and, unlike all our other species, will take chickens and game birds when opportunity offers. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 175 376 Nyctea nyctea (Linnzus). Snowy Owl. Adults.—Length, male, 20-28; female, 23-27. Wing, 16-17. White, some- what barred above and below with dusky; female more heavily barred than the male; eyes, yellow. Irregular winter visitant, occurring some seasons in considerable numbers. Mr. W. E. D. Scott states that it was very plentiful in the winter of 1876-77 at Long Beach. Several were obtained in 1886-7 in Morris county (Thurber), and in November, 1889, a number occurred in northern New Jersey.” Mr. Laurent*® saw one at Anglesea, December 20th, 1890, and Mr. H. W. Hand reports a pair at Cape May, November 26th, 1905, one of which was killed. 377a_ Surnia ulula caparoch (Miiller). Hawk Owl. Adults——Length, 15-17.50. Wing, 9. Upper parts, dark brown, spotted with white; upper tail-coverts and tail barred with white; lower parts, white; breast, abdomen, sides and under tail-coverts regularly barred with brown; peculiar in its long, pointed tail. A very rare straggler from the North in winter. Only two records for the State, both given by Dr. C. C. Abbott. One bird killed in Mercer county, 1858, the other in Middlesex county, in 1861. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879. ? Forster, Forest and Stream, November 28th, 1889. 70. and O., 1892, p. 54. 176 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ; Order COCCYGES. Cuckoos and Kingfishers. Family CUCULIDA. THE CucKOoos. We have two species of Cuckoos, which closely resemble one an- other. Unlike the English Cuckoo they build nests of their own and hatch their own young. a. Inner webs of wing feathers rufous, outer tail feathers with conspicuous white tips. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, p. 176 aa. Inner webs of wing feathers not rufous, outer tail feathers with narrow inconspicuous tips. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, p. 177 387 Coccyzus americanus (Linnzus). Yellow-billed Cuckoo. PLATE 35. Adults.—Length, 11—-12.50. Wing, 5.60. Above, brownish-gray, with a slight greenish gloss; the wing feathers mainly rufous on the inner webs; three outer tail feathers, black, tipped with white; under parts, grayish-white; upper mandible, black; lower, yellow. Young in first summer.—Similar, but feathers somewhat edged with buff above. Nest a rather loose platform of twigs with a thin lining of grass, usually in the lower branches of a tree or in a thick bush; eggs, three to five, pale greenish-blue, 1.20 x .90. Common summer resident; arrives May 3d (May 9th), departs October 15th. Although apparently generally distributed over the State the Cuckoos are not conspicuous birds, their subdued colors and habit of concealing themselves in the thick foliage causes them to be over- looked. Their note is a series of short clucking calls, growing louder and less rapid and ending in several loud syllables “cow, cow, cow, cow.” The birds are frequently called Rain Crows, from the idea that their calling foretells rain, and “Cow” bird from their note. Unlike the THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 177 Cuckoos of Europe they are not parasitic, but always construct nests of their own. The food of the Cuckoos consist almost exclusively of insects; some of these are beetles, bugs and grasshoppers, but almost half of the entire food of the Cuckoo, while he is with us, consists of caterpillars, and, after careful study of the subject, the experts of the United States Department of Agriculture have estimated that one bird devours be- etween two and three thousand caterpillars during the five months of his stay. 388 Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (Wilson). Black-billed Cuckoo. Adults —Length, 11-12.50. Wing, 5.50. Above, grayish-brown, with a slight greenish gloss; wing feathers with no rufous on the inner webs; tail like the back, with a very narrow white tip and subterminal dusky band on all but the middle pair; bill entirely black; under parts, grayish-white. Young in first summer.—Similar, feathers slightly edged with buff above. ~ Nest similar to that of the preceding species; eggs, darker blue, 1.15 x .85. Regular summer resident; more common in the upper half of the State. Arrives May 6th (May 11th), departs October 15th. This Cuckoo is similar in habits and notes to the Yellow-billed spe- cies, from which it is best distinguished by the lack of distinct white tips to the tail feathers. Family ALCEDINIDA. THE KINGFISHERS. We have only one species of Kingfisher in Eastern North America. 390 Ceryle alcyon (Linneus). Belted Kingfisher. PLATE 36. Adult male—Length, 11-14. Wing, 6.25. Above, bluish-gray, everywhere spotted or barred with white; under parts, white, extending up on the sides of the neck, so as to almost meet above; a broad breast band and sides of the body bluish-gray. 12 178 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Adult female.—Similar, but sides, as well as an additional band across the belly, rufous. Nest a horizontal burrow in a sand bank six to seven feet deep; eggs, five to seven, pure white, 1.35 x 1.05. Common summer resident, or rarely resident. It has been reported in winter as far north as Plainfield (Miller) and Morristown (Thur- ber).* Arrives March 14th (March 26th), departs November Ist. The Kingfisher is a conspicuous bird along the larger streams, as” well as along the coast, where his loud rattling call may be heard as he flies along ahead of us, alighting now and then on some dead tree, post or telegraph wire. Mr. C. 8S. Shick (Auk, 1890, p. 328) states that he found a nest in a hollow stump on Seven Mile Beach, which he felt sure had been occupied by a pair of Kingfishers which had frequented the vicinity all summer. The food of these birds consists entirely of fish, which they catch in their powerful bills, diving into the water in pursuit of their prey. Order PICI. Family PICIDZ. THE WOODPECKERS. The peculiarities of Woodpeckers are (1) their habit of perching against the upright trunks of trees, for which purpose their tail feathers are stiffened and sharp-pointed; (2) their strong chisel-like bill and powerful barbed tongue, with which they dig into the wood after boring insects or carve out their nest cavities; (3) their peculiar arrangement of toes, two being directed forward and two backward, a condition found among our other birds only in the Cuckoos. a. Wing over 9. PILEATED WOODPECKER, p. 182 aa. Wing under 7. b. Under side of wing and tail and quills yellow. FLICKER, p. 184 bb. Wing, tail and quills not yellow. c. More or less red on the throat. d. Entire head red, rest of under parts white. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, p. 183 dd. Throat and crown more or less red, breast black, belly yel- lowish. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, p. 181 7 Oxand) OF exalespaoile THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 179 ce. No red on the throat. d. Breast black, throat white. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (female), p. 181 dd. Breast and throat brown or dusky, more or less obscurely mottled. e. Rump white. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (young), p. 183 ee. Rump barred. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER (young), p. 181 ddd. Lower surface uniform gray, belly slightly red. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, p. 184 dddd. Lower parts white or grayish-white. e. Back striped longitudinally. f. Wing, 3.75. Downy WOODPECKER, p. 179 ff. Wing, 4.75. Hatry WOoDPECKER, p. 179 ee. Back barred. RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER, p. 180 393 Dryobates villosus (Linnzus). Hairy Woodpecker. Adult male—Length, 8.50-9. Wing, 4.75. Coloration essentially like the Downy Woodpecker, except that the three outer tail feathers are white, with some black on the inner webs near the base, but no bars. Adult female and young differ, as in the Downy Woodpecker. Nest in a dead tree trunk; eggs, four to six, glossy white, .95 x .70. Regular resident, less abundant than the Downy Woodpecker, and much less frequently seen about dwellings, being more or less a bird of _ the forest. Similar in habits and food to the Downy Woodpecker. Its note is louder. 394 Dryobates pubescens medianus (Swainson). Downy Woodpecker. PLATE 37. Adult male—Length, 6.50-7. Wing, 3.70. Above, black; nostril tufts and stripe over each eye, white; a white spot on each side of the neck, running in a narrow stripe to the base of the bill; a broad white stripe down the back; wings spotted with white; three outer tail feathers, white, barred with black; a scarlet crescent on the hind neck; under parts, dull white. Adult female——Similar, without the scarlet on the hind neck. Young in first summer.—Similar to the adult female, but head somewhat mottled with white or red. Nest in a dead tree trunk; eggs, four to six, glossy white, .75 x .60. 180 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Resident and universally distributed. This, our commonest Woodpecker, excepting only the Flicker, is a familiar inhabitant of our orchards and woodlands, hewing out its nest, after the manner of its kind, in some dead tree trunk, and later piloting its speckled family about from tree to tree, digging out the insects which lurk under the bark and in the rotten wood. In winter it is, perhaps, more conspicuous than in summer, and comes closer to our dwellings, even pecking at the suet that we have fastened up in the tree for our winter bird friends. 3 The note of the Downy is a sharp metallic “pink, pink,” often rapidly repeated in a rattling cry, and quite as characteristic is the “roll” which he beats with his bill on some hollow limb, and which can be heard at long distances through the silent wood. The reports of the United States Department of Agriculture show that seventy-four per cent. of the food of this Woodpecker is composed of insects, largely beetles, while the twenty-five per cent. is vegetable matter—seeds andeberries—taken largely during the winter when in- sects are scarce. 395 Dryobates borealis (Vieillot). Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Adult male.—Length, 8.40. Wing, 4.65. Above, barred with black and white; crown, black, with a small spot of bright red on each side at the back of the head; a black stripe from the base of the bill to the shoulder; under parts, white; sides and under tail-coverts streaked or spotted with black. Female.—Similar, but without red on the head. This southern species is given as rare in Turnbull’s List (1869), but whether it occurred in New Jersey or Pennsylvania is not speci- fied. Audubon gives its range as from Texas to New Jersey, but no details are furnished. Bonaparte did not know it from north of Vir- ginia, nor Wilson from north of North Carolina. In fact the only positive evidence that we have of its occurrence in New Jersey is one specimen in the collection of Mr. George N. Lawrence, taken at Hoboken.* 1Tfawrence, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., N. Y., VIII., 1867, p. 201. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 181 402 Sphyrapicus varius (Linnezus). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Adult male——Length, 7.75-8.75. Wing, 4.90. Above, irregularly mottled with blue-black and yellowish-white; crown of head, crimson red, bordered by blue-black behind; wings, blue-black, coverts largely white, forming a longi- tudinal stripe; primaries and secondaries barred with white; tail, black, middle feathers largely white on inner webs; outer ones narrowly edged with white; under parts, yellowish-white; throat, crimson, bordered with black on the sides and with a large black breast patch below; sides streaked with dusky ; a white band from the nostrils down the side of the neck and another from over the eye around the hind neck. Adult female—Similar, but crown glossy blue-black and throat white. Young in first swnmer and autwmn.—Similar, but duller, more brown above; under parts, dull brown, indistinctly barred with dusky; males soon show scat- tered red feathers on the crown, and acquire the full plumage late in winter or early in spring. Common transient. In spring, March 9th to April 12th; in autumn, September 10th to October 20th. Occasional winter resident. Plain- field (Miller), Summit (Holmes), Haddonfield (Stone), Newfield (Paschall), ete. This species is unlike any of our other Woodpeckers, a true “Sap- sucker,” and the regular girdles of small holes, which we not infre- quently find, especially upon the fruit trees, are his work. From these holes he is enabled to drink abundantly of the sweet sap, but insects, as is usual with the Woodpeckers, form the bulk of his food; these he catches in the usual manner, or picks them up as they approach his sap holes, or again sails out after the manner of a flycatcher and catches them on the wing. The note of the Sapsucker is weaker than that of the Downy Woodpecker. Like other Woodpeckers the young of this species migrate southward while still in the “juvenal” or first sum- mer plumage and where they happen to remain all winter or late in the autumn, it is possible to note the acquirement of the brilliant red or white marks of the adult. Mr. W. E. D. Scott took a specimen at Princeton, October 21st, 1876, which approaches the sub-species nuchalis of the west which has the nape red. The specimen is now in the Princeton University Col- lection.* 1 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 53. 182 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 405 Phlceotomus pileatus abieticola (Bangs). Northern Pileated Woodpecker. Adult male.—ULength, 17-19. Wing, 9-10. Above, blackish-brown; head strongly crested, entirely scarlet above, a narrow white line bordering the crest below, and another white stripe from the nostril down the side of the neck; a scarlet patch at the base of the bill; throat, white; rest of under parts, brown; basal half of wing feathers, white, which is very conspicuous in flight. Adult female.—Similar, but red restricted to the hind part of the crest. Nest in a tree trunk; eggs, white, three to six, 1.80 x 1. Rare or accidental visitant; possibly more regular in the extreme northwestern part of the State. Formerly generally distributed. This splendid Woodpecker disappears everywhere with the destruc- tion of the forest, and although the southern part of the State con- tains tracts wild enough for his hking, the trees there are now too small for his needs. Two specimens, taken in Cape May county by Dr. W. L. Abbott, November 7th, 1878, and December 31st, 1878, are in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia,* and Mr. Chapman* records one taken at Englewood in 1885 by Mr. Jacob Ullrich.2, Thurber records one taken at Mountville, Morris county, and Messrs. H. G. Parker® and C. 8. Shick* saw one or two on Seven Mile Beach in 1886. On March 25th, 1908, Mr. George S. Morris saw one of these birds on the Egg Harbor River, above May’s Landing, which is our latest New Jersey record. In Captain Bendire’s Life Histories of N. A. Birds, Vol. 2, p. 107, is a record of a nest on West Creek, Cumberland county, which was found by Messrs. M. L. C. Wilde and J. Harris Reed,> June 4th, 1893. It contained young. 1 Stone, Auk, 1894, p. 137. 2 Auk, 1889, p. 308. 30. and O., XI., p. 140. “Bay State Orn., I., No. 2, p. 13. 5 See, also, Wilde, Atlantic Slope Nat., I. p. 27. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 183 406 Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnzus). Red-headed Woodpecker. PLATE 38. Adult.—Length, 9.50. Wing, 5.40. Entire head, throat and upper breast, bright crimson red; back, wings and tail, glossy blue-black; rump, secondaries, tertials and tips of outer tail feathers, white; lower part of the body, white, with a wash of red on the middle of the abdomen. Young in first summer and autumn.—Head, grayish-brown, finely mottled with dusky; back barred transversely gray and blue-black; secondaries and tertials, white, barred with black; under parts, dull white; whole throat and breast thickly streaked with dusky. Nest and eggs as in other Woodpeckers; eggs, 1x .75. Local summer resident, and occasional resident. This beautiful bird is rare in southern New Jersey, and, so far as I am aware, is never found in the pine barrens. Young birds have been noted occasionally to pass the winter at Haddonfield (Rhoads), Moorestown (Evans) and Yardville ( Allinson). I saw an adult May 7th, 1896, north of Salem, and Mr. W. L. Baily saw another at Ocean City May 5th of the same year. I do not recall any definite record of its breeding south of Haddonfield, and even there it is irregular. Beesley (1857), gives it as a breeding species in Cape May county, but some of his records are obviously erroneous. At Princeton Mr. Babson* states that a few years ago it was a com- mon summer resident, and not infrequent in winter, but at the time he wrote (1901) it had become rare. In the northern part of the State it is more plentiful, but irregular. At Paterson Mr. J. H. Clark reports it as an irregular but rare per- manent resident, sometimes tolerably common in April and May. Nests in June, preferring telegraph poles along some retired road. Mr. W. D. W. Miller regards it as rather rare at Plainfield, but some- times common in fall. In the Passaic Valley, Great Swamp region and on the Raritan it is more plentiful. Messrs. H. H. Hann and J. P. Callender have found it nesting at Chatham, Hanover and Sum- mit, but report it very local. Mr. Caskey regards it as rather rare at 1 Birds of Princeton, p. 54. ? Cassinia, 1903, p. 6. 184 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Morristown. At the last locality, as well as at Plainfield,? it has been found in winter. At Orange* Mr. T. M. Trippe reported it as very rare, and Mr, J. Van Rensselaer, Jr.,* states that only one has been seen in ten years. 409 Centurus carolinus (Linnzeus). Red-bellied Woodpecker. Adult male-——Length, 9-10. Wing, 4-5. Whole top of head and back of neck, brilliant scarlet; rest of upper parts transversely barred with black and white; under surface, pale gray; center of abdomen washed with red. Adult female.—Similar, but head gray on top; red only on hind neck and nostril plumes. Irregular straggler from farther south. Dr. C. C. Abbott reports a nest of this species in Ocean eons May 29th, 1861. No one else has found it breeding in the State, and there seem to be only three other records of its occurrence, one at Keyport, November 23d, 1887;° one at Newton, November 16th, 1889,° and another at Cape May Point, April 11th, 1903.7 Mr. Babson states that Mr. Scott saw some at Princeton, but gives no definite data. 412 Colaptes auratus luteus Bangs. Flicker. PLATE 39. Adult male.—Length, 12.50. Wing, 5.50-6.50. Above, brownish-gray, trans- versely barred with black; top of head, plain ashy-gray, with a bright scarlet crescent across the back of the neck; rump, white; upper tail-coverts, white, barred with black; primaries, secondaries and tail feathers, black, with yellow shafts and yellow underneath; secondaries with gray notches on the outer webs; under side of body vinaceous, becoming paler and slightly yellowish pos- teriorly; a black stripe on each side at the base of the bill; a broad black crescent on the breast, and rest of sides and abdomen thickly marked with round black spots. Ox ande@ excl. pe ou “Osprey, Il; p. 91. ’ Amer. Nat., VII., p. 389. * Oologist, 1895, p. 79. 5 Foster, Forest and Stream, XXIX., p. 3638. ®° Lewis, Auk, 1890. 7 Pennock, Cassinia, 1903, p. 75. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 185 Adult female.—Similar, but lacks the black marks at the base of the bill. Young in first summer.—Similar, but duller; breast band and scarlet cres- cent not so well developed; sometimes the whole top of the head is tinged with red. ‘ Nest in a tree trunk; eggs, five to nine, glossy white, 1.10 x .90. Abundant summer resident and occasional resident. Arrives Feb- ruary 17th (March 13th), departs November 10th. The Flicker is one of our most familiar and abundant birds. In the spring the loud, rapid call, “kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk,” etce., is heard from every piece of woodland, as well as the peculiar “whi-chew, whi-chew,” uttered as the birds chase each other around a tree trunk. The Flicker has also a single loud call note. In habits and structure it diifers from all other Woodpeckers, being partly terrestrial and a great devourer of ants, these insects constituting forty-five per cent. of its food, as many as three thousand having been found in a single stomach by Professor Beal. The Flicker also eats more berries and seed than other Woodpeckers. In flight it is easily recognized by the conspicu- ous white rump. Mr. T. M. Trippe records several specimens, shot at Orange, which had red feathers in the black malar stripe, thus approaching the West- ern Red-shafted Flicker.* Order MACROCHIRES. Goatsuckers, Swifts and Hummingbirds. Family CAPRIMULGIDA. THE GOATSUCKERS. These are nocturnal or semi-nocturnal birds, peculiar in their short bill, very large mouth and long narrow wings. They make no nest, but lay their eggs on the bare ground. Their food consists entirely of insects. a. Plumage finely mottled black and white, a large white spot on the middle of the wing, no bristles at the mouth. NIGHTHAWE, p. 186 aa. Plumage brown and buff, no white on the wing, long bristles at the sides of the mouth. WHIP-POOR-WILL, p. 186 1 Amer. Nat., VII., p. 498. 186 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 417 Antrostomus vociferus (Wilson). Whip-poor-will. PLATE 40. Adult male.—Length, 9.50-10. Wing, 5.50-6.50. Head with bold black streaks on a grayish ground (color composed of very fine black and white mot- tlings) ; back mottled with ochraceous and black with several large black spots; middle tail feathers and rump, blackish, minutely mottled with pale gray; three outer tail feathers, black basally, white terminally; wings, black, with broken rusty bars; under parts mottled with black and pale buff, a white half collar across the throat. Adult female——Similar, but the three outer tail feathers black, narrowly edged with buff, and throat band buff instead of white. No nest; eggs, two, dull white, with pale grayish blotches, laid on the dead leaves in woods; size, 1.50 x .85. Common summer resident, but in many counties local, probably most abundant in the pine barren region. Arrives April 27th, departs October Ist. The Whip-poor-wills are especially abundant through the swamps cf the pine barrens, where they begin to be active at dusk, coming out into the clearings and chasing one another about, now alighting on a low branch, now on the fence or hitching post, and again on the ground or doorstep, and every few moments repeating rapidly the “whip-poor- will, whip-poor-will;” there is a preliminary “chok” which is only heard when close to the bird. I have lain awake at night, close to the edge of a clearing where these birds were calling, and counted upwards of thirty successive repetitions of the call before the performer would pause. In the daytime they are occasionally flushed from the ground in swamps and woodlands. They are wholly insectivorous. 420 Chordeiles virginianus (Gmelin). Nighthawk. PLATE 41. Adult male.—Length, 9-10. Wing, 7.50-8.25. Above, black, irregularly mot- tled with white and buff; white marks more numerous on the wings; primaries, black, the five outer ones with a broad band of pure white across the middle of THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 187 both webs; tail, dusky, with bars of lighter mottling and subterminal white spots on all but the middle pair; below, breast black mottled with buff and white; half collar on throat, pure white; entire abdomen, sides and crissum barred black and white. Adult female—Similar, but no white spots on the tail, and throat patch buff. No nest; eggs, two, laid on the bare ground, grayish-white, thickly mottled all over with dull brown, 1.20 x .85. Common summer resident. Arrives April 30th (May 11th), de- parts October 10th. The Nighthawk is most frequently seen just before dusk flying high overhead in an irregular jerking manner, now and then diving toward the ground, his long, narrow wings conspicuous from the white spots, which look from below like holes. As he flies he utters a peculiar harsh cry, which can be heard at a great distance, and seems to come from much closer at hand than it really does. During the daytime the Nighthawks may be found on the ground, or on some log or fence rail, their mottled plumage blending well with their sur- roundings and rendering them inconspicuous. They are wholly insectivorous, and capture their food on the wing. Family MICROPODIDA. THE SwWIFTs. These birds are similar to Swallows, but have longer, narrower wings, and projecting spines at the end of the tail feathers. We have but one species. 423 Cheetura pelagica (Linnzus). Chimney Swift. PLATE 42. Adults.—Length, 4.75-5.50. Wing, 5-5.25. Above, sooty black; feathers with a slight gloss on the central part; wings, black, with a slight bluish sheen ; under parts, sooty gray; throat and upper breast, pale gray; a jet black spot in front of the eye. Young in first summer.—Similar. Nest a basket-like structure of dead twigs fastened together and to the inside of the chimney in which it is located by a gluey substance secreted by the bird; eggs, four to six, pure white, .75 x .50. 188 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Abundant summer resident. Arrives April 17th (April 22d), de- parts October 10th. The Chimney Swift is familiar to everyone, circling about in its rapid flight over our houses or fields, now rapidly plying its narrow pinions, and then, with set curved wings, sailing through the air. It is always on the wing except when it drops down into the chim- ney and rests, clinging against the sooty walls. Its food consists en- tirely of insects; its note is a long, rapid twitter. The Swift is popularly known as the Chimney Swallow, but it is not related to the swallows, the superficial resemblance being due to adaption to the same mode of life. Originally the Swifts nested in hollow trees, but they seem to have entirely abandoned this habit, although Mr. 8S. N. Rhoads has found them nesting at Haddonfield in an old barn, the nest being attached to the boards. Family TROCHILIDZ. THE HUMMINGBIRDS. There is but one species of Hummingbird in Eastern North America. 428 Archilochus colubris (Linnzus). Ruby-throated Hummingbird. PLATE 43. Adult male.—Length, 3.10-3.25; female, 3.60. Wing, 1.60-1.80. Upper parts, brilliant metallic green; wings, dusky, coverts edged with green; lower parts, white on breast, dusky on abdomen, sides tinged with green; whole throat, brilliant metallic crimson. Adult female——Similar, but crimson on throat lacking. Nest externally of lichens, lined with fine down, placed on the upper side of a limb; eggs, two, white, .50 x .35. Common summer resident. Arrives May 3d (May 9th), departs September 25th. This is the smallest of our birds, a gem of tropical bird life, which. wanders far north of the usual range of its family. Our most familiar view of the Hummingbird is in the garden as he poises himself on THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 189 rapidly vibrating wings before some flower, resembling almost exactly in size and flight the Hummingbird Moth or Sphinx, which has the same habit. Sometimes we may see him rest for a time on a branch, and one which often visits my garden perches on the clothesline. The food of the Hummingbird consists of minute insects and the nectar of flowers. Hummingbirds are distributed throughout the State, but seem to be particularly abundant in Cape May county, where their favorite flower, the Trumpet Creeper, occurs as a wild plant. Order PASSERES. Perching Birds. To this order belong nearly all of our familiar inland birds—almost one-half of the total number of species found in the State. Of the 167 species of land birds (exclusive of birds of prey and game birds), 152 belong to this group. They comprise all our most valuable insect destroyers and song birds—such as Sparrows, Warblers, Thrushes, Wrens, Swallows, etc. GENERAL KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PASSERINE BIRDS. Special keys are given under each family, but as it is difficult to select obvious family characters except in a few instances, this general key has been prepared, by which any of the smaller land birds may be identified or referred to their proper families, except the Woodpeckers, Kingfisher, Cuckoos, Whip-poor-will, Night Hawk, Swift and Hum- mingbird, which have already been covered in the key to higher groups on p. 36. a. Bill distinctly flat, broad at the base, and well provided with bristles; head slightly crested; colors plain white, gray or pale yellow below; brown, olive or slaty above. FLYCATCHERS, p. 1938 aa. Bill very short and broad, gape very deeply cleft, more than twice as long as the bill; outer primary more than twice as long as the innermost. SWALLOws, p. 250 aaa. Bill with mandibles crossed. CROSSBILLS, p. 223 190 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. aaaa. Bill slender or conical (or, if somewhat flattened, plumage with bright tints). b. No yellow in plumage. ec. Back not streaked, tail not brown narrowly cross-barred with black. d. General plumage black or with metallic reflections (feathers often edged with buff or rusty in. autumn) .* e. Whole plumage uniform (except for autumnal edgings). f. Wing over 10. Crows, p. 202 ff. Wing under 6. GRACKLES or BLACKBIRDS, p. 207 ee. Head brown. CowBIRD, p. 209 eee. Shoulders red and buff (or white). RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, p. 210 dd. Back and head black. e. Belly white. CHEWINE, p. 242 ee. Belly and rump orange. BALTIMORE ORIOLE, p. 214 eee. Belly and rump chestnut. ORCHARD ORIOLE, p. 213 ddd. Back gray or ashy (feathers edged with rusty in Rusty Blackbird). e. No white on tail. f. Head and rump with yellow-olive tint. PINE GROSBEAK (female), p. 220 ff. No olive tint. g. Under parts ashy. h. Under tail-coverts rufous. CATBIRD, p. 295 hh. Under tail-coverts not rufous. i. Lighter below than above. Cowsirp (female), p. 209 vi. Uniform above and below. Rusty BLackptirp (female), p. 215 gg. Under parts whitish, throat and cap black. CHICKADEES, p. 305 ee. White spots at the end of outer tail feathers. f. Under parts rusty red. Rosin, p. 314 ff. Under parts white or pale gray. g. Black ear patch. SHRIKES, p. 25 gg. No ear patch. h. Wing over 4. MocKINGBIRD, p. 294 hh. Wing under 4. JUNCO, p. 288 f. Under parts narrowly banded with dusky. SHRIKES, p. 257 dddd. Plumage of upper surface bright blue-gray or brilliant blue. e. Blue-gray. f. Cap or nape black. NUTHATCHES, p. 303 ff. Cap uniform with back. g. Throat white. GNATCATCHER, p. 309 gg. Throat black. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, p. 274 1 Buropean Starling glossy black, with purple reflections and round whitish spots (see p. 206). THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 191 ee. Bright blue. f. Wing over 5. BLUE JAY, p. 203 ff. Wing, 3.80-4.15. BLUEBIRD, p. 315 fff. Wing, 3.80-8.60. Brur GROSBEAK, p. 245 ffff. Wing, 2.60—2.80. INDIGOBIRD, p. 245 ddddd. Plumage with more or less bright red, pink or crimson. e. Bright red above and below (body sometimes gray in female). f. Head crested. CARDINAL, p. 243 ff. Head not crested. SumMMER TANAGER, p. 249 ee. Plumage scarlet, wings and tail black. SCARLET TANAGER, p. 248 eee. Under wing-coverts and breast pink. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, p. 244 eeee. Cap, back and breast suffused with pink or crimson or cap alone crimson. f. Wing over 4.50. PINE GROSBEAK, p. 220 ff. Wing, 3.15-3.40. PURPLE FINCH, p. 222 fff. Wing under 3. REDPOLL, p. 224 eeeee. Tuft of orange-red on each side of the breast and on wings and tail. REDSTART, p. 291 eeeeee. A spot of red on crown. KINGLETS, p. 307 dddddd. Back brown or olive. e. Plain below, not streaked. f. Back brown. g. A white spot on the edge of the wing. . CHEWINK (female), p. 242 gg. No white on wing. h. A white mark on outer tail feather. PINE WARBLER (young), p. 280 hh. No white on tail. i. Wing about 3.50. BLUE GROSBEAK (female), p. 245 uu. Wing about 2.50. INDIGOBIRD (female), p. 245 ff. Back olive. g. Bill slightly hooked at tip. VIREOS, p. 259 gg. Bill not hooked. h. Crown striped black and buff. WoORM-EATING WARBLER, p. 267 hh. Head uniform with back. 2. Two rather dull wing bars. jy. Wing over 2.40. CERULEAN WARBLER, p. 277 jj. Wing under 2.30. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, p. 308 vi. No wing bars. j. A white spot on edge of wing. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (female), p. 274 jj. No white on wing. TENNESEE WARBLER, p. 272 192 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ée. Streaked below. f. Outer tail feathers tipped with white. TITLARK, p. 298 ff. Tail without white marks. g. Tail, 5-5.75. BRown THRASHER, p. 296 gg. Tail, 2-2.50. OVENBIRD AND WATER THRUSHES, p. 283 ggg. Tail, 2.60—-38.30. THRUSHES, p. 310 ce. Back streaked, tai] not conspicuously cross-barred. d. Plumage largely white above; wing, 4.20—-4.50. Snow BUNTING, p. 227 dd. Tail feathers sharply pointed; wing, 3.704. BoBOLINE, p. 208 ddd. Bill slender. e. Bill curved; wing, 2.40—2.70. BROWN CREEPER, p. 302 ee. Bill not curved; wing less than 8. f. Back blue. CERULEAN WARBLER, p. 277 ff. Back not blue. WARBLERS, p. 263 Sections b* c d and bf & d dddd. Bill conical; “plumage sparrow-like.” SPARROWS, p. 218; section b° ccc. Back plain or streaked, tail cross-barred with black. WRENS, p. 297 bb. More or less yellow in the plumage. c. Wing less than 3. d. Bill conical, sparrow-like; tail slightly forked. GOLDFINCH, p. 225 dd. Bill slightly hooked at tip, plain above and below, yellow on breast or flanks only. VIREOS, p. 259 ddd. Bill slender, not sparrow-like, tail not forked. e. Yellow on crown only, bordered with black, rest of plumage olive or grayish-white. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, p. 308 ee. Pattern not as in last. WARBLERS, p. 264; section aa ce. Wing over 3. d. Under parts olive-yellow. e. Throat black. ORCHARD ORIOLE (young), p. 2138 ee. Throat uniform with under parts. f. Wing, 3. ORCHARD ORIOLE (female), p. 213 ff. Wing, 3.50 or over. g. Olive-green above. SCARLET TANAGER (female or male in autumn), p. 248 gg. Olive-buff above. : SuMMER TANAGER (female), p. 249 dd. Bright yellow on under parts with black on throat or breast, brown streaked above. e. Wing over 3.90. MeEApow Lark, p. 212 ee. Wing under 3.30. DICKCISSEL, p. 246 ddd. Under parts dull orange. BALTIMORE ORIOLE (female), p. 214 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 193 dddd. Yellow very much restricted. e. Restricted to tips of tail feathers and flanks. WAXWINGS, p. 255 ce. Restricted to top of head and rump, rest gray. PINE GROSBEAK (female), p. 220 ece. Restricted to throat; breast and lores black. HornNep Larks, p. 201 Family TYRANNIDZ. THE FLYCATCHERS. The Tyrant Flycatchers are small or medium sized, usually plain colored birds with rather long wings and small feet. They have the habit of perching on some convenient limb, often at the top of a dead tree, from which they sail out after passing insects, returning again to the same perch. Their bills are very broad and flat, well armed with bristles at the base. Their vocal apparatus is much less highly organized than in any of the following families. which are separated collectively as the Song Birds. a. Wing over 4. b. Under parts white or tinged with gray, tail white tipped. IXINGBIRD, p. 195 bb. Under parts yellowish-white, sides and band across the breast dusky. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, p. 197 bbb. Throat gray, belly yellow. GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, p. 196 bbbb. Tail, 7-10 long, deeply forked. FORK-TAILED AND SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHERS, p. 194 aa. Wing under 3.5. b. Wing over 3. ce. Lower mandible dark. PHOEBE, p. 196 ce. Lower mandible light. Woop PEWEE, p. 198 bb. Wing under 3. c. Lower parts sulphur yellow. YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, p. 198 ce. Lower parts white, sometimes tinged on breast with pale yellow. d. Back olive, lower mandible pale. ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, p. 199 dd. Back decidedly brownish, lower mandible dusky. e. Wing, 2.60 or over. ALDER FLYCATCHER, p. 199 ee. Wing under 2.60. LEAST FLYCATCHER, p. 200 13 194 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 442 Muscivora tyrannus (Linnzus). Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Adults.—Length, 12-14. Wing, 4.10-4.75. Tail, 9-10. Above, bluish-gray ; head, black, with a central yellow spot; under parts, white; wings, dusky; tail, black, outermost feathers with outer web white for basal half. Both this and the following are remarkable for the very long, forked tail, more than twice the length of the body. This tropical bird which does not normally come farther north than Southern Mexico and the lesser Antilles, has strangely enough been taken three times in the State of New Jersey. The first was obtained near Bridgeton, in the first week of December, presumably about 1820,* and was presented by Mr. J. Woodcraft, of that town, to Titian Peale. The second specimen was shot by Audubon, a few miles below Camden, in the end of June, 1832.2 The last was taken near Trenton, in au- tumn, 1900, according to Dr. C. C. Abbott, and was mounted in a store at the corner of Broad and Liberty streets, 'Trenton.* One cannot but think that these birds might have been caged speci- mens which escaped from vessels coming up the Delaware. 443 Muscivora forficata (Gmelin). Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Adults—Length, 12-15. Wing, 4.40-5.15. Tail, 7-10. Head, neck and breast, pale pearl-gray, tinged with buff and pink on the back, passing into black on the upper tail-coverts; a spot of vermilion in the middle of the crown and a tuft of vermilion feathers on each side of the breast; under tail-coverts and base of outer tail feathers, pale salmon-pink; tips of two outer tail feathers and all of the others, black; wings, dusky; coverts and tertials edged with grayish-white. A very rare straggler from the Southwest (Texas and Mexico). One specimen was obtained by Dr. C. C. Abbott, on Crosswicks mea- dows, five miles below Trenton, April 15th, 1872, and is now in the Academy of Sciences, Salem, Massachusetts.* 1 Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith., I., p. 1. 2 Audubon, Ornith. Biog. 3 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 56. « Amer. Nat. VI., p. 367. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 195 444 Tyrannus tyrannus (Linnzus). Kingbird. PLATE 44. Adults.—Length, 8-9. Wing, 4.50. Above, dark slate color; head, black, with a concealed median spot of orange feathers; wings, dusky; coverts and tertials slightly bordered with white; tail, black, all the feathers broadly tipped with white; under parts, white, slightly tinged with gray on the breast. Young in first swmmer.—Similar, but browner above, and concealed crown patch lacking. Nest of twigs and rootlets, lined with wool, moss, etc., placed in the top of a tree; eggs, three to five, white, with rather coarse spots of brown, .95 x .70. Common summer resident. Arrives April 29th (May 4th), departs September 20th. . A common bird of the farm and orchard; the Kingbird is familiar to everyone. From his perch on a dead branch at the top of a tree he keeps a watch, as it were, over his domain, and every now and then darts out to catch some passing insect, or to pursue some feathered trespasser who has entered his territory. He attacks all birds alike, without regard to any possible injury that they may inflict upon him or his family. His wonderful agility enables him to make it very uncomfortable for the passing Turkey Vulture or Crow, and I have seen him press a circling Chimney Swift so closely as to drive him to the ground almost paralyzed with fright. As he returns to his post he gives vent to his harsh “see-saw’’-like call. In early spring he likes to perch on the top of some old mullein stalk or weed in the pasture and from this vantage point snap up any passing insects. Occasionally he devours honey bees, but not enough to constitute any damage, while eighty per cent. of his food consists of noxious insects. 447 Tyrannus verticalis Say. Arkansas Kingbird. Adults—Length, 8-9.50. Wing, 4.75-5.25. Pale slaty-gray above, paler on the throat and breast; belly, yellow, with a tinge of the same on the rump; tail-coverts and tail, black; outer web of outermost feathers, white; wings, dusky brown; a concealed red crown patch. 196 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Another straggler from the far West. One specimen was taken by Professor A. H. Phillips at Princeton, September 29th, 1894, which is in his collection.* 452 Myiarchus crinitus (Linnzeus). Great Crested Flycatcher. PLATE 45. Adults—Length, 8.50-9. Wing, 4.25. Above, dull olive; feathers on the head with dusky centers ; wings with two light bars and light edgings to the tertials; outer webs of primaries, rusty; middle pair of tail feathers and outer webs of the others, olive-brown; inner webs, cinnamon rufous; throat and breast, gray; abdomen, sulphur yellow. Young in first summer.—Similar, but more tinged with rusty. Nest in a hollow of a tree trunk or in the end of a broken hollow limb; com- posed of grass, etc., and almost invariably of pieces of cast snake skin; eggs, three to six, cream colored, streaked with brown, .85 x .65. Common summer resident. Arrives April 29th (May 4th), departs September 1st. The loud, harsh ery of this Flycatcher once heard will never be for- gotten. It carries far across the woodland, and once back from his winter home, the bird is not slow to announce his arrival. When sey- eral Great Crests are chasing each other through the woods the racket is really startling. They are not always woodland birds, but fre- quently nest in old apple trees in the orchard, and become quite familiar, giving us a good view of their fine erectile crest and dis- tinctive coloring. Besides the harsh cry, usually repeated rapidly several times, they have a more plaintive single call that I have fre- quently heard about dusk from a bird that had established a roosting place in a thick maple near our porch. 456 Sayornis phoebe (Latham). Pheebe. Adults —Length, 6.25-7. Wing, 3.80. Above, grayish olive-brown; wings and tail more dusky; top and sides of head, sooty brown; under parts, dull white, much yellower in autumn. *Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 152. eet THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 197 Young in first summer.—Similar, but wing-coverts tipped with buff, forming two bars, and upper tail-coverts tinged with cinnamon. Nest of mud and moss, lined with grass, ete., placed under the eaves of a spring house, boat house or barn, or under a bridge or upturned stump; eggs, four to six, white, .75 x .55. Common summer resident. Arrives March 13th (March 21st), de- parts October 25th. One was seen by Dr. William C. Braislin at Crosswicks, Mercer county, December 26th, 1894." The Phoebe is one of our true home birds, and one that we look for with interest as a real herald of springtime. He perches familiarly on the fence, on old weed stalks, or about the farm buildings, inces- santly flirting his tail and giving vent to the well-known “phee’be, phee’be, phee’be.” 459 Nuttallornis borealis (Swainson). Olive-sided Flycatcher. Adults.—Length, 7.75. Wing, 4. Above, dark smoky gray; wings and tail, blacker; tertials slightly edged with whitish; under parts, white, sometimes faintly tinged with yellow; breast, except a median line, and flanks, ashy brown, distinctly streaked with dusky. Rare transient. May and August—September. Mr. Chapman regards it as not uncommon, in autumn, near New York.? It is rare at Demarest (Bowdish), and one is recorded from Morristown, Sep- tember 18th, 1885, by Thurber and Greene.* Mr. Scott saw only one at Princeton,* and for south Jersey we have no record, although Krider® states that he has taken it. FAbst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N--¥.,-VIL., p. 9. * Birds Vicinity N. Y., p. 52. Orrand, OFX... ws 92: * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 57. ° Field Notes, p. 24. 198 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 461 Myiochanes virens (Linnzus). Wood Pewee. PLATE 44, Adults—Length, 6—-6.50. Wing, 3.25. Above, plain olive-brown; wings and tail, dusky; slight whitish edgings to wing-coverts and tertials; under parts, grayish-white, tinged with olive-gray on the breast, and a very faint wash of yellow on the abdomen. Young in first summer.—Similar, but with conspicuous buff wing bars and a buff tinge on the rump. Nest on the horizontal limb of a tree, covered externally with lichens lined with fine grass, etc.; eggs, three to four, creamy white, with a circle of dark brown spots at the larger end, .80 x .55. Common summer resident. Arrives May 3d (May 9th), departs September 20th. The Wood Pewee is a familiar summer resident of the orchard and woodland, and throughout the day his plaintive drawling “pee—wee” may be heard, contrasting strangely with the sharp emphatic cry of the Pheebe. He is wholly insectivorous, sailing out from his perch on some dead lhmb to catch his prey on the wing. 463 Empidonax flaviventris Baird. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Adults.—Length, 5.75. Wing, 2.50-2.75. Above, plain greenish-olive; wings, dull black, with two conspicuous yellowish bars, and edgings of the same on the tertials; under parts, pale yellow; breast shaded with olive. Tolerably common transient. Spring, May 17th to 20th; autumn, September 4th to 25th. Best told from the related species by the much more yellow and olive under surface. It is only a passing visitor in New Jersey and usually silent while with us. . ee THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 199 465 Empidonax virescens (Vieillot). Acadian Flycatcher. Adults—Length, 5.50. Wing, 2.75. Grayish olive-green above; wings and tail, brownish; two buff or whitish wing bars and similar edgings to the ter- tials; under parts, pale yellowish-white, shaded with olive on the breast. Young in first swummer.—Similar, but feathers of the upper parts edged with buff and wing bands strongly buff. Nest on a slender fork near the end of a horizontal limb, made largely of oak or chestnut catkins, mixed with vegetable fibers; eggs, two to three, creamy- white, with a few reddish spots at the larger end, .75 x .55. Common summer resident, except in the most northern counties. Common in the lower Hudson valley, rare at Plainfield (Miller), rather uncommon at Princeton (Babson), but regular at Newton, Sussex county (Philipp). Arrives May 5th, departs September 15th. This is the breeding little green Flycatcher of the southern half of New Jersey, though it overlaps the range of the Least Flycatcher across the middle of the State, both species breeding at Trenton (Stone) and at Plainfield (Miller). ; The Acadian Flycatcher is a bird of the woodland usually near some little brook, though its nest is often swung out over the water of a larger stream. It has a single call, repeated at regular intervals, as the bird sits upon its perch, or occasionally sails out in pursuit of a passing insect. 466a Empidonax trailli alnorum Brewster. Alder Flycatcher. Adults——Length, 6. Wing, 2.75. Above, brownish-olive; wings and tail, dusky; two deep buff wing bars and dull whitish edgings to the tertials; under parts, white, tinged with light yellow posteriorly; breast shaded strongly with olive-gray. Young in first swmmer.—Similar, but browner above, and wing bars darker. Nest of grass and vegetable fibers in an upright crotch of a bush near the ground; eggs, three to four, white, spotted with rusty brown at the larger end, .70 x .54. Rare transient, breeding locally in the northern half of the State. This little Flycatcher is a denizen of open swamps covered with alder bushes, among the branches of which it searches for its insect food, uttering now and then the distinctive cry which Dr. Dwight has so admirably represented by the syllables “ee-zee-e-up.” The same 200 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. sort of localities seem to be affected by this bird during migration as in the nesting season, and this is perhaps one of the best clues to its identity, as none of its three close relatives are likely to occur in alder swamps. Until comparatively recently, the Alder Flycatcher was not known to nest in the State, though Mr. Rhoads found them at Lake Hopatcong’ late in May, and was suspicious of their status in that locality. Later, in 1899 to 1902, Mr. W. D. W. Miller? found them breeding regularly in the vicinity of Plainfield. Mr. Rhoads also saw them at Alpine in June, 1901,° Greenwood and Wawayanda Lakes, June 4th-8th, 1909, and has noted them as rare transients at Haddon- field. Mr. W. E. D. Scott regarded the species as a regular transient at Princeton in the seventies.* 467 Empidonax minimus Baird. Least Flycatcher. Adults.—Length, 5-5.50. Wing, 2.25-2.50. Above, brownish-olive; two dull white wing bars and tertials edged with the same; under parts, white; very pale yellow posteriorly ; breast shaded with olive-gray. Young in first summer.—Browner above, and wing bands darker. Nest in the upright fork of a branch constructed of vegetable fibers, fine bark, etc.; eggs, three to five, white, .65 x .50. Common transient visitant in southern New Jersey; summer resi- dent in the northern counties, south to Plainfield (Miller) and Princeton (Babson), and rarely near Haddonfield, where they were found by Mr. 8S. N. Rhoads in June and July, 1881.5 Arrives April 28th (May 2d), departs September 15th. This is one of the four little green Flycatchers whose identification is always a matter of difficulty to the beginner. It is commonly found in the trees about the house and orchard. Its habits are like those of the other Flycatchers, its note a sharp emphatic “chebec,” though it occasionally indulges in a sort of flight song of rather more elaborate character. Mr. 8S. N. Rhoads on one or two occasions has found the Least Flycatcher in summer near Haddonfield, which is its most southern breeding locality. From Trenton and the Raritan north- wards it is a regular summer resident. 1 Birds of HE. Pa. and N. J., p. 101. 2 Auk, 1901, p. 108; 1903, p. 68. 3 Cassinia, 1901, p. 50. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 57. 5 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1882, p. 55. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 201 Family ALAUDIDZ. THE LARKs. These birds are poorly represented in America. All our forms, of which two occur in the State, seem to be sub-species of one widely- distributed species. The European Skylark has been liberated about New York, and at least one attempt was made to introduce them in New Jersey. Larks are terrestrial birds with a very large hind claw. 473 Alauda arvensis Linnzus. European Skylark. In the Ornithologist and Oologist, 1884, p. 11, it is stated that eighty-four European Skvlarks were liberated on a farm in New Jersey, in 1882, and that some were still to be seen there. Mr. “William J. Sherratt” [= William J. Rogers] states in the same journal for 1884, p. 24, that several European Skylarks were seen during the summer of 1883, along the Camden and Atlantic railroad, below Winslow Junction. Skylarks have been introduced in small numbers on Long Island, but have not increased. 474 Otocoris alpestris (Linnzus). Horned Lark, Shore Lark. PLATE 46. Adult male.—Length, 7.50-8. Wing, 44.50. Upper parts vinaceous, more or less washed and streaked with brown; rump and shoulders brighter; a line along each side of the crown, including some elongated erectile feathers, black ; forehead and line over the eye, pale yellowish; a broad black stripe from the base of the bill down the side of the throat, and a triangular breast patch, black ; whole throat and ear region, pale yellow; abdomen, white; sides, vinaceous; hind part of breast streaked with dusky; middle tail feathers, vinaceous; others black, outer ones edged with white. In winter, when the birds are with us, the black areas are all veiled with whitish edgings. Adult female.—Similar, but duller. oo i) Ce) REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Common winter visitant in large flocks along the coast, and less frequent inland. When feeding in old sandy fields these birds are scarcely distin- guishable, so closely does their coloring resemble their surroundings. The whole flock takes flight together, with low “peents,” and sails about close to the ground, soon coming to rest again. When walking about, the erectile feathers behind the eye, which give the bird its name of Horned Lark, may often be seen elevated. In the interior of the State we usually associate these birds with a heavy fall of snow, as they frequently appear simultaneously with a storm or blizzard, doubtless traveling from feeding grounds that have been buried under the white mantle. 474b Otocoris alpestris praticola Henshaw. Prairie Horned Lark. Aduits—Length, 7—7.50; female, 6.75. Wing, 3.75-4.25. Similar to the preceding but smaller, less streaked above, and with the yellow areas almost entirely white. Irregular winter visitant. This race of Horned Lark, which nests in northern Pennsylvania and probably Long Island, may possibly occur as a summer resident in northern New Jersey. It often associates with the preceding in the winter flocks, but is by no means so abundant. Mr. L. K. Holmes has reported it at Summit and Mr. W. D. Miller at Plainfield. Family CORVIDA. THE CROWS. This family comprises the Crows and Jays, of which four species occur in the State. They are large or medium sized birds, with power- ful bills and strong feet. Their food is varied. a. Plumage glossy black. b. Wing over 15. RAVEN, p. 204 bb. Wing, 12-18. Crow, p. 205 bbb. Wing under 12. FisH Crow, p. 206 b. Plumage blue above, marked with black and white; head crested. BLUE Jay, p. 203 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 203 477 Cyanocitta cristata (Linnzus). Blue Jay. PLATE 47. Adults—Length, 11-12.50. Wing, 5-5.75. Above, grayish-blue; head strongly crested; forehead, black; a black band across the base of the crest behind and down the sides of the neck and across the breast, where it becomes wider; wings and tail, bright blue; secondaries and greater-coverts barred with black and broadly tipped with white; tail feathers barred with black (except the outer pair), and all but the middle pair broadly tipped with white; under parts, grayish-white, except the black breast band. Young in first summer.—Grayer and with little or no crest. Nest a large, compact structure of fine rootlets; eggs, four to six, dark olive blotched with brown, 1.10 x .80. Resident, but most plentiful during autumn. This splendid bird is by no means so conspicuous an object as one might suppose. His bright colors are all on his back, and by keeping pretty much to the tree tops and keeping a sharp lookout for intruders, he generally manages to give us only a distant view, when we are forced to fall back upon his rounded, white-tipped tail, his mode of flight and his harsh “jay, jay” for purposes of identification. Besides his usual cry he has a mellow, flute-like whistle and more rarely other notes. The food of the Jay consists of one-quarter animal matter (insects mainly) and three-quarters vegetable. His preferences seem to be for acorns, chestnuts, beech nuts, ete. While universally charged with robbing the nests of smaller birds, the investigation of the United States Department of Agriculture seems to show that the Jay is not as bad as is generally supposed, though not guiltless. Like Crows, Jays delight in mobbing any unfortunate owl which they may discover blinking on his perch. In captivity they prove very interesting pets. 204 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 486a Corvus corax principalis Ridgway. Raven. Adults.—Length, 21.50-26. Wing, 15.50-18. Everywhere black with bluish reflections; feathers of the throat elongated and narrow. Young in first summer.—Body plumage dull brownish-black. Nest a bulky structure of sticks lined with bark, fibers, ete., situated in the top of a tall tree (or cliff in other localities) ; eggs, four to seven, bluish-green, or olive spotted with brown or dark olive, 1.95 x 1.25. Formerly rare resident. A few may still breed in the State. The Raven is a bird of the wildest sections of the country, disap- pearing as civilization advances. They are seen singly or in pairs, and in general appearance resemble crows. The distinguishing points as we see the bird in flight are (1) the larger size—not always an easy thing to judge, since distance, atmosphere, etc., play an im- portant part in estimating the bulk of a bird; (2) the hoarse guttural croak; (3) the more frequent sailing. In New Jersey the Ravens are restricted mainly to the wilderness known as the Pine Barrens and to the seashore. In winter and early spring I used frequently to see a pair crossing the salt meadows below Atlantic City from the pine lands, apparently to feed along the beach, and in 1892 and 1893 Mr. S. N. Rhoads and I saw a pair near May’s Landing, which were said to nest in the vicinity.* Mr. Jillson, of Tuckerton, informs me that a pair bred regularly a few miles inland from that point, returning to the same nest year after year, but in 1905. the wood where they nested was cut down. Ravens have, however, been seen in the vicinity in subsequent years. Mr. George B. Benners writes me that he obtained two young Ravens, just able to fly, from a nest in a gum tree, in a swamp between West Creek and Tuckerton, May 1889, and Mr. W. E. D. Scott? secured a specimen at West Creek, January 17th, 1879.* Beesley mentions them as occurring in Cape May county in 1857, but he did not know of their nesting. Thurber records one shot at Morristown by L. P. Sherer about 1881. 1 Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 103. 2 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 82. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 205 488 Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm. Crow. PLATE 48. Adults—Length, 17-21. Wing, 12-18. Everywhere black with blue or pur- plish reflections; abdomen duller. Young in first summer.— Body plumage, dull brownish-black. Nest a bulky structure of twigs lined with cowhair, bark, grass, ete., gen- erally placed in the top of a chestnut or oak tree; eggs, green, blotched with brown, 1.60 x 1.15. Abundant resident. In summer Crows are scattered over our woodland in pairs, but toward winter they begin to gather into the great flocks which are so characteristic of midwinter in southern Jersey. Evening and morn- ing they may be seen winging their way to and from their roosting places, which are definite sections of woodland that have been in use for generations. Roosts now in use are located at Merchantville, Camden county; Fishing Creek, Cape May county; below Salem, Salem county; Allo- way, Salem county, and Ash Swamp, Union county. Doubtless there are others, but all of them seem to be decreasing in population, and possibly the Crows are being driven by persecution to break up into much smaller roosting communities than formerly. From an economic standpoint much has been written about the Crow, with the result that he seems to stand literally on the fence. Twenty-three per cent. of his food consists of insects, the bulk of them noxious species. On the other hand, he annually devours a consider- able quantity of corn, causing the farmer much trouble and vexation. All things considered, it would seem that scarecrows and other methods of frightening the crows from the crops would be preferable to attempted extermination. As pets, Crows are amusing and intelligent. Much has been written about Crows and their roosts.? 1 Of. S. N. Rhoads, Amer. Nat., 1886, pp. 691 and 777; E. Martin, Oologist, IV., 1887, p. 94; W. T. Davis, Auk, 1894, pp. 228-231; W. Stone, Bird Lore, 1899, pp. 177-180; Auk, 1903, pp. 267-271; H. L..Coggins, Cassinia, 1903, pp. 99-42: ©. J. Hunt, Auk, 1906, p. 429; also Prof. W. B. Barrows, The Com- mon Crow of the U. S.; Bull. 6, U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Orn. and Mam. 206 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 489 Corvus ossifragus Wilson. Fish Crow. Adults.——Length, 15-17. Wing, 10.25-11.25. Everywhere black with bluish reflections above, and a greenish gloss below, where the plumage does not be- come duller as in the Common Crow; the back is also more uniformly glossy, and is not broken by duller tips to the feathers. Young in first swummer.—Duller; body plumage, brownish-black. Nest usually in a pitch pine tree; eggs, four to six, similar to those of the American Crow, but rather smaller, 1.45 x 1.05. Resident along the coast and lower Delaware River. According to Zarega,' they occur regularly north to Seabright, and less so to Sandy Hook. Mr. Babson states that they nest occasionally at Princeton.’ While clearly distinct from the Common Crow when in the hand, the Fish Crow is by no means so readily distinguished in life. Unless they are seen together the difference in size is not very appreciable, but the call is quite different, the “caw” of the Fish Crow being much weaker, with a nasal quality, “as if the bird had a cold in the head.” The Fish Crow occurs only along the seacoast and up the Delaware River, breeding throughout its range, usually in colonies. Typical nesting communities occur on the island beaches, which support a growth of trees, and where the summer resorts and their visitors have not frightened the birds away.* Family STURNID. THE STARLINGS. 493 Sturnus vulgaris Linnzeus. European Starling. Adult male.—Length, 8.50. Wing, 5.10.. Glossy black with purple and green reflections, spotted above with white or buff; bill, yellow, very sharp pointed. Female.—Spotted below as well as above. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, p. 205. 2 Birds of Princeton, p. 59. 2 Of. also for nesting on the N. J. coast; Burns, Oologist, 1898, p. 310; Crispin, Oologist, 1901, p. 106; Shick, Auk, 1890, p. 328. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 207 Young in first summer.—Ashy brown, without spots. Nest in holes about buildings or hollow trees, constructed of grass, twigs, ete.; eggs, five, pale greenish-blue, 1.15 x .85. According to Mr. F. M. Chapman, eighty Starlings were liberated by Mr. Eugene Schuffelin, in Central Park, New York, on March 6th, 1890, and forty more on April 25th, 1891. By 1894 they had spread beyond the park limits, and by 1906 had reached Red Bank and Prince- ton, New Jersey.1 At the present time they have spread down the coast to ‘Tuckerton, in the interior as far as Vineland, and down the Delaware to Philadelphia, with one record for the State of Delaware.” As soon as it became apparent that the Starlings had obtained a foot- ing in New York, the United States government prohibited their fur- ther importation, but too late to stop their spread. They have many of the undesirable qualities of the English Sparrow, and will, it is feared, drive away many of our native birds. Family ICTERIDZ. THE ORIOLES, BLACKBIRDS, ETC. The members of this family are peculiar in having the culmen run well up on the forehead, dividing the frontal feathers. a. Abdomen streaked all over with black and white (or buff). RED-WING BLACKBIRD (female), p. 210 aa. Abdomen not streaked. b. Under parts black (sometimes edged with buff in autumn). c. Wing, 5.75 or over. GRACKLES, pp. 215-217 ec. Wing under 5. d. Shoulder red and buffy-white, otherwise black. RED-WING BLACKBIRD (male), p. 210 dd. Hind collar buff, rump white, otherwise black. BoBoLinkK (male), p. 208 ddd. Head brown, rest of plumage blue-black. CowBirD (male), p. 209 dddd. Head yellow, rest of plumage black. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, p. 210 ddddd. Entirely blue-black (edged with rusty in autumn). Rusty BLACKBIRD, p. 215 1 Birds of N. Y. and Vicinity, p. 164. * Stone, Auk, 1908, p. 221. Of. Babson, Bird Lore, 1907, p. 209. 208 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. bb. Under parts gray or plumbeous. c. Lighter below than above, bill short and thick. CowBsirpD (female), p. 209 ce. Uniform above and below (edged with rusty in autumn), bill more slender. Rusty BLAcKBirD (female), p. 215 bbb. Under parts not uniform black or gray. c. Throat black. d. Belly chestnut. ORCHARD ORIOLE, p. 213 dd. Belly orange. BALTIMORE ORIOLE, p. 214 ddd. Belly olive-yellow. ORCHARD ORIOLE (young), p. 213 ce. Throat not black. d. A black crescent or a necklace of spots across the breast, belly yellow. MeEApow Lark, p. 212 dd. Buff below, streaked on the sides with brown or black. BoBoLinkK (female and autumnal male), p. 208 ddd. Uniform pale orange below. BALTIMORE ORIOLE (female), p. 214 dddd. Uniform olive-yellow. ORCHARD ORIOLE (female), p. 2138 494 Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linnezus). Bobolink, Reedbird. PLATE 49. Adult male in spring and summer.—Length, 6.50—-7.50. Wing, 3.75. Head all around and entire under parts, black, sometimes with buff edgings to feathers ; back of neck in broad half collar, buff; back, black, streaked with buff; scap- ulars, rump and upper tail-coverts, white, more or less shaded with gray; tail, black; wings, black: flight feathers edged with buff. In autumn.—Above, light buffy-olive, two broad blackish stripes on the crown; feathers of the back largely black, the buff edgings forming two longi- tudinal stripes; wings edged with buff; under parts, buff, deepest on the breast; flanks heavily streaked with black, often a few black feathers on the throat and breast. Adult female.—Similar to autumnal male, but never showing black feathers below. Young in first summer.—Feathers of the upper surface black, broadly edged with buff; head, black, with a median buff stripe; hind neck entirely buff; under parts, pale buff. Nest of grass, situated on the ground and well concealed; eggs, four to six, grayish-white, spotted irregularly with brown, .84 x .62. Common transient visitant; summer resident from Princeton and Plainfield, northward, but locally distributed. Arrives May 2d (May 8th), departs September 20th. What a pity that such a splendid bird as this cannot be protected and perpetuated! Its song is one of the wonders of our bird music, THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 209 and the wild chorus of these black and white songsters, as they sweep over our fields on their way northward, defies description. Apparently they originally nested farther south than they do now; certainly they nested everywhere more abundantly, but the slaughter to which they are subjected on their return flight in the autumn, when in the somber Reedbird plumage, they are shot down by so-called “Sportsmen,” is rapidly thinning their ranks. They are adepts in concealing their nests and one may search for hours, constantly attended by the male on fluttering wings, apparently full of anxiety and certainly full of melody, only to find that the nest is really far away in another field. 495 Molothrus ater (Boddert). Cowbird. Adult male.—Length, 7.75-8.25. Wing, 4.50. Entire head, neck and chest, dark brown or drab; rest of plumage, glossy black, with greenish reflections. Adult female——Above, brownish-gray, with a slight iridescence on the feathers of the back; below, paler brownish-gray, with darker shaft lines on many of the feathers. Young in first summer.—Above, grayish-brown, all the feathers with buff edgings; below, dull white, tinged with buff and streaked with dusky, except on the throat. Builds no nest, but deposits its eggs in the nests of other birds; eggs, white, thickly and minutely speckled with brown, .85 x .64. Common summer resident, occasional in winter—Cape May (Stone? and Hand), Yardville (Allinson), Plainfield (Miller).2 Arrives March 15th (March 25th), bulk departs in October. Some linger til! December 1st, at Princeton (Babson) .° Small bunches of these birds reach us early in the spring, and the males may be seen perched in some tree on the edge of the swamp spreading their wings and tail, and literally forcing out the guttural creaking sounds that pass with them for a song. Later we see the females skulking about searching for the nests of the Warblers, Spar- rows and Vireos, in which they usually deposit their eggs. And later still, in small flocks, they may be seen following the cattle in the field. 1 Auk, 1892, p. 204. 2 Osprey, II., p. 91. ° Birds of Princeton, p. 59. 210 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. They consume a greater portion of grain than the Red-wing, but ap- parently most of it picked up from the droppings of cattle and about the barnyards. In winter I have found them in Cape May county associating with Red-wings. 497 Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonaparte). Yellow-headed Blackbird. Adult male—Length, 10. Wing, 5.50. Black with the head and breast bright yellow, except a black spot before the eye and on the chin; outer wing- coverts, white. Female.—General color brownish; forehead, line over the eye and breast, dull yellow, with more or less white below. An accidental straggler from the west. An immature specimen, secured by a gunner at Tuckerton about 1890, is in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila- delphia. This is apparently the only record for the State.* 498 Agelaius phoeniceus (Linneus). Red-winged Blackbird. PLATE 50. Adult male in summer.—Length, 9-10. Wing, 4.75. Uniform black, except the shoulder patch, which is vermilion or scarlet, bordered with buff. In autumn the feathers of the upper part are bordered with rusty brown edgings, those of the lower parts slightly with buff. Adult female—Length, 7.50-8.50. Above, dull blackish-brown, streaked with buffy; below, broadly streaked blackish and buffy-white; throat suffused with pale pink; shoulders tinged with dull red. In winter broadly edged with rusty and buff above. Young male in first autumn.—Similar to the adult male, but heavily veiled with rusty and buff; shoulder patch mottled with black. Young in first summer.—Similar to adult female, but more yellowish-buff below and streaks narrower. Nest of grass situated in a tussock or supported upon cattail stalks or in low bushes, usually close to the water; eggs, three to five, pale bluish-gray, spotted and “pen marked” with black about the larger end, 1.00 x .70. 1 Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C., II., p. 14, where the locality is inadvertently given as Fish-House. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 211 Abundant summer resident. Arrives March 3d (March 10th), de- parts November 10th. Occasional in winter, usually in the southern- most part of the State. Wildwood, December 27th, 1903 (W. L. Baily) ;1 Leonia, December, 1906 (C. H. Rogers).1 At Princeton and on the Delaware marshes at Philadelphia they often remain until December Ist. Upland, open swamps and low wet pasture fields, or the large cat- tail swamps of our coast and rivers are equally acceptable as breeding grounds for the Red-wings. They assemble sometimes in large colo- nies; the males with their flaming shoulder patches, ever alert, sail out on the approach of an intruder, and hovering directly over his head keep up an incessant harsh calling. Upon his retirement each returns to his perch on tree-top or fence post and sounds his encourage- ment to the setting female—the resonant “conquor—eee”—which we may also hear floating up from the border of the swamp as the dusk of evening settles down. In late summer and autumn the birds gather in flocks repairing to roosts every night, often associating with Grackles, Robins and Cow- birds, and later the two sexes flock separately, remaining apart until the mating season in April. The Red-wings are among the first migrants of spring time, and the flocks of females always arrive somewhat later than the males. In winter occasional flocks are to be found in Cape May county and along the shores of the Delaware at least as far north as Philadelphia, but they drift up and down and are probably not permanently resi- dent at any one spot. The Red-wing is one of the few of our smaller birds against which the farmer entertains an hereditary enmity. I have found few farmers who could furnish reliable information concerning the damage caused by these birds in the State, but because Blackbirds and Crows have always been under the ban they are against them. Let us see what the careful stomach analyses of the Agricultural Department have shown. In the first place, seventy-three per cent. of the Red-wing’s food is vegetable and twenty-seven per cent. animal ; the latter includes five per cent. grasshoppers and six per cent. cater- pillars. Of vegetable matter, grain constitutes fourteen per cent. of the seventy-three per cent., the remainder consisting of various weed and wild grass seed and a small number of wild berries. The damage done varies greatly in different sections; in most parts 1 Bird Lore, Christmas Lists, 1904 and 1907. 212 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. of the East it is exceeded by the good done by the birds in destroying insects. Extermination of these birds is very undesirable, and indeed hopeless, as far as ordinary methods are concerned, and as the best method for protecting grain, it is suggested to thoroughly tar the seed when planting, and to adopt methods for frightening the birds off during the period of sprouting and early growth. 501 Sturnella magna (Linnzus). Meadow Lark. PAE tole Adult male.—Length, 10.75. Wing, 4.50—-5. Feathers of upper parts dusky, broadly margined with rusty brown and buff; head, black, with a median pale buff stripe and a similar one over the eye, becoming bright yellow in front; a black stripe behind the eye; sides of face, whitish; wing and middle tail feathers, grayish-brown, with a series of transverse black bars, more or less connected down the shaft; three outer tail feathers largely white, next one with a white stripe; lower parts, bright yellow, with a crescent-shaped black patch on the breast joining a small triangular spot on each side of the throat; sides of breast heavily streaked with black; flanks and crissum, pale buff, streaked with dusky. Jn winter, similar, but all the feathers broadly edged with brown or deep buff, obscuring the markings and making the under parts darker. Adult female—Similar, but smaller. Wing, 4. Young in first summer.—Similar to adult above; below, very pale yellow; breast and sides, buff, streaked with dull black. Nest on the ground among the grass, generally arched over, composed of dry grass; eggs, four to six, white, spotted with reddish-brown, 1.10 x .80. Abundant resident, but less common in the northern part of the State in winter, during which season it frequents the low flats along rivers and seashore. Migrants return to the upland about March 8th. The Meadow Lark is one of the most characteristic birds of the open field. Always on the alert, it seldom allows a very close approach, but takes wing, and with alternate sailing and rapid fluttering of the wings goes on ahead to a place of safety. Its white lateral tail feathers and the single harsh note as it takes wing are characteristic, while the well-known song resembling somewhat the syllables “can’t see me” is familar to everyone. Although an eminently terrestrial species, the Meadow Lark occa- : sionally perches in the tree-tops, especially in the mating season, when one bird is pursuing another, and also in winter, when the snow has buried the feeding grounds. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 213 In midwinter, in the southern counties of the State, the Larks gather in considerable flocks, and in the flat stretches about Salem I have seen flocks that numbered at least two hundred individuals. The Meadow Lark is one of the most valuable birds to the farmer. Three- quarters of its food consists of insects, and during the late summer it feeds mainly upon grasshoppers. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that twenty Meadow Larks consume one thou- sand grasshoppers a day during the season. A grasshopper consumes an amount of grass equal to its own weight each day, so that the amount consumed by one thousand would be about two and a quarter pounds per day, or in the usual life of a grasshopper, which is about thirty days, the amount of grass consumed would be sixty-six pounds, which is the amount saved to the farmer each day by the twenty Meadow Larks. A curious specimen, in which the yellow is entirely replaced by black, was secured at Haddonfield and presented to the Philadelphia Academy, by B. B. Willis, October 6th, 1857. 506 Icterus spurius (Linnzus). Orchard Oriole. PLATE. Adult male.—Length, 6-7. Wing, 3. Head, neck, back and secapulars, uni- form black; tail, black; wings, black, with pale buff edgings; shoulders, as well as rump and under surface of body, rich chestnut. Adult female.—Yellowish olive-green above; canary yellow below; wings dusky, with two whitish wing bars and whitish edgings to tertials. Young in first summer and autumn.—Similar to adult female. Male in first breeding season.—Similar to adult female, but with entire throat and lores black, often with more or less chestnut feathers below and black ones above, and with some black on the tail. Nest a pocket-like structure of dry grass hung from the end of a tree limb; eggs, three to five, grayish-white, blotched or irregularly streaked with black and brown, .80 x .55. Common summer resident. Arrives May 1st (May 5th), departs September Ist. The Orchard Oriole is a bird of the garden and orchard, seldom found out in the woodland, except after the nesting season is over, when parties of old and young may be found in various localities. 214 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Throughout the early summer the varied warbling song may be heard constantly from the tops of the apple trees, or from the ever- greens about the lawn, while the performer manages to keep himself well concealed. This Oriole seems to be more common in the southern half of the State, while the Baltimore is certainly more common in the northern counties. 507 Icterus galbula (Linneus). Baltimore Oriole. PLATE 52. Adult male.—Length, 7-8. Wing, 3.75. Entire head, throat and upper parts, except the rump, black; rump and lower parts, bright orange; lesser and middle wing-coverts, orange; greater-coverts broadly tipped and tertials edged with white; three outer tail feathers yellow on the terminal half, next feather with a yellow spot. Adult female—Above, dull yellow-olive, brightest on the tail; wings, dusky, with two white wing bars and white tips to the tertials; lower parts, dull orange yellow, paler on the abdomen. Occasionally there is some trace of black on the head, throat and tail. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female, but never showing any black. Young in first summer.—Dull grayish-olive above, brighter on tail; wing bars and tips, gray; below, pale grayish-olive. Males in first breeding season retain the dusky primaries and many of them the uniform yellow-olive tail feathers of the first autumn dress, while the middle of the abdomen is dull yellow. Nest long and pocket-like, woven of string, horsehair, shreds of bark and plant fiber; eggs, four to six, grayish-white, with irregular “pen lines” of black and brown, .90 x .60. Common summer resident, except in the Pine Barrens and the southern counties, where it is mainly or wholly a transient. Arrives May 1st (May 5th), departs September 1st. Like the Orchard Oriole, the present species is a home bird, always about our houses, nesting in the shade trees, especially in the weeping willows and buttonwoods. The rollicking song is quite as pleasing as that of the other species, while the brilliant orange and black of his plumage renders the Baltimore Oriole one of our most welcome neigh- bors. His utility is also noteworthy, as over eighty per cent. of his food consists of insects, largely caterpillars, for which he searches diligently in the tree-tops. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 215 509 lEuphagus carolinus (Miller). Rusty Blackbird. Adult male.—Length, 8.25-9.75. Wing, 4.50. Uniform glossy black with bluish-green reflections, becoming slightly violet on the head, sometimes with traces of buff edges to the feathers. In autumn the upper parts are heavily veiled with rusty brown edgings, the lower parts with buff or cinnamon. Adult female—Uniform slaty-gray, slightly glossed with green above. In the autumn veiled with rusty brown and cinnamon as in the male. Common transient visitant, especially along the large river val- leys, and occasional in winter—Morristown (Caskey), Moorestown (Evans),* Plainfield (Miller) ,* Princeton (Babson).* Spring, March 12th to April 15th; autumn, October. The Rusty Blackbird is only with us for a short time in spring and fall; frequenting open, wet meadows and thickets, especially along the tide-water creeks. It usually associates in small flocks, but also occurs singly, and sometimes a solitary individual may be seen in a flock of Sparrows on the river meadows in midwinter. Even as far north as Englewood Mr. Chapman has found them wintering.‘ In spring we occasionally hear the “song” of the male, a curious combination of whistles and harsh notes resembling the creaking of a rusty hinge. The plain dull color, square tail and yellow eye will aid in identifying this species. 511 Quiscalus quiscula (Linneus). Purple Grackle, Crow Blackbird. PLATE 53. Adult male——Length, 12—13.50. Wing, 5.75. Plumage, iridescent; head, neck and chest, metallic reddish-violet, bluish or golden green, or a mingling of all three; rest of body, metallic purple, blue or green; rump with bars of various shades of iridescence; under parts, duller. ’ Adult female—Length, 11-11.50. Wing, 5. Very much duller, metallic colors much suppressed. Young in first summer.—Uniform sooty black, with no iridescence, somewhat paler beneath. 1 Cassinia, 1908, p. 72. 2 Auk, 1889, p. 303. ’ Birds of Princeton, p. 60. * Auk, 1889, p. 303. i 216 REPORT OF NEW. JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Nest large and well built of grass and mud; usually associated in colonies in evergreen trees or orchards close to farm houses; eggs, three to five, bluish- green, irregularly spotted and scrawled with brown or black, 1.10 x .80. Abundant summer resident. Arrives February 22d (March 14th), departs November 10th. Occasional in winter. Cape May (Spaeth), Princeton (Babson),? Montclair, Passaic and Moorestown.’® The Grackle is our first migrant, arriving almost invariably about the middle or end of February. The flock soon takes possession of the trees in which their last year’s nests were built, and their harsh ex- plosive cries, attended by a curious contortion of the body, form one of the familar sounds of spring. Later the whole colony is a scene of great activity as the parents pass to and fro carrying in food and removing excreta from the nests. Then all depart and flock about the woodland, retiring at night to the roosts which are occupied year after year. The commotion and noise about these roosts, as the thousands of birds come in at dusk, is almost deafening and at a distance resembles the escape of steam from some giant engine. As to the food of the Grackles the record of Professor Beal shows twenty-seven per cent. insects and seventy per cent. vegetable matter. Of the insects nearly half are grasshoppers and caterpillars. Of the vegetable diet over one-half consists of corn. Curiously enough, how- ever, less complaint has been made of this bird than of the Red-wing, the reason being that a large part of the grain eaten is scattered kernels. Where the birds do most damage is where they are over- crowded in a limited area, and measures must then be taken to lessen their numbers, but such instances in the Kast are rare, and the same methods for crop protection suggested in the case of the Red-wing will usually prove satisfactory. 511b Quiscalus quiscula zneus (Ridgway). Bronzed Grackle. Differs from the last in having the back, rump and abdomen plain metallic bronze without iridescent edges to the feathers. Mr. Chapman states that it is a transient in the vicinity of New York, and I shot a single specimen west of Medford, February 8th, 1898. 1 Cassinia, 1904, p. 68. ? Birds of Princeton, .p. 60. ’ Bird Lore, Christmas Lists, 1902. 1903, 1904. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 217 513 Megaquiscalus major (Vieillot). Boat-tailed Grackle. Adult male.—Length, 16. Wing, 7.50. Glossy blue-black, tinged with purple on the head, throat and breast; wings and tail duller. Female.—Smaller and browner; under parts, dull buff. A very rare straggler from the south. Mr. Philip Laurent states that two of these birds made their ap- pearance at Anglesea, Cape May county, along with the Purple Grackles, in the spring of 1891, and one of them was shot by Mr. Samuel Ludlam.* This is the only record for the State. Family FRINGILLIDA. FINCHES, SPARROWS AND GROSBEAKS. This is one of our largest families of birds, comprising the Finches and their allies. They are medium sized, with conical bills adapted for seed eating, though many are largely insectivorous. A few species are brilliantly colored, but the majority are brown and gray above, with plain or streaked breasts. In most cases the young are similar to the adults in general appearance. .They are usually ground birds, often taking to the trees when alarmed, though some species are dis- tinctly arboreal. Many are fine songsters, and all are economically of much value to the farmer, and deserve our careful protection. One introduced species, the English Sparrow, does not, however, come within this category, being in every sense a nuisance. a. Mandibles crossed. b. White wing bars. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, p. 224 bb. No white wing bars. Rep CROSSBILL, p. 223 aa. Mandibles not crossed. b. Plumage more or less bright blue. ce. Wing over 3. BLUE GROSBEAK, p. 245 ce. Wing under 3. INDIGOBIRD, p. 245 bb. Bright red or pink in plumage. 10. and O., 1892, p. 88. 218 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ce. Crested, wings and tail (and in male whole body) red. CARDINAL, p. 248 cc. Breast and under wing-coverts pink, rest of plumage black and white. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, p. 244 ccc. Cap, back and breast suffused with pink or crimson, or cap alone bright crimson. d. Wing over 4.50. PINE GROSBEAK, p. 220 dd. Wing, 3.15-38.40. PURPLE FINCH, p. 222 ddd. Wing under 8. REDPOLL, p. 224 bbb. With bright yellow in the plumage. c. Entirely yellow, except wings, tail and cap. GOLDFINCH, p. 225 ce. Breast yellow, throat black. DICKCISSEL, p. 246 cee. Whole under parts olive-yellow, bright yellow posteriorly. EVENING GROSBEAK, p. 220 ecce. Crown and back of head dull yellow, rest of plumage gray. PINE GROSBEAK (female), p. 220 ecccc. General plumage gray, suffused with yellow on the breast and back. EVENING GROSBEAK (female), p. 220 bbbb. Plumage largely white (sometimes tipped with buff) wings and tail partly black. Snow BunrTING, p. 227 bbbbb. Throat, chest and whole head black, brown or slate-gray, in sharp contrast with the white of the breast and abdomen. ce. Sides bright rufous. CHEWINE, p. 242 ce. Sides slate-gray, like the chest. JUNCO, p. 238 bdbbbb. Plumage “sparrow-like,”’ streaked brown and black above, below streaked or plain. c. Center of throat from bill to breast black, sometimes fringed with pale tips, belly not streaked. d. No white on outer tail feathers. ENGLISH SPARROW, p. 221 dd. Outer tail feathers tipped with white. LAPLAND LONGSPUR, p. 227 ce. Under parts plain, a single black spot in the middle of the breast. d. Outer tail feathers tipped with white. LARK SPARROW, Dp. 235 dd. No white on tail. TREE SPARROW, p. 236 cece. Breast sharply streaked with brown or black. d. Several outer tail feathers with white tips. e. Tail over 3.50. CHEWINK (young), p. 242 ee. Tail under 3. LARK SPARROW (young), p. 235 dd. Outermost pair of tail feathers white tipped. e. Wing over 3.50. LAPLAND LONGSPUR (female), p. 227 ee. Wing under 3.40. VESPER SPARROW, p. 228 ddd. No white on tail. e. Wing over 3.30. f. Upper surface and streaks on breast rusty. Fox Sparrow, p. 241 ff. Upper surface brown, under wing-coverts yel- low or pink. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (fem. or young), p. 244 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 219 ee. Wing under 38.380. f. Streaks mere shaft lines, middle of breast tinged with yellow. DICKCISSEL (young), p. 246 ff. Wing bars and base of tail yellowish. PINE SISKIN, p. 226 fff. A bright buff line from bill over eye and around the gray ear-coverts. SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS, pp. 232-234 ffff. No bright buff on side of face nor yellow on tail. g. Outer tail feathers longer than middle pair. PURPLE FincuH (female), p. 222 gg. Outer tail feathers not longer than middle pair. h. General ground color above pale brownish-gray. 5 IPpSwicH SPARROW, p. 228 hh. General ground color above chest- nut-brown or dark brown. i. A strong black stripe down each side of the throat from the bill. j. Tail over 2.50. Sone SPARROW, p. 239 jj. Tail under 2.50. SAVANNAH SPARROW, p. 229 ii. No well marked stripe on sides of throat. SHARP-TAILED AND SEASIDE SPAR- ROWS: (young), pp. 2382-234 hhh. Ground color of head olive-green, and back rufous brown. HENSLOW’S SPARROW, p. 231 cece. Breast gray, obscurely mottled but not distinctly streaked, throat white. d. Upper parts slaty-gray and olive. SEASIDE SPARROW, p. 234 dd. Upper parts brown, streaked with black and buff. e. Wing, 2.80-2.50. Swamp Sparrow, p. 240 ee. Wing, 2.80—-3.15. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, p. 236 eccce. Under parts plain, neither streaked nor mottled. d. Breast washed with buff. e. Tail, 2.50 or over. FIELD SPARROW, p. 238 ee. Tail, 2 or less. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, p. 230 dd. Breast gray or white. e. Wing, 2.80 or over. f. Tail over 2.75. g. Center of crown white. h. Yellow spot before the eye. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, p. 236 hh. No yellow spot before the eye. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, p. 235 * Look here also for young of Chipping, Field and Grasshopper Sparrows. ca) © 0 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. gg. Crown brown, lighter in center. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (young), p. 235 ff. Tail under 2.50. ENGLISH SPARROW (female), p. 221 ee. Wing under 2.80. f. Light stripe over the eye and black spot at nostril. CHIPPING SPARROW, p. 237 ff. No light stripe or black at nostrils. FIELD SPARROW, p. 238 bb0bbbb. Upper and under parts plain, no streaking anywhere. c. White on outer tail feathers. GOLDFINCH (winter), p. 225 ec. No white on tail. d. Slaty-olive above. SEASIDE Sparrow, p. 234 dd. Brown above, sometimes tinged with blue on rump. e. Wing over 3. BLUE GROSBEAK (female), p. 245 ee. Wing under 3. INDIGOBIRD (female), p. 245 514 WHesperiphona vespertina (Cooper). Evening Grosbeak. Adult male—Length, 8. Wing, 4.50. Back, sides of head and throat, olive- brown; rump, scapulars and under parts, wax yellow; forehead and sides of crown, bright yellow; middle of crown, tail, upper tail-coverts and primaries, black; secondaries, white; bill very large and heavy, yellowish. Female.—Grayish-brown, lighter below and slightly tinged with yellow; wings and tail, black, much spotted and tipped with white. A rare straggler from the northwest. A flock of eight birds was seen by Mr. W. O. Raymond at Summit, March 6th, 1890, under circumstances that rendered the indentifica- tion certain.1 This is the only New Jersey record. 515 Pinicola enucleator Jeucura (Miller). Pine Grosbeak. Adult male.—Length, 8.25-9. Wing, 4.50-5. General color dull pinkish- red: center of abdomen, flanks and under tail-coverts, gray; wings and tail, slate-gray, edged with lighter; two conspicuous white wing bars. The pink feathers are gray basally, and this color is apparent when the plumage is dis- turbed. Adult female and young in first winter —General plumage, gray; rump and head tinged with dull yellow. Young males sometimes show a trace of pink. 10, and O., 1890, p. 46. Cf. also, Chapman, Birds vicinity of N. Y., p. 58. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 221 Rare and irregular winter visitant. The Pine Grosbeak is the largest of our rare visitors from far north, and, in south Jersey at least, the rarest. When it does visit us it is usually in considerable flocks. The birds are rather stupid, and are easily approached. The last general flight of Pine Grosbeaks was in the winter of 1903-4, but while common in the northern counties, where it arrived October 15th (Englewood, Chapman), it was not noted in the south- ern half of the State.* It was abundant at Weehawken,? October, 1836, to March, 1837. Mr. H. Trippitt? records some at Montclair in autumn, 1884, and Professor A. H. Phillips* saw a flock at Princeton in 1886. On March 8th, 1896, two were seen near Ridgewood by Mr. Del. Berier,° while in the winter of 1899-1900 Mr. W. A. Babson saw them at Princeton and Summit.* On Christmas day, 1903, they were seen at Montclair, and in 1904 at Leonia.® Passer domesticus (Linnzus). House Sparrow, English Sparrow. Adult male—Length, 5.50-6.25. Wing, 2.85-3. Crown, gray, with a chest- nut patch on each side behind the eye; rump, gray; back streaked with black and chestnut; wing-coverts largely chestnut, tipped with white; lower parts, white or grayish-white; middle of throat and upper breast, black. Female.—Aboye, grayish-brown, streaked with black and buff; below, grayish- white. Nest in any hole or shelter about buildings, etc.; eggs, five, white, finely mot- tled with olive-brown, 1.82 x .62. Abundant resident, except in most remote spots. The first Sparrows were imported to this country by the directors of the Brooklyn Institute in the autumn of 1850, and eight pairs were liberated in Brooklyn the following spring, but they did not thrive. In 1852 a larger number were brought over, fifty of which were liber- ated in the “Narrows” and the rest in Brooklyn in the spring of 1853. 1 Of. Abst. Linn. Soc., N. Y., XV., p. 8; Bird Lore, 1903, p. 199; Bird Lore, 1904, p. 98. 2 Ward, Trans., N. ¥., Acad. Sci., LV., p. 5. 3 Oologist, 1886, p. 39. Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 60. 5 Auk, 1896, p. 175. : ® Bird Lore, Christmas Lists, 1904 and 1907. Rae REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. In 1860 and 1864 they were introduced in New York City, and 1869 the largest importation of all, one thousand birds were liberated in Philadelphia. Other smaller importations were made at more remote points, but the New Jersey birds undoubtedly spread from the above colonies. The subsequent history of the bird and its disastrous effect upon our native species is too well known.t 517 Carpodacus purpureus (Gmelin). Purple Finch. Adult male.—Length, 5.50-6.25. Wing, 3.25. General color pinkish-red, more crimson on the head and rump; streaked above with dusky and feathers edged with gray; wings and tail, dusky, narrowly edged with pink, two dull pink wing bars; center of abdomen and crissum, white, a few dusky streaks on the flanks. Adult female and young wm first winter.—Above, olive-brown, streaked with dusky, with some white edgings; below, white, tinged with buffy, boldly streaked with dark brown. Nest of grass and twigs lined with hair, placed on the horizontal limb of an evergreen; eggs, four to six, blue, spotted with brown around the larger end, .85 x .65. Regular winter visitant, but most plentiful in migrations. Rare summer resident in the northern counties; has been seen, in summer, at High Knob, Sussex county (Chapman), Plainfield (Miller) and Ridgewood (Hales).? Arrives September 25th, departs May 1st. Throughout the greater part of the State the Purple Finch is asso- ciated with leafless trees and snow-covered ground, or with early spring and bursting buds, and only in the most northern portion is it a bird of summer. Throughout the winter the Purple Finches associate in flocks, generally only a few of the old males in each, the bulk being females and young in the brown plumage—distinguished from Spar- rows by the great amount of white edgings in the plumage and the lack of buff and rusty tints. They feed on seeds among the branches of the trees as well as on the ground and in spring are fond of buds. The song is a rather prolonged melodious warble. 1W. B. Barrows, The English Sparrow in N. A.; Bull. 1, Div. Econ. Ornith. and Mam., U. S. Dept. Agr., 1889. 20. and O., 1888, p. 56. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 2238 521 Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). Red Crossbill. PLATE 54. Adult male.—Length, 5.50-6.25. Wing, 3.50. General color, dull brick red, brightest on the rump; head and breast, wings and tail, blackish. Adult female-—Grayish-olive instead of red, becoming bright yellow-olive on the rump. Young male in first autumn and first breeding season.—Variously mottled olive, yellow and red. Young in first swmmer.—Olive-gray above, whitish below, streaked every- where with dusky olive. Irregular visitant, usually in winter. The Crossbills visit us always in flocks, and are particularly partial to evergreens, prying apart the scales of the cones and scooping out the seed and such insects as may lurk there. Their peculiar crossed mandibles and their habit of climbing about reminds one not a little of diminutive Parrots. In midwinter, flocks often visit the evergreens about our houses, being plentiful one year and absent the next. In the pine barrens, too, they are found frequently. The Crossbill has never been found breeding in New Jersey, al- though Mr. E. P. Bicknell’ discovered a nest, with eggs, at Riverdale, New York, April 30th, 1875, but a short distance beyond the State boundary. The birds have, however, occurred a number of times in summer. John Krider? states that he has taken them at Red Bank, on the Delaware, in June. W. B. Evans® saw them May 6th, 1900, at Hanover; Dr. W. E. Hughes,® at Forked River, June 6th, 1900; George E. Hix,* in northern Somerset county, July 19th, 1903, and S. N. Rhoads, at Wawayanda Lake, June 5th, 1909. 1 Amer. Nat., 1876, p. 237; B. N. O. C., 1880, p. 7. * Field Notes, p. 44. Abst. roc. DiV.,0. C., LV., pe 6: * Bird Lore, 1903, p. 166. 224 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 522 Loxia leucoptera Gmelin. White-winged Crossbill. Adult male.—Length, 6-6.50. Wing, 3.50. General plumage bright pinkish- red; center of abdomen and crissum, gray, the latter bordered with whitish; Wings, scapulars and tail, black; two broad white wing bars and white tips to the inner tertials; a black spot behind the eye and another on the side of the neck. Adult female—General plumage grayish, broadly streaked with blackish; rump, bright yellow; wings as in the male. Young male in first winter—Body mainly chrome-yellow with little red. Rare and irregular winter visitant. This Crossbill is much rarer than the last and visits us only occa- sionally. Audubon, writing at Camden, in the first week of November, 1827, says: “They are so abundant that I am able to shoot, every day, great numbers out of the flocks that are continually alighting in a copse of Jersey scrub pine, opposite my window. Cassin states that they were present in the winter of 1836-7, and were not seen again until 1854-5, when they were unusually plentiful among the pines about Camden, and so tame that they could be killed with stones.* Mr. 8. N. Rhoads saw a small flock at Haddonfield in the winter of 1896-7, and from December 10th, 1899, to March 20th, 1900, they were present at Princeton,” and were seen the same year in the Orange Mountains (Babson), and at Englewood February 21st—March.? Mr. C. H. Rogers records four at Leonia, December 25th, 1906.* A single bird that had been caught by a cat at Cape May, February 5th, 1909, was presented to me by Mr. H. Walker Hand. 528 Reed, Auk, 1897, p. 323. * Cassinia, 1901, pp. 32-34. 5 Bird Lore, 1908, p. 82. @ — | THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 597 Guiraca czerulea (Linnzus). Blue Grosbeak. Adult male—Length, 7. Wing, 3.50. General color, bright blue, shaded with dusky on the middle of the back; wings and tail, black, edged with blue; shoulder of wing, chestnut, as are also the tips of the tertials and greater- coverts. Female.—Pale brown, drab on the lower back, still paler below; two obscure wing bars. Nest in bushes; eggs, three to four, plain bluish-white, .85 x .65. Audubon describes in detail a nest with young which he found near Camden in the summer of 1829, and which appears in the plate of this species in his Birds of America. Turnbull calls it a rare straggler in New Jersey, possibly entirely on Audubon’s authority. Thurber (1887) says that it has been seen at Morristown by Mr. Fairchild, and Mr. E. P. Bicknell records several individuals noticed by Mr. Akhurst, a taxidermist, near Snake Hill, N. J., in the vicinity of New York City. These meagre records constitute all that we know of the bird in New Jersey. 598 Passerina cyanea (Linnzus). Indigo Bunting, Indigo-bird. PLATE 63. Adult male.—Length, 4.75-5.75. Wing, 2.60-2.80. Above and below, bright cerulean blue, more purplish on the head; wings and tail, black, edged with blue. In autuwmn.—Rich brown, paler on the breast and abdomen; feathers everywhere with blue bases, which are more or less apparent; wings and tail edged with blue. Adult female.—Above, dull brown, with an olive tinge; below, whitish, some- what tinged with buff and obscurely streaked with dusky on the breast and sides. Young in first summer and autumn.—Similar to adult female. Male in first breeding season.—Blue, more or less mottled with worn brown feathers above and white ones below. Nest of grass and dead leaves in a crotch of a bush, three or four feet up; eggs, three to four, bluish-white, .75 x .52. Common summer resident. Arrives May 1st (May 7th), departs October Ist. 246 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. The Indigo-bird is one of our most persistent songsters. No sum- mer day seems too hot for his performance, and while other species await the cool of the approaching evening, he pours forth his energetic song full in the boiling sun, perched on some tree or telegraph wire. His brilliant plumage is not perceptible against the sky, and it is only when we find him near the ground that we get a background that shows us his true colors. The Sparrow-like female may be recog- nized by the plain brown coloration and the faint trace of blue on the shoulders and tail. The Indigo is a bird of the fields, clearings, and edges of woodland, though he comes now and then into the garden. 601 Passerina ciris (Linneus). Painted Bunting, Nonpareil. Adult male.—Length, 5.25. Wing, 2.70. Head and neck, blue; back, green, tinged with golden yellow; rump and under parts, red; wings and tail washed with red; greater wing-coverts, green. Female.—Olive-green above; white, tinged with yellow, below; wings and tail washed with green. : Accidental straggler from the south. One is recorded by Mr. E. P. Bicknell in the Elliot collection in the American Museum, labeled “New Jersey,” + and Professor A. H. Phillips took one at Princeton, July 6th, 1897.2 It is probable that these may have been escaped cage birds. 604 Spiza americana (Gmelin). Dickcissel, Black-throated Bunting. Adult male.—Length, 5.75-6.50. Wing, 2.80-3.25. Above, grayish-brown, streaked with black on the back; rump and crown, gray; a pale yellow line over the eye; lesser wing-coverts, bright cinnamon rufous; under parts, yel- low, fading into white on the abdomen and chin; a black patch on the lower throat. Adult female.—Similar, but paler; whole throat, white; no black patch. Young in first swummer.—Clay colored, coarsely striped with black above; below, pale buff. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III., 1878, p. 182. 2 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 66. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 247 Young in first autwmn.—Similar to adult female, but buffy-white below, brownish on the sides. Nest of grass on the ground or in low bushes; eggs, four to five, pale blue, unspotted, .80 x .60. Formerly a local summer resident, but now rare and of irregular occurrence. Up to 1860, and locally later, this bird was of regular occurrence on the Atlantic coastal plain, but during the next twenty years it prac- tically disappeared from this region and is now restricted to the Missis- sippi Valley, except in the case of occasional stragglers. The late Dr. S. W. Woodhouse wrote to Mr. Rhoads (Cassinia, 1904, p. 23) that from 1840 to 1850 it was common in Camden county, and Mr. C. 8. Galbraith informed Mr. Chapman? that in 1851 it was a common summer resident at Hoboken. Audubon mentions that it was plentiful at Salem in his time, but that it did not occur in the more sandy parts of the State. So common was it that most early authors did not take the trouble to mention, in detail, the localities in which they had found it, and so the above constitute practically all that we have of the original distribution of the bird in New Jersey. In 1868 Dr. C. C. Abbott? reported it as a rare migrant, and we have, then, no record of its occurrence until the capture of a male June 4th, 1880, at Princeton, by J. F. Cowan, and two at Stoutsburg, June 14th, of the same year, by W. E. D. Scott, all in Princeton Col- lege Collection (Babson). One young bird, shot at Maurice River, September 18th, 1890, was obtained by Mr. W. L. Baily from a Reed- bird gunner, and this closes the record of the bird in New Jersey until 1904, when we have the startling fact of its breeding again in the State. Mr. W. D. W. Miller, of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, found a pair of birds evidently at home in a grass field near Plainfield, July 3d, 1904, and the next day discovered two young, one of which was secured. The bird apparently did not return to the vicinity in the following years, so the hope that this might be the be- ginning of the bird’s return to its former home has not been realized. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads has discussed the disappearance of this bird quite fully in his paper “Exit the Dickcissel” (Cassinia, 1903, pp. 17-28). 1 Auk, 1891, p. 395. * Birds of N. J. in Cook’s Geol. of N. J. 248 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family TANGARIDA. THE TANAGERS. A family of tropical birds of which only two species find their way to Eastern North America. Allied to the Finches, but upper mandible slightly toothed near the middle. Habits arboreal. a. More or less red in the plumage (males). b. Wings and tail black. ScARLET TANAGER, p. 248 bb. Wings and tail at least partly red. SUMMER TANAGER, p. 249 b. No red in plumage (females). b. General tone of upper parts buffy-olive. SUMMER TANAGER, p. 249 bb. General tone of upper parts olive-green. SCARLET TANAGER, p. 248 608 Piranga erythromelas Vieillot. Scarlet Tanager. PLATE 64. Adult male—Length, 6.50-7.50. Wing, 38.75. Entire plumage, brilliant searlet, except wings and tail, which are jet black. In autumn the scarlet is replaced by olive-green above and citron-yellow below, wings and tail remain the same. The seasonal change from red to green, and vice versa, continues throughout the bird’s life. ; Adult female.—Pale olive-green above, greenish-yellow below; wing-coverts uniform with the back; wings and tail, dusky, edged with olive. Young in first summer.—Above, yellow-olive; below, dull white, becoming yellow on the abdomen, streaked with olive-brown on the breast and sides. Young male in first autumn.—Similar to adult female, but wing-coverts black; the rest of the wing and tail is dusky with olive edgings in contrast to the uniform black wing of the adult male. Male in first breeding season.—Similar to last, but scarlet instead of green; wings usually remain the same, but some jet black feathers often appear in the tail. Nest on the branch of a tree, frail, composed of rootlets, etec.; eggs, three to four, greenish-blue, spotted with brown, .95 x .65. Tolerably common summer resident. Arrives April 28th (May 6th), departs October 10th. More abundant in the northern counties. In early May the Tanagers are conspicuous in the woods, shining out like coals of fire among the white dogwood blossoms and gray- green of the opening leaf buds. Later, when the transients have THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 249 passed on, the summer resident Tanagers take to the tree-tops, and in the thick foliage we see them less frequently, but their powerful song comes down to us from the topmost bow or floats out across the fields from the distant woodland. It resembles very much the chant of the Robin, but has a peculiar harsh quality that renders it easily recog- nized. In autumn we find the Tanagers, then all in dull green, asso- ciating with the mixed flocks of birds that feed on the sour gum and dogwood berries. 610 Piranga rubra (Linnzus) Summer Tanager. ‘Adult male—Length, 7-8. Wing, 3.75. Above, dull poppy red, brighter, more vermilion on the under parts. Adult female.—Abovye, yellowish olive-green; below, dull yellow. Young in first summer.—Above, yellowish-brown; below, dull white, tinged with yellow and streaked with olive-brown. Young in first autwmn.—Similar to adult female, but brighter and more tinged with orange. Male in first nesting season Sometimes similar to adult, but with wings edged with olive instead of red; other birds have only a scattering of red feathers over the body, and there are all sorts of intermediates; the full red plumage is always assumed at the end of the first nesting season and is not afterwards changed to olive. Nest and eggs similar to those of the preceding. A very rare straggler from farther south. Formerly this bird was of regular occurrence in summer in south- ern New Jersey. Wilson says: “In Pennsylvania they are a rare species, while in New Jersey, even within half a mile of the shore opposite the city of Philadelphia, they may generally be found during the season” [May to August]. This was in 1807. In 1857 Beesley gives it as a rare breeder in Cape May county, and in 1869 Turnbull lists it as rather rare. Mr. G. N. Lawrence (1866) says he saw it in magnolia swamps near Atlantic City, but no farther north.t Dr. C. C. Abbott in 1868 says that up to 1850 it was as abundant as the Scarlet Tanager, but that he had seen no nest since 1855, and no bird since 1862. Writing in 1870,? he extends its period of abundance to 1857, and in 1886 records a pair nesting near Trenton in June, 1884. While Dr. Abbott’s statement about the bird’s abundance prior to 1850 1.Ann. N. Y. Lyc., VIII., p. 286. ScAIE SIN Gt Ve. DL Doo: 5 Upland and Meadow, p. 118. ~ 250 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. can hardly be based upon personal observation, his statements, never- theless, constitute the bulk of our knowledge of its decrease in the State. Later we have only John Krider’s statement that he had taken the nest in former years in New Jersey; Thurber’s (1887) mention of it as an accidental visitant to Morristown, and the record of a young bird taken by Mr. W. E. D. Scott at Princeton, August 5th, 1880.1 In spite of the fact that I pointed out the true status of this species in southern New Jersey in 1894,° it is recorded as a breeding species in this section in numerous general works published since that date, even as recently as 1906 in Chapman’s Birds of the Vicinity of New York City. Family HIRUNDINIDZ. THE SWALLOWS. Swallows are wonderfully adapted to the life they lead; long, nar- row wings, suitable for rapid flight; a large mouth, with very short bill, suitable for gulping down such insects as come in its way, and small feet, which are only needed when alighting on the nest or on some ridge pole, branch or telegraph wire. While the form of the various species is very similar, their nesting habits vary a great deal. a. Wing over 5.50. PURPLE MARTIN, p. 251 aa. Wing under 5. b. Back glossy blue or green. ec. Throat white. TREE SWALLow, p. 253 ce. Throat rusty. d. Tail forked. BARN SWALLOW, p. 252 dd. Tail square. CLIFF SWALLOW, p. 251 bb. Back dull brown; little, if any, gloss. ec. Rump rusty. CLirF SwALLow (young), p. 251 ce. Rump uniform with the back. d. Entire under parts white. TREE SwALLow (young), p. 253 dd. Throat and breast ashy, abdomen white. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOw, p. 255 ddd. Throat and abdomen white, with a dusky breast band. BANK SwALLow, p. 254 1 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 67. Birds of) 1) basand Nee paa2. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 251 611 Progne subis (Linnzus). Purple Martin. PLATE 65. Adult male.—Length, 8. Wing, 5.75. Above and below, uniform glossy viola- ceous steel-blue; flight feathers, dull black. Adult female.—Above, duller and mixed with gray; under parts, sooty gray ; breast, abdomen and crissum, white, more or less narrowly streaked with black. Young in first swmmer.—Sooty brown above, head and back slightly glossed with steel-blue; below, mouse-gray on throat, breast and sides; on abdomen, white, narrowly streaked with black. Young male in first summer.—Similar, but darker. Jn first breeding season.— Like adult female, but with some glossy steel-blue feathers scattered here and there. : Nest mainly in boxes erected for its use, to which it carries twigs, straw, etc. ; eggs, four to five, white, .95 x .65. Common summer resident in the southern counties, but locally dis- tributed; rare northward. Arrives March 29th, departs September 1st. The Martins are not governed in their distribution by the presence of Martin boxes, for many an attractive box has been erected in vain, while in other places any sort of cover, even the hood of an electric light, has proved satisfactory. Colonies occur al] along the seaboard and throughout the pine bar- ren wilderness, in which districts some curious make-shift of boxes are to be seen, but in the other parts of the State they are rare or only stragglers. The Martins make a great disturbance while the young are being raised, and later the whole colony may be seen scouring the meadows for food. 612 Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say). Chiff Swallow, Eave Swallow. Adults—Length, 5-6. Wing, 4.25. Above, head and back, glossy steel-blue, the back streaked with whitish; rump, cinnamon rufous; wings and tail, dull black; forehead, pinkish or rusty; sides of face and throat, chestnut; center of throat, glossy steel-blue; breast and sides, grayish-brown, tinged with chest- nut; middle of abdomen, white; under tail-coverts, dusky, edged with white. Young in first summer.—Aboye, dull brownish-black, slightly glossed with blue on the back and head; rump, cinnamon rufous, and tertials tipped with the same; sides of face, dull black, throat largely the same, but mottled with 252 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. cinnamon and white feathers; sides of breast, body, flanks and crissum, cinna- mon, somewhat streaked with black; center of abdomen, white. Nest of mud shaped like a retort or with a hole in the side, lined with feathers; eggs, four to five, white, spotted with reddish-brown, .80 x .55. Tolerably common transient and local summer resident, especially in the pine barrens. Arrives April 29th, departs September Ist. The Cliff Swallow nests in colonies usually under the eaves of a barn. It is decidedly local and is generally reported to be less abundant than it was thirty or forty years ago. It nests at several localities in Cape May, Cumberland and Bur- lington counties, and nested near Princeton up until 18961 (Babson). At Plainfield Mr. Miller reports a few nesting every year, while Mr. Hales? reports it at Ridgewood, and Mr. Thurber at Morristown. Mr. S. N. Rhoads found it plentiful at Greenwood Lake and the Wallkill Valley, June, 1909. Mr. Crispin says it formerly bred at Salem. 613 Hirundo erythrogaster Boddeert. Barn Swallow. PLATE 66. Adults—Length, 6-7.50. Wing, 4.75. Above, glossy steel-blue; forehead, chestnut; outermost tail feathers elongated, all but middle pair, with a con- spicuous white subterminal spot on the inner web; under parts, light cinnamon rufous, deeper and more chestnut on the throat and breast, the steel-blue coming around on the sides of the breast forming a half collar. Young in first summer.—Similar, but much duller; forehead, gray; sides of head and collar, blackish; outer tail feathers only a little elongated; subter- minal spots more or less chestnut; under side much paler. Nest of mud lined with grass and feathers plastered against a rafter in a barn or stable; eggs, four to six, white, spotted with brown or rusty, .80 x .55. Common summer resident. Arrives April 10th (April 23d), de- parts September 10th. This is our most familiar Swallow, and there is scarcely a barn that has not one or more pairs, flying in and out twittering as they go. Later we see whole families sailing low over the ponds or meadows, feeding on the wing as is the custom of their kind. The rusty color of the under parts distinguishes them from all but the Cliff Swallow, while the forked tail is in strong contrast to the nearly square tail of that species. 1 Birds of Princeton, p. 67. ? Bird Lore, 1906, p. 173. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 253 614 Iridoprocne bicolor (Vieillot). Tree Swallow, White-bellied Swallow. PLATE 67. Adults.—Length, 5-6. Wing, 4.75. Above, bright glossy greenish steel-blue ; lores, black; under surface, pure white. In autumn the tertials are broadly tipped with white. Young in first swmmer.—Above, mouse-gray, tertials tipped with brownish- white; below, white, often with a shade of gray across the breast. Nest in hoies in trees, often old Woodpeckers’ holes, made of grass and feathers; eggs, four to six, white, .75 x .50. Common transient visitant, and summer resident in the pine bar- rens, and of occasional occurrence in winter. Arrives April 8th (April 22d), departs October 15th. The Tree Swallows are seen at their best along the seacoast during August and September,t when they collect by thousands, circling about over the marshes, and now and then resting on the telegraph wires, where they sit close together, lining the wires as far as the eye ean reach, or settling down on bayberry bushes to feed on the waxy- covered fruit. This, as far as I am aware, is the only departure from an insectivorous diet on the part of our Swallows. Mr, Chapman? says that they occur on the Hackensack marshes, July 20th to October 20th, roosting in the cat-tails. At Cape May Mr. Hand tells me they often roost in shade trees, and on September 16th, 1903, were nearly drowned out, some six thousand drenched birds being down on the ground, temporarily unable to fly. . Through the pine barrens, along the larger rivers and about swampy ponds the Tree Swallow nests regularly, preferring the half-rotten trees that grow in the water, but there seems to be no breeding record for the northern half of the State, the most northern record being Mr. Babson’s* mention of three pairs nesting on Millstone Creek, near Princeton, June 16th, 1900, and again the following year. In Cape May county Mr. H. Walker Hand informs me he has seen them some years all winter, especially about Lilly Lake, Cape May Point.* Of. Childs, Auk, 1900, p. 67. ? Birds Vicinity of N. Y., p. 175. ° Birds of Princeton, p. 68. * Of. also Cassinia, 1904, p. 68. 254 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Mr. F. M. Chapman’ records a flock at Englewood, December 31st, 1882, and W. E. D. Scott? saw them at Squan Beach, November 16th, 1880. f 616 Riparia riparia (Linneus). Bank Swallow. PLATE 65. Adults —Length, 4.75-5.50.. Wing, 4. Above, plain grayish-brown, darker on the head; under surface, white, with a grayish-brown band across the breast. Young in first summer.—Similar, but lower back, rump and breast band, and inner wing feathers edged with whitish. Nest of grass and feathers at the end of a tunnel-like hole dug by the bird in the face of a sand bank; eggs, four to six, white, .70 x .50. Common local summer resident where suitable nesting sites are available. Arrives April 14th (April 19th), departs September 1st. The Bank Swallow is a sociable bird, nesting in large communities, the entrances to their nests forming row upon row of holes on the face of some large sand bank, in front of which the birds fly back and forth uttering their characteristic weak cries. From the fact that available nesting sites are not very plentiful, the birds are rather local in distribution, and usually occur more fre- quently along creeks and rivers which have steep perpendicular banks suitable to their needs. In south Jersey they occur mainly along the Delaware Valley. In late summer the Bank Swallow associates to some extent with the other species that gather in great flocks prior to their migration southward. They are dull brown, like the Rough-wing, but the dusky breast band, contrasting with the white throat and belly, easily distinguishes them. 1 Auk, 1889, p. 308. 2? Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1881, p. 115. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 255 617 Stelgidopteryx serripennis (Audubon). Rough-winged Swallow. Adults.—Length, 5.50. Wing, 4.50. Above, uniform plain brown; under surface, white, pale gray on the throat, breast and sides; outer edge of outer- most wing feathers rough to the touch, owing to the stiffened reflexed barbs. Young in first summer.—Similar, but strongly suffused with cinnamon above and below; wing-coverts and tertials broadly tipped with cinnamon. Nest of grass and feathers in a hole in a bank or in bridge abutments or a stone wall; eggs, four to seven, white, .75 x .52. Tolerably common summer resident as far north at least as Plain- field. Arrives April 13th (April 19th), departs September 1st. This is a bird of Carolinian fauna; rare or local in the northern counties of the State. They are usually seen in pairs about bridges or quarries, and are distinguished by their dull brown color and plain breasts. They nest at Princeton (Babson), Plainfield (Miller), the lower Hudson Valley (Chapman), and Paterson (J. H. Clark) ; also occa- sionally at Morristown (Thurber) and Summit (Holmes). Mr. Chap- man also found them breeding on the upper Delaware at High Knob, June 10th, 1890. Family BOMBYCILLIDA. THE WAXWINGS. 618 Bombycilla garrula (Linnzus). Bohemian Waxwing. Adults—Length, 7.50-8.50. Wing, 4.50. Similar to B. cedrorum in gen- eral appearance but grayer, with a conspicuous black throat; chestnut patches on the forehead and crissum and with yellow and white tips to the wing feathers, in addition to the wax-like appendages of the secondaries. EExceedingly rare winter visitant. Dr. C. C. Abbott (1868)! records having seen two specimens shot in New Jersey, one in Cape May county the other in Morris county. In 1884? he records two specimens ‘ 1 Birds of N. J. * Naturalist’s Rambles about Home. 6 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Ca) Ot shot many years ago, both “in Mercer county.” Mr. T. M. Trippe re- cords a pair “observed” in the vicinity of Orange, April 28th, 1867.1 So rare is this bird in New Jersey that its only claim to a place in the avifauna of the State rests entirely upon the above statements. None have been seen for at least forty years, and even the specimens mentioned above cannot be verified, as they were not taken by their recorders. It is not clear that Mr. Trippe was the one who “observed” the birds he records, while the date given seems hardly possible, and we are in doubt whether Dr. Abbott’s two statements refer to the same birds or not. 619 Bombycilla cedrorum Vieillot. Cedar Waxwing, Cedar-bird. PLATE 68. Adults.—Length, 6.50-7.50. Wing, 3.75. Above, soft grayish olive-brown, more pinkish on the head, which has an erectile crest; rump, gray; wings and tail, blackish, shaded and edged with gray; tail with a broad terminal band of bright yellow on all the feathers; secondary wing feathers with curious bright red elongations of the shafts resembling tips of sealing wax; tail feathers and primaries occasionally bearing similar appendages; breast and throat, pinkish- brown, like the crown; abdomen, pale olive-yellow; crissum, white; a jet black band across the forehead and through the eye, narrowly bordered with white across the forehead and below from the base of the bill; chin, black. Young in first summer.—Similar, but grayer, and broadly streaked with olive- brown on the sides, breast and flanks. The development of the wax-like tips is independent of age or sex, though they are less frequently found in the young and females. Nest of grass, shreds of bark, etc., and usually with some mud in its com- position, placed in a tree ten to thirty feet from the ground; eggs, three to five, light drab or blue-gray, spotted with black, .85 x .60. Common summer resident and of irregular occurrence in winter. Apparently breeds more abundantly in the northern counties. The Cedarbird is most familiar to us in the great flocks which sweep down into the cherry trees in June, with faint wheezy notes that are hard to describe and have more the quality of an insect note than of bird music. At this season, when most birds are busy raising families, they are intent on feeding with apparently no thought of nest or young. Before the month is over the flocks drift away again, leaving only a 1 Amer. Nat., II., p. 380. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 257 few nesting pairs which are not very conspicuous in our summer bird life. In autumn, winter and early spring we again see the vagrant flocks of Cedarbirds alighting on the tree tops, sitting upright with crests erect for a moment or two and then whirling away with a few sighing notes. Mr. Chapman records a nest, with eggs, as late as September 13th." Family LANIIDA. THE SHRIKES. A family peculiar, among Passerine birds, for their raptorial habits of its species. The strong hooked and notched bill recalls that of a Hawk. Our two species belong to the typical Shrikes, and are distinctly beneficial birds, feeding on mice and grasshoppers for the most part. a. Wing, 4.85-4.60. NORTHERN SHRIKE, p. aa. Wing, 3.75—4. MIGRANT SHRIKE, p. 7 oa | 25 25 621 Lanius borealis Vieillot. Northern Shrike, Butcher-bird. PLATE 69. Adult male.—Length, 9.50-10.50. Wing, 4.50. Above, plain blue-gray, white on the rump, forehead and some of the scapulars; wing and tail, black; sec- ondaries tipped with white: outer tail feathers, white, others tipped with white in decreasing amount, sometimes lacking on the central pair; under sur- face, white; chest and sides of body more or less mottled with narrow dusky vermiculations; ear region and spot in front of the eye, black. Adult female.—Duller in color. Young in first autumn.—Brownish-gray above, head markings, wings and tail dusky instead of black; dusky vermiculations much more extensive, cover- ing the rump and all the lower surface, except the chin and lower abdomen. Rather scarce, but apparently regular, winter visitant. December 2d to March Ist. While with us the Shrike is a solitary bird. We see him perched on the top of some thorn bush on the meadow, or on a tall tree in the 1 Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., 1890, p. 2. 17 ~ 258 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. pasture, his gray and black colors showing clearly in the sunlight. Then he flies, and the white patches on the rapidly moving wings at once catch the eve. As he nears his new perch he flies low and turns sharply upwards as he comes to rest. The feeding habits of the Shrikes are peculiar, they being the only raptorial birds among our passerine species. They not only catch and kill various mice and sometimes small birds in addition to the usual beetles and grasshoppers, but impale them on sharp thorns or wedge them into the fork of a branch, where they are said to frequently leave them and return to the hunt, though they often devour them on the spot. 622e Lanius ludovicianus migrans Palmer. Northern Loggerhead Shrike. Adults.—Length, 8.50-9.50. Wing, 3.80. Above, plumbeous gray, paler on the rump, some of the scapulars white; wing and tail feathers, black; white tips to the secondaries and to all but the two middle pairs of tail feathers ; under parts, white, slightly shaded with gray on the sides; a black patch on the side of the head, involving the region about the eye and ear. Young in first winter have wing and tail duller, not jet black, and some- times show traces of dusky vermiculations on the breast. Rather irregular migrant, especially in the southward flight; Au- gust to December. This bird occurs singly, as a rule, during August and September, though occasional in winter (December and January). The following have been recorded: A number taken at Princeton, New Brunswick and Barnegat, Au- gust, 1878; January, 1879; W. E. D. Scott.* Mt. Ephraim, near Haddonfield; October 20th, 1884. 8S. N. Rhoads.* Tappan; August 24th, 1888. F. M. Chapman.* Cape May; August, 1890 and 1891. W. Stone.* Cape May Point; May, 1892. W. Stone.* Leonia; September 27th, 1898.° Ocean View; April 30th, 1901. W. L. Baily.® 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, IV., p. 82. 2 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N, J., p. 125. 3 Auk, 1889, p. 304. =) Nasir Jereaye, JD Why (Oe (Ob, 1G, Th Ze 5 Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., XI., p. 5. ® Cassinia, 1901, p. 48. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 259 Family VIREONIDZ. THE VIREOS. A group of small, dull-colored birds resembling the wood warblers in habits. and often associating with them. They are, however, more deliberate in action, and in structure differ in their hooked bill, which resembles that of the Shrike, though of course it is much smaller. The Vireos are entirely insectivorous and worthy of careful protec- tion. The nests are readily recognized, being basket-like pensile structures swung from a forked branch. a. Eye ring more or less bright yellow. b. Breast and throat bright yellow, abdomen white. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, p. 261 bb. Breast and abdomen white, flanks pale yellow. WHITE-EYED VIREO, p. 262 aa. No yellow about the eye. b. White line from the bill to the eye and a white eye ring. SoLITARy VIREO, p. 261 bb. A white line from the bill over the eye and along the side of the crown. c. White line bordered above with black. RED-EYED VIREO, p. 259 ce. White line not bordered with black. d. Lower parts grayish-white. WARBLING VIREO, p. 260 dd. Lower parts pale yellow. PHILADELPHIA VIREO, p. 260 624 Vireosylva olivacea (Linnzus). Red-eyed Vireo. PLATE 70. Adults.—Length, 5.50-6.50. Wing, 3.25. Above, grayish olive-green; top of head, mouse-gray, a white line from the bill over the eye, bordered with black where it joins the crown, and a dusky streak through the eye; under parts, white. Young in first swnmer.—Above, pale drab; below, white; wings and tail, olive, as in the adult. Nest a pensile structure of fine pieces of bark, paper and rotten wood, and almost always with pieces of thick white spider web on the outside; hung from a fork at the end of a branch usually ten to twenty feet up; eggs, three to four, white, with a few brown or black spots on the larger end, .85 x .55. Abundant summer resident. Arrives April 30th (May 6th), de- parts October 10th. 0 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. rau) [=P The Red-eye is our commonest Vireo, one or more pairs occurring in every piece of woodland, except in the dry pime barrens. He is a most persistent singer, keeping up his deliberate warble throughout the day. Wilson Flagg admirably describes the song as “You see it— you know it—do you hear me—do you believe it?” There is a pause between each sentence as if the bird were conducting a sort of argu- ment; a peculiarity that has earned him the name “Preacher-bird” in some places. The actions of the Vireo are quite as deliberate as his song; he goes along the twigs in a matter-of-fact fashion, turning his head first on one side then on the other, stopping to pick up a bug or a caterpillar and then, wiping his bill on the lhmb, continues on his search. 626 Vireosylva philadelphica Cassin. Philadelphia Vireo. Adults—Length, 4.75. Wing, 2.50. Above, grayish olive-green, gray on the head; a dull whitish streak over the eye and a dusky streak through it; under parts, dull sulphur yellow. In autumn the gray crown is less distinct. Very rare transient visitant. ‘The following are the only records of its capture: Princeton; September 2ist, 1876. W. E. D. Scott (Princeton Coll.) .? Princeton; September 28th, 1876. W. E. D. Scott (Princeton Coll: )\2 Anglesea; September 21st, 1889. H. Wenzel (P. Laurent Coll.).? 627 Vireosylva gilva (Vieillot). Warbling Vireo. Adults.—Length, 5-5.50. Wing, 2.75. Above, light mouse-gray, faintly tinged with olive on the back and rump; a whitish line from the bill over the eye; under parts, white, tinged with olive on the sides. In autumn, greener on the back and yellower on the sides; sides of breast, buffy-olive. Young in first summer.—Aboye, wood brown; white below, tinged with yellow on the crissum. Nest pensile, resembling that of the Red-eye; eggs, three to four, white, with a few black specks at the larger end, .72 x .52. + Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 70. 70. and O., 1892, p. 89. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 261 Common, but local summer resident. Arrives May 2d (May 6th), departs September 25th. The Warbling Vireo is a bird of the shade trees of the village streets and lawns, with the habits of other Vireos, but an entirely different song; a fine continuous warble, recalling somewhat the song of the Orchard Oriole, a bird of similar surroundings. It is more or less local and apparently more plentiful in the northern half of the State. Mr. F. M. Chapman found it at High Knob, Sussex county, and it is abundant in the Wallkill Valley (Rhoads). 628 Lanivireo flavifrons (Vieillot). Yellow-throated Vireo. Adults.—Length, 5—-5.75. Wing, 3. Above, yellowish-olive; scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts, gray; wings and tail, black, most of the feathers nar- rowly edged with white; two conspicuous wing bars; under parts, bright canary-yellow, tinged with olive on the sides; abdomen and crissum, pure white; lores and eye ring, yellow. Young in first summer.—Smoky gray above, white below; chin and throat, pale yellow. Nest pensile from a high branch similar to that of the Red-eye, but covered externally with lichens; eggs, three to four, white, spotted sparingly at the larger end with black and brown, .80 x .60. Tolerably common summer resident. Arrives April 29th (May 3d), departs September 15th. The Yellow-throated Vireo is a bird of the tree-tops, and hence is not so well known as the Red-eye, and may be more plentiful than we suppose. His notes are stronger and sweeter than those of the Red- eye, with a longer pause between, and there seems to be three slightly varying phrases repeated in the same order again and again, the first decidedly harsh: ‘See saw—TI’m up here—Yow’re down there.” . 629 Lanivireo solitarius (Wilson). Blue-headed Vireo, Solitary Vireo. Adults —Length, 5-6. Wing, 3. Above, olive-green, mixed with slate-gray on the back; head, plain slate-gray ; wings and tail, black, the feathers mostly edged with white or yellowish; two prominent wing bars; under parts, silky white, yellow-olive on the sides; eye ring and lores, white, with a dusky spot just before the eye, extending onto the eye ring. Nest and eggs similar to those of the Red-eyed Vireo, .80 x .60. 262 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Tolerably common transient visitant, no doubt breeding at High Knob, Sussex county, where Mr. Chapman found it in June, 1890.1 Spring, April 20th to May 5th; autumn, September 20th to October 15th. A tree Vireo of much the same habits and appearance as the Red- eye, but with some harsher notes in its warble. It is our earliest Vireo in springtime, and can always be identified by the blue-gray head and white eye ring. 631 Vireo griseus (Boddert). White-eyed Vireo. PLATE 70. Adults.—Length, 4.50-5. Wing, 2.40. Above, dull olive-green, grayish on the neck; wings and tail, dusky, edged with olive or yellowish-white; two yel- lowish-white wing bars; under parts, white; sides of neck, grayish; sides of body and crissum, sulphur yellow; a tinge of the same color on the breast; lores and eye ring, pale yellow, interrupted by a dusky spot in front. Young in first summer.—Dull brownish-olive above; below, white, tinged with buff on the breast and sulphur yellow on the flanks and crissum. Nest pensile, swung from the fork of a low bush, and usually with much grass in its construction; eggs, three to four, white, with very small black spots on the larger end, .75 x .55. Common summer resident. Arrives April 27th (May 3d), departs October 1st. This is a characteristic bird of low swampy woods throughout the State, especially along the streams of south Jersey, in and out of the pine barrens. The habits of the White-eye are similar to those of other Vireos, with the exception that he confines himself to low bushes and never gets up into the trees. His call is a loud warble resembling the syllables “wit-see-a-willie.” + Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., 1890-91, p. 4. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 263 Family MNIOTILTIDA. THE Woop WARBLERS. A large family of small, generally brightly colored birds, mostly arboreal, some terrestrial or living among the bushes. Almost entirely insectivorous, with slender sharp pointed bills. The songs of most of the species are weak and lisping, though some are much stronger and melodious. These little birds form the bulk of the great night flights of the spring and fall migrations. A few are familiar summer residents, but the majority spend the breeding season in the depths of the northern woodland and forests. On their migration in May and September, however, they are always conspicuous, thronging the tree-tops as they search for food. a. No yellow in the plumage. b. Colors orange, black and white. ce. Throat black. REDSTART, p. 291 ce. Throat orange. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, p. 279 bb. Colors blue, black and white. ce. Throat black. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, p. 274 cc. Throat white. CERULEAN WARBLER, p. 277 bbb. Under parts chestnut and white. ce. Throat chestnut. BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, p. 278 ce. Throat white. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, p. 277 bbbb. No orange, blue or chestnut in the plumage. c. Streaked below, at least on the sides. d. Streaked on the back. e. Back black and white. BLACK AND*WHITE WARBLER, ee. Back black and gray. BLACK-POLL WARBLER, p. 279 eee. Back olive with fine black streaks. BLACK-POLL WARBLER (female), p. 279 f. Wing, 2.50. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (young), p. 279 ff. Wing, 2.75. BLACK-POLL WARBLER (young), p. 279 dd. Not streaked on the back. e. Middle of crown dull buff, bordered by black. OVENBIRD, p. 2835 ee. Crown like the back, a light stripe over eye. f. Throat speckled to the chin. WATER THRUSH, ff. Chin and upper throat not speckled. LOUISIANA WATER THRUSH, 12 i) =P) fon ve} bo (9) ns Ko) bo (9) oO rae) op aS REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. cc. Not streaked below. : d. Slightly streaked on back or rump; general color above yellow-olive. e. Wing, 2.40—-2.60. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (young), p. 2 ee. Wing, 2.80-2.90. BAY-BREASTED or BLACK-POLL WARBLER (young), p. 278 dd. Strongly streaked black and gray on back; cap, throat and flanks chestnut. BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, p. 278 ddd. Plain above. e. Crown striped buff and black, back olive. WoRM-EATING WARBLER, p. 267 ee. Head uniform with the back. f. Two rather dull wing bars. g. Brown above. PINE WARBLER (young), p. 280 gg. Blue-green above. CERULEAN WARBLER (young), p. 277 ff. No wing bars. g. A white spot at the base of the primaries. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (female), p. 274 gg. No white spot on the wings. TENNESSEE WARBLER, p. 272 7 (i aa. Some yellow in the plumage. b. Streaked below, at least on the sides. ce. General color of under parts black and white or brown and white. d. Yellow restricted to the sides of the breast, rump and crown. MyrtTLe WARBLER, p. 275 dd. Yellow restricted to sides of face and neck; throat black, back olive. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, p. 280 ce. General color below buff and dull brown, yellow restricted to under tail-coverts and rump. PaLM WARBLER, p. 281 cece. Throat bright orange, breast white tinged with yellow. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, p. 279 cece. General color below yellow. d. Streaks chestnut or rusty. e. Crown yellow. YELLOW WARBLER, p. 274 ee. Crown chestnut. YELLOW PALM WARBLER, p. 282 dd. Streaks black or dusky and obscure. e. Back not streaked or spotted. f. Back black. MAGNOLIA WARBLER, p. 276 ff. Back blue gray. CANADA WARBLER, p. 291 fff. Back brown. ; YELLOW PALM WARBLER (young), p. 282 ffff. Back olive. g. Wing under 2.20. PRAIRIE WARBLER (young), p. 282 gg. Wing over 2.75. PINE WARBLER, p. 280 ee. Back streaked or spotted. f. Back olive, spotted with chestnut. PRAIRIE WARBLER, p. 282 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 265 ff. Back olive, spotted with black. g. War-coverts chestnut. Carre May WARBLER, p. 273 gg. Head olive, streaked with black. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (young), p. 279 ggg. Head plain gray. MAGNOLIA WARBLER (young), p. 276 bb. Not streaked below. c. A chestnut and black spot on the breast. PARULA WARBLER, p. 272 cee. Throat black. d. Belly gray, yellow restricted to crown and wing-coverts. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, p. 269 dd. Belly yellow. Hoopep WARBLER, p. 290 cece. Throat gray or ashy, abdomen yellow. d. A black patch on breast. MouRNING WARBLER, p. 287 dd. No black patch on breast. e. A white eye ring. CONNECTICUT WARBLER, p. 287 ee. No eye ring. MouURNING WARBLER (female), p. 287 ecce. Throat white or gray, abdomen not yellow. d. Yellow on crown and wing-coverts and rump only. e. Sides of body chestnut. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, p. 277 ee. Sides not chestnut. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, p. 269 dd. Yellow on sides of chest, wings and tail only. RepsTart (female), p. 291 ecece. Throat yellow or olive-yellow. d. Tail feathers partly yellow. YELLOW WARBLER (young), p. 274 dd. Tail feathers partly white. e. Back olive or slaty, head more or less yellow. f. Whole head deep yellow. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, p. 267 ff. Fore part of crown yellow. g. A black spot in front of the eye. BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, p. 268 gg. No spot in front of the eye. Hooprep WARBLER, p. 290 ee. No yellow on crown. f. Wings bluish-gray. PARULA WARBLER (female and young), p. 272 ff. Wings olive. TENNESSEE WARBLER (young and fem.), p. 272 fff. Wings dull brownish. PINE WARBLER (female), p. 28 ddd. Tail with no white markings. e. Wing, 3. Cuat, p. 289 ee. Wing, 2.60 or less. f. Entire cheeks and frontlet black, or merely a dusky area below the eye (young). g. Wing, 2.60. Kentucky WARBLER, p. 286 gg. Wing, 2.20. MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT, p. 288 266 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ff. No black on cheeks or frontlet. g. Crown more or less black, frontlet yellow. WILSON’S WARBLER, p. 291 gg. Crown with a central chestnut or orange spot. h. Spot chestnut. NASHVILLE WARBLER, p. 270 hh. Spot orange. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, p. 271 ggg. Crown uniform with the back. h. Lower abdomen white, much paler than the breast or under tail-coverts. MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT (female), p. 288 hh. Abdomen yellow, uniform with breast and under tail-coverts. MouRNING WARBLER, p. 287 636 Mniotilta varia (Linneus). Black-and-White Warbler. Adult male—Length, 4+.60-5.50. Wing, 2.75. Above, striped everywhere with black and white: sides and top of head, black, with a white stripe over each eye and down the middle of the crown; wings, black, edged with grayish-white ; inner feathers broadly edged with pure white and coverts tipped with the same, forming two wing bars: tail, grayish-black; middle feathers, gray, with black along the shaft, two outer pairs with a terminal white spot on the inner vane; body below everywhere striped with black and white, except the center of the breast, which is white. In autumn the throat is nearly pure white. Adult female——Similar, but the white above tinged with buff: stripes on the under side restricted to the sides of the body and more or less indistinct; sides washed with buff. Young in first summer.—Dark brown above, streaked with a lighter shade; head streaks, dull white: below, dull white, washed with brown on throat and sides and obscurely streaked. Young in first autumn.—Similar to autumnal adult, but streaks below much nalrower and restricted to the sides of the body. 4 Nest of grass, bark, etc., on the ground under the shelter of a log; eggs, four to five, white, spotted with brown about the larger end, .65 x .50. Common summer resident in the northern counties; less abundant breeder in the southern part of the State. Arrives April 18th (April 26th), departs October 5th. The Black-and-White Warbler is a “tree-creeper” of no mean ability, and in the migrations we see him constantly circling the trunks in a way that would do credit to a Creeper or Nuthatch. His song is a THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 267 squeaking see-saw, “ki-tseé, ki-tseé, ki-tseé, see, see,” accented on the last syllable of each couplet. This species nests rather sparingly both within and without the pine barrens in south Jersey and rather more plentifully northward. 637 Protonotaria citrea (Boddéert). Prothonotary Warbler. Adults —Length, 5.25. Wing, 2.90-3. Back of head to middle of back, yel- low-olive; lower back, rump, wings and tail, blue-gray; head, crown and under parts to flanks, bright canary-yellow; under tail-coverts, white, and white marks on inner webs of all but the central tail feathers. The Prothonotary Warbler’s claim to a place in the New Jersey list rests upon a specimen obtained at Princeton by Professor A. H. Phillips, May 8th, 1894,1 and an individual seen at Haddonfield, early in the eighties, by Mr. 8. N. Rhoads.” 639 Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmelin). Worm-eating Warbler. Adults—Length, 5.50. Wing, 2.75. Above, grayish olive-green; crown and sides of head, buff; a broad black stripe down each side of the crown and a narrow one behind the eye; under parts, buff, becoming whitish on the abdo- men; crissum mottled with olive. ’ Young in first summer.—EHverywhere cinnamon, darker above; wing and tail, olive, head markings indistinctly indicated. Nest on the ground of leaves and grass, lined with moss stems; eggs, four to five, white, speckled with reddish-brown, .70 x .52. Local and rather.uncommon summer resident in the middle counties and Hudson Valley.* Not found in the pine barrens, and very rare on the Delaware, south of Trenton. Arrives April 29th (May 9th), de- parts September 1st. This is a rather common bird in wooded ravines in southeastern Pennsylvania, but is rarer in New Jersey and unknown as a breeder in the southern half of the State. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 71. * Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 129. *Chapman, Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., V., p. 8, and Birds vicinity N. Y., p. 177, also Rhoads, Cassinia, 1901, p. 50. 268 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Mr. Miller finds it locally common at Plainfield. Mr. Babson thinks it breeds rarely at Princeton,t and Mr. Hann found one nest at Chat- ham, and Mr. Holmes? regards it as rare at Summit. Mr. Thurber found it rare at Morristown. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads found it breeding at Greenwood and Echo Lakes, Passaic county, June, 1909. The.only record of its nesting in west Jersey, south of Trenton, is a female, apparently with young, observed by Mr. 8S. N. Rhoads, near Camden, in July, 1880.° 641 Vermivora pinus (Linnzus). Blue-winged Warbler. Adult male—Length, 4.80. Wing, 2.40. Above, yellowish olive-green, brighter on rump and bright yellow on the crown; wings and tail, bluish-gray ; two white wing bars and three outer tail feathers largely white on the inher webs; under surface, bright yellow; a jet black line through the eye. Adult female.—Similar, but duller, and yellow not so pure. Young in first summer.—Similar to adult female. Nest on the ground in low woods, composed of leaves and shreds of bark; eggs, four to six, white, with small scattered spots of reddish-brown, .65 x .50. Common summer resident in the middle and northeastern counties, rare on the northern edge of the pine barrens and absent in the north- western counties and in the pine barrens and apparently also in south- west Jersey. Mr. J. Fletcher Street has found it along the Rancocas in the breeding season, and Mr. R. C. Harlow found it at Clementon, June 9th, 1906, and June 6th, 1907, also at Bennett, in lower Cape May county, May 24th, 1907, and June 3d, 1908. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads, in a long experience, never saw it at Haddonfield. Arrives May 1st (May 6th), departs September Ist. Common breeder in the lower Hudson Valley (Chapman), Demarest (Bowdish), Montclair, Summit and Chatham (Hann and Callender), Plainfield (Miller) ; rare breeder at Paterson (J. H. Clark) and Mor- ristown (Thurber) and on Mt. Lucas only, in the Princeton region (Babson). Mr. Rhoads saw four at Greenwood Lake, June, 1909. This species is found near the ground in low woods and on the edge of swampy thickets. Its note is an insect-like “s-e-e-e, z-e-e-e-e.” 1 Birds of Princeton. ? Wilson, Bull., 1905, p. 11. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1882, p. 55. - THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 269 642 Vermivora chrysoptera (Linnzus). Golden-winged Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 5.10. Wing, 2.45. Above, bluish-gray; crown, yellow; wing-coverts tipped with yellow forming two bands; three outer tail feathers with large white spots on the inner web, the outermost more than half white; throat, black; rest of under parts, white, washed with gray on the sides; sides of face, black, with a broad white stripe separating this from the black on the throat, and a short white line over the eye. In autumn the black throat is usually veiled with short white tips to the feathers. Adult female.—Tinged with green above, and black areas replaced by dark gray. Young in first summer.—Above, olive-gray; below, pale olive-yellow; throat, dusky. Nest on the ground, built of leaves and grass; eggs, four to six, white, speckled on the larger end with reddish-brown, .62 x .50. Rather rare transient visitant, spring, May 12th to 16th; autumn, August 15th to September 5th, and rare summer resident in the northern counties. The Golden-wing is a close ally of the Blue-winged Warbler which it resembles in habits. Mr. Thurber calls it a rare summer resident at Morristown, and Mr. P. B. Philipp has found it nesting at Newton, Sussex county. Dr. Dwight and Mr. Rhoads found it at Lake Hopat- cong in summer and regard it as a breeder there, and in June, 1909, Mr. Rhoads found it at various points in northern Passaic and Sussex counties. This species and the Blue-winged Warbler are supposed to hybridize, as only in this way can we account for the curious birds known as Brewster’s and Lawrence’s Warblers which are intermediate between them. Vermivora leucobronchialis (Brewster). Brewster’s Warbler. Vermivora leucobronchialis (Brewster). Lawrence’s Warbler. These birds are now generally recognized as hybrids, between the Blue- winged and Golden-winged Warblers. Brewster’s Warbler is essentially a Golden-wing without the black throat, while Lawrence’s Warbler is a Blue- wing with a black throat, but various intermediate forms have also been ob- tained. "270 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. The following have been secured in New Jersey: Morristown; Aug. Blanchet; May 1859;! leucobronchialis. Chatham; Aug. Blanchet; May, 1874; lawrencei (type). Maplewood; C. B. Riker; May 11th, 1883;* leucobronchialis x pinus. Hoboken; D. B. Dickinson; September, 1876 ;* lawrence. Morristown; Frank Blanchet; May 15th, 1884;° lawrencei x pinus. Englewood; F. M. Chapman; May 15th, 1886;° lewcobronchialis. Englewood; F. M. Chapman; June 26th, 1887 ;° leucobronchialis. Englewood; F. M. Chapman; July 31st, 1887 ;° leucobronchialis. Morristown; E. C. Thurber; May 15th, 1887 ;* lewcobronchialis. Geo. E. Hix® saw a typical jewcobronchialis at Englewood, May 13th, 1905, while Mr. Chapman heard a male lewcobronchialis in full song at Englewood, May 11th, 1890, and in 1892 found a pair of birds breeding, one leucobronchialis, the other pinus.*® 645 Vermivora rubricapilla (Wilson). Nashville Warbler. Adult male—Length, 4.75. Wing, 2.30. Above, gray on head and neck; center of crown, chestnut; rest of the upper parts, olive-green, no wing bands or tail marks; under parts, plain yellow. tinged with olive on the sides. In autumn the chestnut patch is more or less obscured. Adult female.—Similar, but chestnut patch obscure or lacking. Young in first summer.—Brownish above, olive on the rump: below, yellow- ish-brown, brighter yellow on the abdomen. Nest on the ground, composed of moss, grass and fine rootlets; eggs, four to five. white, speckled with brown at the larger end, .60 x .45. Tolerably common transient visitant. Spring, May 6th to 14th; autumn, September 1st to October 1st. Rare summer resident in the northern part of the State. Thurber, Auk, 1886, p. 411. 2 Herrick, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1874, p. 320. 3 Auk, 1885, p. 378. * Herrick, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1877, p. 19. > Brewster, Auk, 1886, p. 411. ® Auk, 1887, p. 348. 7 Auk, 1887, p. 349. S Auk, 1905, p. 417. ® Auk, 1890, p. 291. 1 Auk, 1892, p. 302. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 2 ~ — The Nashville is a rather inconspicuous Warbler, difficult to identify in the tops of the young trees, where it is usually found, along the edge of old clearings. Its song, however, is peculiar, and is represented by Mr. LangilJle as ‘‘ke-tsee, ke-tsee, ke-tsee; chip-ee-chip-ee-chip-ee- chip,” the latter half being much like the trill of the Chipping Spar- TOW. Mr. Chapman took a breeding female at Englewood, June 16th, 1887,’ which is our only evidence of its nesting in the State. 646 Vermivora celata (Say). Ovange-crowned Warbler. Adults.—Length, 4.75—-5.25. Wing, 2.40. Above, olive, brightest on the rump, erown with a patch of tawny ochraceous often obscured by grayish tips; under parts, pale olive-yellowish, very faintly streaked on the sides with dusky, a faint pale line over the eye. Young in first autumn has the crown patch less distinct. Very rare transient visitant. February, March and October, pos- sibly winter resident in the southernmost counties. The only New Jersey records appear to be as follows: Rancocas Creek; early in February, 1860. Turnbull. Hoboken; May, 1865. C. 8S. Gallraith (Coll. Amer. Mus. Natural History ).? Haddonfield; March 22d, 1883. 8. N. Rhoads (Coll. W. Stone) .* Anglesea; October 6th, 1889. P. Laurent (Coll. P. L.).* Haddonfield; February 25th, 1909. R.T. Moore (Coll. R. T. M.). Thurber also mentions it as a very rare transient at Morristown, and John Kvider states that he got one in New Jersey in December, when the ground was covered with snow. 1 Auk, 1889, p. 304. * Howell, Auk, 1893, p. 90. = Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1883, p. 179. *O. and O., 1892. R272 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 647 Vermivora peregrina (Wilson). Tennessee Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 5. Wing, 2.60. Above, plain olive-green, with top of head gray; a whitish line over the eye and a dusky streak through it; lower parts, white, tinged with buff on the sides; no wing bars or tail markings. Adult female—Similar, but with the gray cap obscured by olive. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but more buffy below and gray cap scarcely distinguishable. Rare transient visitant, sore common in autumn. Spring, May 15th to 25th; autumn, August 25th to October 1st (Babson). One of the least distinctive of our migrant Warblers, closely re- sembling the Nashville in habits. Very rare in spring. 648a Compsothlypis americana usnez Brewster. Northern Parula Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 4.25-4.75. Wing, 2.80. Above, grayish-blue, with a yellow-olive triangular patch on the back; coverts broadly tipped with white forming two bars; three outer tail feathers with subterminal white spots on the inner webs, the outermost the largest: under side of body, yellow on throat and chest, a pectoral band of chestnut with a darker spot in the center; abdo- men and sides, white, the latter streaked with chestnut; a white spot on the lower eyelid and a blackish spot in front of the eye. In autumn the colors are veiled with olive above and yellow below, so that the markings are somewhat obscured. Adult female.—Always duller than the male, with chestnut breast markings often lacking. Young in first summer.—Gray, lighter beneath, and tinged with olive above; throat, yellowish. Nest in tufts of Usnea moss, made wholly of the moss itself; eggs, four to five, white, with fine rufous spots at the larger end, .64 x .44. . Common summer resident in the pine barrens and casually so else- where, though mainly a transient in other parts of the State. Arrives April 28th (May 4#th), departs October Ist. ‘The pine barren swamps, where all the bushes and dead trees are festooned with the long, gray “old man’s beard” or Usnea moss, are the home of the Parula, and from every side one can hear the fine lisping song, “pe-tsee, pe-tsee, pe-tsee-see,” as Professor Jones writes ibe The birds are governed, in their distribution, by the abundance of THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 273 the moss, and as it is rare and local outside of the pine barrens, they are seldom found breeding out of this district. Mr. P. B. Philipp found them nesting regularly, but not commonly, at Newton, Sussex county, in June, 1906 and 1908, and Mr. F. M. Chapman saw one at High Knob, in the same county, June 10th, 1890. In migration the Parula associates with the mixed Warbler throng and exhibits no peculiarities of habit.t 650 Dendroica tigrina (Gmelin). Cape May Warbler. Adult male—Length, 4.75-5.50. Wing, 2.85. Above, olive-green, shaded with gray; top of head, black; lower rump, yellowish; back obscurely spotted with black; wings and tail, dusky; a broad white wing bar and white sub- terminal spots on the three outer pairs of tail feathers; sides of face, bright chestnut; line over the eye, yellow, largely suffused with chestnut, and a yellow patch on the side of the neck below the chestnut; under parts, pale yellow, be- coming white on the middle of the abdomen and under tail-coverts; throat, breast and sides heavily streaked with black, the first sometimes washed with chestnut. In autumn, much veiled with grayish edgings to the feathers. Adult female—Much paler; head, olive, spotted with dusky; a faint yellow streak over the eye, a pale yellow one on each side of the neck; under surface, white, in older birds more or less tinged with yellow and streaked with gray on the throat, breast and sides; sides of face, gray. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female. Very rare transient visitant. Mr. Babson, in his Birds of Princeton, states that W. E. D. Scott secured several specimens in the autumn. Thurber records one taken at Chatham, Morris county, by Maj. Blanchet. Mr. Chapman ob- tained one at Englewood, and Krider states that he has taken it in New Jersey, but so far as I] am aware no others have been recorded from the State since the male described by Alex. Wilson, which was obtained by George Ord, in 1809, near Cape May, to which capture the bird owes its name, and a female obtained by Chas. L. Bonaparte, at Bordentown, May 14th, about 1825. Recently Mr. Robt. T. Moore obtained two at Haddonfield, September 22d, 1897, and October 2d, 1906; while Mr. S. N. Rhoads saw a male in full song at the same place, May 15th, 1909. The chestnut ear patch is an excellent “ear mark” for identification. Of. Wilde, Auk, 1897, p. 289, and Wilson, Bull., XVII., p. 4, for good ac- counts of its nesting in New Jersey. 18 274 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 652 Dendroica zxestiva (Gmelin). Yellow Warbler. 1 21 OY: Ul Day Ue Adult male.—Length, 4.50-5.25. Wing, 2.50. Above, yellow-olive; bright yellow on the crown; wings and tail, dusky, edged with yellow; tips of the coverts forming two fairly distinct bands; inner webs of all but the central pair of tail feathers more or less yellow; sides of face and whole lower surface, rich golden yellow, the breast and sides streaked with chestnut. In autumn ’ greener aboye, and streaks somewhat veiled by yellow tips. Adult female——Similar, but duller and greener, with streaks fewer and nar- rower. Young in first autumn.—Male similar to adult female; female still duller, with no streaks below and throat whitish. Young in first summer.—Above, pale olive-brown; below, sulphur yellow, without streaks. Nest of soft vegetable fibers and vegetable down in a bush near water; eggs, four to five, bluish-white, with a wreath of brown spots at the larger end, Ade FH,0) Common summer resident though somewhat local. Arrives April 24th (April 30th), departs September 25th. This is our best-known breeding warbler. In southern Jersey it is “always found near the water, nesting plentiful in the swampy thickets along the Delaware and its tributaries, but in the pine barren swamps I have never detected it. In the northern counties it is said to be more a bird of the garden and orchard, breeding in the shrubbery near houses. Its nest is a favorite repository for the Cowbird, and the Warbler has been known to raise the sides in order to bury the intruder’s egg in the bottom, depositing its own eggs on the upper floor. The song of the Yellow Warbler is a liquid “sweet-sweet-sweet- sweeter-sweeter.” 654 Dendroica ceerulescens (Gmelin). Black-throated Blue Warbler. Adult male—Length, 4.75-5.50. Wing, 2.60. Above, uniform grayish-blue, a square white patch covering the bases of the primary wing feathers, con- spicuous even when the wings are closed; two outer tail feathers with white subterminal areas, the third often edged with white near the tip; under parts, white, with the throat, sides of head and sides of breast black. In autumn the throat feathers are frosted with white and there is often an olive tinge to the upper parts. raw) ~? or THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. Adult female.—Uniform olive above, pale olive-yellow below; wing edgings tinged with gray; the white wing spot is less conspicuous than in the male; there is a white spot on the lower eyelid and a short streak above the eye; the outermost tail feather has a lighter subterminal area often scarcely distinguish- able. In autumn, deeper olive. Young in first summer.—Olive-brown above, brownish-white below, yellowish on the throat. Common transient visitant. Spring, April 27th (May 4th) to May 20th; autumn, August 25th to October 10th. Probably rare breeder in Sussex county where Mr. 8. N. Rhoads saw one June 5th, 1909, at Wawayanda Lake. This is one of the species composing the regular Warbler waves of May, which mark the height of spring migration. These assemblages, which seem to contain all the known varieties of Warblers, so thickly do they swarm in the tree-tops—now one kind, now another—coming within the range of our glass, are characteristic of most of the State, but they seem to avoid the dry pine barrens, the lower trees and drier soil, and prevalence of pines being apparently not to their liking. The Black-throated Blue Warbler, both the male and female, may be easily recognized by the white spot on the middle of the wing at the base of the primaries, a mark not common to any other species. The song of this species has a peculiar harsh or buzzing quality, “wee, zwee, zZwe-e-e-.”” 655 Dendroica coronata (Linneus). Myrtle Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler. PLATE 72. Adult male.——Length, 5-6. Wing, 2.80. Above, bluish-gray, with black streaks broadest on the back; a yellow patch on the crown and rump; wings and tail, blackish, edged with gray; wing-coverts broadly tipped with white, forming two conspicuous bars; three outer tail feathers with subterminal white patches on the inner webs; under surface, white, with a large black breast patch extending down the sides of the chest, where it is bordered just under the edge of the wings with yellow; flanks streaked with black; sides of face, black, with a short white streak over the eye and a white spot on the lower lid. In winter, veiled above and below with olive and gray. Adult female—Rather smaller. More or less brown above; sides of face, brown; black on breast not so extensive and broken by white edgings to the feathers, yellow much paler. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female, but browner, with streaking of upper parts obscured; breast and sides tinged with brown and _ thickly streaked with black, streaks more or less obscured by the light edges to the feathers. “276 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Common transient visitant and common winter visitant especially near the coast. Spring, March 29th (April 24th) to May 20th; autumn, September 25th to November 1st. In the bayberry thickets and cedars along the coast of New Jersey and northward as far as Englewood, the Myrtle Warblers may be seen in flocks all winter long, the wax-covered berries of the bayberry (Wax Myrtle) affording them their principal food at this season. In the interior of the State they also occur casually in winter— Summit (Hann), Plainfield (Miller), Crosswicks (C. C. Abbott), Burlington (Miss Minnie V. Flynn), Haddonfield (S. N. Rhoads). In the early spring they start northward, and are usually among the earlier Warblers of the spring migration. The Myrtle Warbler is rather deliberate in its actions, hopping from limb to limb, with wings drooping so that the yellow rump-patch is conspicuously displayed. Its winter note is a characteristic chipp; its song a trill or twitter. This is the only member of the Warbler family to winter regularly in the State. 657 Dendroica magnolia (Wilson). Magnolia Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 4.50-5. Wing, 2.35. Above, black; top of head, except the forehead, gray; rump, yellow; wing-coverts largely white, forming a large conspicuous patch, the usual double bars running together; the middle portion of all but the central pair of tail feathers white on the inner web for the same distance on each feather, making a conspicuous broad band across the tail when expanded; sides of face, black, with a white line over the eye; under parts, bright yellow, heavily streaked with black on the chest and sides, streaks often confluent on the middle of the chest; under tail-coverts, white. Jn autumn, top and sides of head and hind neck uniform gray; back, olive-green, with black centers to the feathers; rump, yellow; upper tail-coverts, black; two narrow white bars on the wings; under parts with black streaks obscured by yellow tips and largely restricted to the sides. Adult female.—Similar to male, but gray extending back over the hind neck and back streaked with olive; stripes below narrower. Young in first autumn.—Like autumnal male, but duller, with streaks above and below obscure, and throat washed with ashy. Common transient visitant. Spring, May 7th to 12th; autumn, August 20th to October dth. The Magnolia Warbler is always recognized by the white band across the middle of the tail. Its note, as described by Mr. J. H. Langille, is “chee-to, chee-to, chee-tee-ee,” a clear rapid whistle ending in a falling inflection. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 277 658 Dendroica czrulea (Wilson). Cerulean Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 4-5. Wing, 2.50. Above, grayish cerulean blue, back streaked with black and rump feathers with black bases, wings with two white bars, tail with white subterminal spots on all but the center pair of feathers; ear-coverts, grayish; under parts, white, streaked on the sides with black, strongly tinged with grayish-blue; a band of the same color across the chest. Adult female—Grayish olive-green above, brighter, often bluish, on the head, _ no streaks; under parts, white, tinged with pale yellow, and a superciliary stripe of the same. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female, but more streaked on the sides. Very rare straggler during migration. The only New Jersey records of the Cerulean Warbler are one killed by Dr. C. C. Abbott, near Trenton,’ and one secured at Boon- ton, Morris county, September ist, 1887, by S. D. Judd.? 659 Dendroica pensylvanica (Linnzus). Chestnut-sided Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 4.75—-5.25. Wing, 2.50. Above, heavily streaked with black on a whitish or olive ground; whole top of head, yellow; two pale yel- lowish bands on the wings, three outer tail feathers largely white on the inner webs; sides of face, black; ear-coverts and sides of neck, white; under parts, pure white, a rich chestnut stripe running from the black at the base of the bill to the flanks. In autumn entirely different, bright yellow-olive above with concealed black centers to the feathers of the back; below, pure white, except a wash of chestnut on the flanks. Adult female——Similar to male, but duller; crown, greenish and chestnut, stripes not so extensive. Young in first autwmn.—Duller than the adult male in autumn, no stripes above and no chestnut on the flanks. Nest in low bushes, similar to that of the Yellow Warbler; eggs, four to five, white, speckled with brown or gray, .65 x .50. Common transient visitant in the southern half of the State, and summer resident in the northern counties. Spring, May 5th to 15th; autumn, August 15th to September 25th. 1 Birds of New Jersey, 1868. ? Auk, 1897, p. 326. 278 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Nests from Plainfield (Miller) to Demarest (Bowdish), and Al- pine (Rhoads), and at Summit (Hann), Lake Hopatcong (Dwight) and High Knob, Sussex county (Chapman), Sussex and Passaic counties generally (Rhoads). It has also been seen in June on Mt. Lucas, near Princeton, where it no doubt breeds sparingly, but this is the most southern station (Babson). The Chestnut-sided Warbler in migration associates with the various other species that make up the great warbler waves, and ex- hibits no peculiarities in habits or haunts. In its summer home it is a bird of open clearings covered with low second growth. Its song closely resembles that of the Yellow Warbler and may be represented by the syllables “tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee,—wee tsee.” 660 Dendroica castanea (Wilson). Bay-breasted Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 5-6. Wing, 2.80. Above, gray, somewhat tinged with buff and broadly streaked with black, except on the rump; top of head, chest- nut: forehead and sides of head, black; sides of neck, buff; two broad wing bars, two outer tail feathers with white subterminal spots; under surface of body, chestnut, except the center of the abdomen and under tail-coverts, which are buffy-white. In autumn yellowish-olive above streaked with black on the head and back; below, pale buff, white in the middle of abdomen and a strong wash of chestnut on the flanks; upper and lower eyelids, white. Adult female——Similar to the male, but much smaller, with chestnut area much reduced. Young in first autumn.—Similar to autumnal adult, but chestnut on the flanks a mere trace. Usually a rather rare transient visitant, but common in some seasons, and always more plentiful in autumn. Spring, May 10th to 20th: autumn, August 20th to October 1st. The Bay-breast is always more abundant in autumn, at which time it is very hard to distinguish it from the Black-poll. Like most migrant warblers it is rare in the pine barrens. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 279 661 Dendroica striata (Forster). Black-poll Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 5.50. Wing, 2.80. Above, gray, streaked with black ; gray replaced by white on the hind neck; whole top of head, black; wing- coverts broadly tipped with white, forming two bars; sides of face, white; under parts, white, streaked with black from the chin down the sides of the throat to the flanks; two outer tail feathers with subterminal white spots. In autumn olive-green above, streaked with black on the back; below, pale yellow- ish, with dusky stripes on the sides and flanks; upper and lower eyelids, white. Adult female——Above, olive-green; head, neck and back distinctly streaked with black; below, white, tinged with yellow and finely streaked with black on the sides of the throat and body. Resembles the male in autumn, but more streaked above. Young in first autumn.—Similar to autumnal adult, but less streaked, nearly uniform below. Abundant transient visitant. Spring, May 10th to June Ist; autumn, September 10th to October 15th. In the exceptionally late season of 1907 it was seen at Moorestown until June 17th. The Black-poll is a late migrant, bringing up the rear of the spring procession, and appears to outnumber any of the other species. His note is a delicate insect-like “tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee,” all in one pitch. 662 Dendroica fusca (Miiller). Blaeckburnian Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 4.50-5.50. Wing, 2.75. Above, black, streaked with white on the back and neck; crown with a median stripe of orange; wings with the lesser-coverts broadly tipped with white and the greater-coverts largely white, forming together a large white area; three outer tail feathers largely white on the inner web, the fourth with a white spot; under parts brilliant orange from the chin to the chest, including the sides of the head, except the ear-coverts, which are black; abdomen, white; a row of black streaks from the neck to the flanks on each side. In autumn quite different, olive-gray above streaked with black, streaks coarse on the back; two distinct white bars on the wings; under surface, pale yellow, tinged with orange on the throat and breast ; abdomen, yellowish-white; sides streaked with black. Adult female—Similar to male, but much duller, gray above instead of black in spring, and head streaked with black, browner above in autumn. Young in first autwnn.—Like autumnal adult female, young females still duller, obscurely streaked above and with only a wash of yellow on the breast below. Tolerably common transient visitant. Spring, May 4th to 15th: autumn, August 25th to October 15th. X 280 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 667 Dendroica virens (Gmelin). Black-throated Green Warbler. Adult male—Length, 4.50-5.25. Wing, 2.50. Above, yellowish olive-green, some of the feathers of the back centered with black; wing-coverts broadly tipped with white, forming two bands; three outer tail feathers with large white areas on the inner webs; forehead, cheeks and sides of neck, and broad line over the eye, bright yellow; throat, breast and sides of body, black; middle of abdomen and under tail-coverts, white, slightly tinged with pale yellow. In autumn the black is veiled with yellow tips to the feathers. Adult female.——Similar, but duller, and with less black; chin and upper throat usually yellowish-white. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adults, but with much less black and with long yellowish tips to the feathers. In the female there is no black on the breast and only black streaks on the sides. Nest in trees or sometimes near the ground; eggs, three to four, white, with a wreath of brown and lilac spots, .60 x .50. Common transient visitant. Spring, April 28th (May 3d) to May 15th; autumn, September Ist to October 10th. Only one nest of this species has been found in the State. It was discovered by Mr. B. S. Bowdish, at Demarest, June 5th, 1904.1 That it may prove a regular summer resident, in the same region, is sug- gested by the fact that Messrs. S. N. Rhoads and Wm. B. Evans found it-at Alpine, on the palisades, in June, 1901,° and in June, 1909, Mr. Rhoads found them evidently breeding at Greenwood, Wawayanda and Hecho Lakes. An easily recognized member of the spring Warbler host, with a most distinctive song, “pee, tee, chee-o, tee,” as given by Professor Jones, the third and fourth notes joined together and representing a drop from the former pitch, to which it returns on the last note; the first, second and fifth are short or staccato. 671 Dendroica vigorsi (Audubon). Pine Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 5-5.50. Wing, 2.75-8. Above, olive-green; wings and tail, dusky, the former with two whitish wing bars, the latter with large white areas on the inner webs of the two outer pairs of feathers; below, yellow, with indistinct dusky streaks on the sides of the breast; middle of abdomen and under tail-coverts, white; a faint line of yellow just above and below the eye. In autumn the colors are softer and more blended. 1 Auk, 1906, p. 17. 2 Cassinia, 1901, p. 50. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 281 Adult female-—Much browner above and paler beneath, often without a trace of yellow. Young in first summer.—Brown above, drab beneath, somewhat mottled with dark gray; center of abdomen, whitish; wing and tail feathers as in the adult. Nest of strips of bark, leaves, etc., in a pine tree, twenty or thirty feet up; eggs, four to five, grayish-white, with a ring of brown spots at the larger end, .68 x .52. Common summer resident in the pine barrens; elsewhere a rare transient. Arrives March 30th, departs October Sth. The Pine Warbler is one of the most characteristic birds of the pine barrens of the southern part of the State. It is deliberate in its movements, slowly exploring the thick bunches of pine needles or oc- casionally clinging to the trunk of the tree in pursuit of insects. In plumage it is one of the plainest of our Warblers. Its song is a clear trill, closely resembling that of the Chipping Sparrow. While undoubtedly nesting abundantly all through the pines, the nest is exceedingly hard to find, and, so far as I am aware, the only ones found recently were one discovered by Mr. R. T. Moore, near Tuckahoe,t May 13th, 1908, and two found by Mr. H. H. Hann, at Chatsworth, May 28th and June Ist, 1904.* At High Knob, Sussex county, Mr. F. M. Chapman found a colony of these birds, June 10th, 1890, and secured a young one, which is the only evidence of their nesting outside of the barrens. At Engle- wood he had seen it but twice.” Mr. S. N. Rhoads saw one at Haddonfield, on January 30th, 1898, and possibly a few may winter regularly among the pines.® 672 Dendroica palmarum (Gmelin). Palm Warbler. Similar to the next in general appearance but much paler, with yellow largely replaced by white and size smaller. Length, 4.50-5.50. Wing, 2.50. Rare transient visitant; the bulk of the migration taking place west of the Alleghanies. - One was taken at Princeton, October, 1877, by Mr. W. E. D. Scott :4 1 Cassinia, 1908, p. 29. ? Auk, 1889. FIN ys Vesayes JO WO (Oe WOM oye * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 74. eo 8 cas) REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. another was obtained by Mr. H. C. Oberholser,* at Red Bank, Mon- mouth county, September 28th, 1889; still another I secured at Cape May, September 11th, 1893, while Mr. W. D. W. Miller? found them rather common near Plainfield, September 23d to October 4th, 1903. ° 672a Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea Ridgway. Yellow Palm Warbler, Yellow Red-poll Warbler. Adults in spring.—Length, 5—-5.75. Wing, 2.75. Above, olive-brown, passing into olive-yellow on the rump; back and nape distinctly streaked with dusky ; wing and. tail, dusky, the latter with white areas at the tips of the inner webs of the two outer pairs of feathers; top of head, bright chestnut, with a yellow line over the eye; under parts, canary-yellow; ear-coverts, sides of throat and chest streaked with chestnut. Adults in autumn.—Much duller, more olive below; chestnut crown much more veiled with olive or only present in a few spots; streaks everywhere in- distinct and veiled. Common transient visitant. Spring, April 10th. (April 17th) to April 25th; autumn, October 10th to 20th. Mr. 8. N. Rhoads took a specimen at Mays Landing, December 2d, 1892.° This warbler has many peculiarities; it arrives early in the spring before the great warbler flights, and is a bird of the ground or low bushes; its most characteristic habit, however, is the regular wagging of the tail after the manner of the Titlark or Water Thrush. 673 Dendroica discolor (Vieillot). Prairie Warbler. : PAUINEN ale Adult male—Length, 4.25-5. Wing, 2.25. Above, olive-green, mottled with bright chestnut across the back; wings and tail, dusky; lesser wing-coverts broadly tipped with yellow, forming a prominent band; greater-coverts slightly edged with white; four outer tail feathers more or less white, the outermost mainly white even on the base of the outer web, decreasing to an oval spot on the fourth feather; below, bright yellow, heavily streaked with black on the sides of the breast and abdomen; a yellow line from the bill over the eye, a 1 Auk, 1895, p. 185. * Bird Lore, 1908, p. 199. 3 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 137. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 283 black line through the eye, a yellow streak below it and a black line separating this from the throat, also a triangle of black on each side of the neck. In autumn similar, but with the black streaks veiled with yellow and in first-year birds the markings less extensive. Adult female.——Similar, but much duller, with narrower black streaks and less chestnut on the back, sometimes scarcely a trace. Young in first summer.—Above, brownish-olive; below, brownish on the breast and throat, whitish on the abdomen; wings and tail similar to adult. Nest of fine fibers and downy substances, placed in a low bush; eggs, four to five, white, with a circle of brown spots at the larger end, .64 x .48. Common summer resident in the pine barrens; rather scarce migrant elsewhere. Arrives May 1st, departs September 15th. Mr. Chapman never saw it at Englewood* and Mr. Holmes had but one record at Suinmit. The Prairie Warbler is another of the birds that make the pine barrens interesting territory for the ornithologist. In and out among the scrubby oak and pine bushes he is continually alert and even in the boiling sun of midday the air is filled with the drowsy mo- notonous “zee, zee, zee, zee, zee-zee,” hardly louder than the shrilling of a cricket. The nest in this region is often placed in a holly bush, well con- cealed by the prickly leaves. 674 Seiurus aurocapillus (Linneus). Ovenbird, Golden-crowned Thrush. PLATE 73. Adults.—Length, 5.50-6.50. Wing, 2.80. Above, dull olive-green, two black stripes from the base of the bill to the hind neck, inclosing a patch of tawny buff; below, white, streaked heavily with black across the breast and down the sides, with a black line from the bill down the side of the throat. Young in first summer.—Above, cinnamon-brown, streaked with blackish on the back and two faint black stripes on the head; wings and tail, olive, wing- coverts tipped with cinnamon; below, pale cinnamon on the throat and breast, mottled with dusky spots; rest of under surface, white. Nest on the ground, arched over above, built of leaves, grass and slender rootlets; eggs, four to five, white, speckled with reddish-brown, .80 x .60. Common summer resident. Arrives April 26th (April 30th), departs October 9th. * Auk, 1889, p. 198. 284 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. The Ovenbird is one of the most characteristic birds of our wood- lands, and in spring and early summer they fairly ring with its music. The usual song is the familiar “cher, téa-cher, téa-cher, téa-cher, téa-cher,” beginning rather low and becoming louder with repetition. The bird has, however, a much more elaborate flight song at the height of the breeding season. The Ovenbird is distinctly a ground warbler and walks deliberately about over the dead leaves, flying up to some low branch when dis- turbed or when about to sing. . This is one of the birds that habitually tries to lure you from its nest by feigning lameness or a broken wing, and flutters along ahead of the intruder as if scarcely able to get out of the way. Full activity, however, is soon regained when it has led you safely away from the nest. 675 Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmelin). Water-Thrush. PLATE) Vo: Adults.—Length, 5-6. Wing, 2.90. Above, uniform olive-brown, a yellowish- white line over the eye; below, yellowish-white, thickly spotted or streaked with black or very dark olive, except on the middle of the abdomen and under tail-coverts. Common transient visitant. Spring, April 25th (May 3d) to May 20th; autumn, August 3d to October Ist. This bird is, essentially, a dark brown Ovenbird in build and gen- eral habits, but it is more active and always a bird of the water courses; walking along the hard sand and over some fallen log, or hopping from stone to stone with tail always bobbing up and down like a Sandpiper. The song of the Water Thrush is one of the treats of spring time, and it is hard to realize that such a powerful song comes from so small a bird. Professor Jones has well represented it, “sweet, sweet, sweet, chu, chu, chu, chu, wee, chu.” THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 285 675a Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis (Grinnell). Grinnell’s Water-Thrush. Differs from the last in larger size and darker, sootier color above. Length, 5.50-6.50. Wing, 3.15. One specimen was taken at Raritan, May 30th, 1889,* and another by Mr. W. E. D. Scott, at Princeton, September 10th, 1879.? 676 Seiurus motacilla (Vieillot). Louisiana Water-Thrush. Adults —Length, 5.75-6.25. Wing, 3.15. Above, olive-brown, darker on the head and grayer on the back; a white line over the eye; below, white, streaked on the breast and sides with brownish-black. In autumn the sides are washed with buff. Differs from the preceding species in the absence of spots on the throat and in the white color of the under parts as contrasted with the pale lemon tint of S. noveboracensis. Young in first swnmer.—Similar, but throat as well as breast and sides streaked, and under tail-coverts and sides cinnamon. Nest under an overhanging bank of leaves and rootlets; eggs, four to six, white, speckled with reddish-brown, .76 x .62. Common summer resident in the lower Hudson Valley and along the upper Delaware; very rare migrant in south Jersey. Arrives April 15th, departs September Ist. While common along the Delaware from Black’s Eddy to Port Jer- vis, on the lakes of Sussex and Passaic counties (Rhoads) and on the lower Hudson, this Water-Thrush seems to be rare elsewhere in the State. Mr. Miller has found it, in summer, occasionally in notches of the trap ridge, north of Plainfield, and Mr. Babson secured a fledge- ling, near Princeton, June 12th, 1900. Dr. Dwight found it, in sum- mer, at Lake Hopatcong, and Mr. P. B. Philipp at Newton, Sussex county. In southern New Jersey it seems to be unrecorded. In habit, song and appearance it resembles the other Water-Thrush, but may be distinguished by the white instead of yellow underparts and the lack of spots on the throat. 1 Southwick, Auk, 1892, p. 303. ? Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. T5. 286 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 677 Oporornis formosa (Wilson). Kentucky Warbler. Adult male.—Length, 5-5.85. Wing, 2.60. Above, plain olive-green, with a black mask covering the sides of the face and top of head, the feathers of the crown tipped with gray; below, bright yellow, with a stripe of the same color over the eye and covering the posterior part of the orbital ring. Adult female.—Similar, but black mask much duller and not so extensive. Young in first summer.—Abovye, light sepia-brown; wings and tail, yellow; below, pale brown, becoming buffy-yellow on the abdomen and under tail- coverts. Young in first autumn.—NSimilar to adult female, with black mask only partly developed and veiled with gray. Nest of leaves and small twigs and rootlets on the ground; eggs, four to five, white, speckled with brown, .70 x .55. Summer resident in the lower Hudson Valley and rarely in the middle Delaware Valley; almost unknown in the other parts of the State. Arrives April 30th (May 6th), departs September Ist. The distribution of this bird is peculiar; a common breeder in the deep, rich woodlands of southeastern Pennsylvania; it seems to be entirely absent from the greater part of southern New Jersey, even -as a migrant. Mr. Rhoads never saw it at Haddonfield, nor has it been found at Princeton by Mr. Babson, though Dr. C. C. Abbott states that it occurred there in 1864-7. On the Pensauken Creek, nine miles east of Camden, Mr. C. J. Hunt found it breeding sparingly, and Mr. R. C. Harlow found a pair ap- parently breeding at Manahawkin, on the coast. This is in line with the distribution of many plants and animals which occur through northern New Jersey and sporadically on either side of the pine barrens, southward. In the northern part of the State, however, the Kentucky Warbler does not seem to be generally distributed. Mr. Chapman reports it common at Englewood, in the Hudson Valley, and Mr. Holmes states that it 6ccurs at Summit, but it is never found at Plainfield where Mr. Miller has searched for it. The Kentucky Warbler is found on the ground or in the low bushes, now and then flying up on the branches of a tree to sing. Its loud, clear whistle fairly rings through the quiet wood; the syllables, “too-dle, too-dle, too-dle, too-dle,” fairly represent its measures, while in quality it recalls the notes of the Carolina Wren or Cardinal, or at a distance reminds one of the song of the Ovenbird, given all in the same pitch. eo 10 2) -~z THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 678 Oporornis agilis (Wilson). Connecticut Warbler. . Adult male—Length, 5.20-6. Wing, 2.75. Above, plain olive-green; fore- head, sides of head, throat and breast, slate-gray; rest of lower parts, pale yellow ; a white ring around the eye. In autumn the top of the head is washed with brown. Adult female.—Similar, but gray areas tinged with brown. Young in first autumn.—Similar to the adult female, but throat and breast distinctly brown; eye ring, buff. Common transient visitant in autumn; very rare in spring. Spring, May 20th; autumn, September 1st to October 2d. In autumn we find these birds in old fields along the edges of woods and thickets, especially in thick growths of rag weed; when ap- proached they fly up into trees and bushes and remain until the in- truder has passed by when they return to their feast. They are ex- traordinarily fat at this season. In spring the Connecticut Warbler is almost unknown east of the Alleghanies; one of the very few specimens taken at this season, however, was obtained in New Jersey, by Mr. 8. N. Rhoads, at Had- donfield, May 20th, 1882 (Collection W. Stone) .* 679 Oporornis philadelphia (Wilson). Mourning Warbler. Adult male.——Length, 5-5.75. Wing, 2.40. Head, neck and breast, slate- gray; center of breast and bases of throat feathers, black; rest of upper sur- face, olive-green; lower surface, bright yellow, olive on the sides. Adult female.—ULacks the black on the breast and throat, while the gray is paler below and more olive above. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female, but duller. Very rare transient visitant. Spring, May 15th to 30th; autumn, September 22d. Mr. Chapman had taken but one, at Englewood, up to 1889,’ but saw another May 22d, 1898.* At Morristown Messrs. Thurber and PAD Sta rosea Vel Om. leh Gs ? Auk, 1889, p. 198. * Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., XI., p. 4. 288 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Green record two taken September 24th, 1885," and Mr. Holmes, one seen at Summit, May 29th, 1904. Dr. C. C. Abbott saw one, May 20th, 1906, at Trenton. Mr. Scott took one, September 22d, 1880, at Princeton,? and Mr. G. 8. Morris obtained one on the Pensauken Creek near its mouth, May 30th, WSOr.° 681 Geothlypis trichas (Linnzus). Maryland Yellow-throat. PLATE 74. Adult male.—Length, 4.50-5.50. Wing, 2. Above, grayish olive-green, brown- ish on the back of the head; below, bright yellow from the chin to the middle of the breast; rest of under parts, pale buff to dull white; under tail-coverts, yellow; a jet black mask covering the sides of the face and forehead, bordered behind with grayish. In autumn, browner above and on the flanks, the black mask veiled with grayish edgings. Adult female—Similar, but lacks at all seasons the black mask. Young in first summer.—Olive-brown above, olive-green on tail; tawny wood brown on the throat, chest and flanks; pale yellowish on the abdomen. Young in first autumn.—Male similar to autumnal adult, but with only a trace of the black mask on the sides of the face below the eye; female similar to adult, but buff instead of yellow below. Nest on the ground or in a tussock in low ground, quite large and made of leaves, bark, grass, etc.; eggs, three to five, white, speckled with brown and rusty brown, .70 x .50. Abundant summer resident; arrives April 21st (April 28th), de- parts October 12th. The Maryland Yellow-throat is universally distributed from one end of the State to the other, as much at home in the pine barrens as in the mountains, and from every swamp and low thicket comes his familiar song, “wichity, wichity, wichity, wichity.” The bird is Wren-like in its actions and in its inquisitiveness, bobbing in and out among the bushes, intent upon investigating any intruder who approaches its domain. A single Yellow-throat was seen by Mr. Rhoads, at Haddonfield, on February 5th, 1890,* but its occurrence in winter is purely accidental. 10, and O., 1886, p. 92. * Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 76. ST HNofsie, 12iroxe), 1D), Ws (Oh (Ob; WU to, Ge 4 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 140. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 289 683 Icteria virens (Linnzus). Yellow-breasted Chat. PLATE 74. Adults.—Length, 6.75-7.50. Wing, 5. Above, uniform grayish olive-green ; below, from the chin to the upper part of the abdomen, brilliant yellow; rest of under surface, white; a white line over the eye and another from the base of the bill, with a black spot between them in front of the eye. Young in first summer.—Above, olive-brown; wings and tail tinged with green; below, ashy-gray. Nest of leaves, strips of bark and grass in a bush about three feet from the ground; eggs, three to five, white, spotted with reddish-brown, .90 x .70. Common summer resident throughout the southern, middle and northeastern parts of the State, excepting the pine barrens. Arrives April 29th (May 5th), departs September 15th. The Chat is a bird of low thickets or clearings and is far more frequently heard than seen. At any time of day we may hear his queer jumble of notes pouring out of some brier thicket, a deliberate “kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk,” in a high key and then on a much lower note and still more deliberate “caw, caw, caw,” then several whistles and a high-pitched, rapid “kek, kek, kek, kek,” a pause, and we ap- proach to get a view of the performer, when we hear from another bunch of briers, farther on, a harsh derisive “tsheet, tsheet, tsheet, tsheet,” in a guttural tone, if such a thing is possible in a bird. So the performance goes, apparently without any regularity or system. The action of the Chat is quite as peculiar as his song; he manages to conceal himself effectually and frequently to fly from one thicket to another without being seen, but on other occasions he mounts into the air and descends slowly with legs extended and wings flap- ping, all the while pouring out his varied notes in a most ludicrous flight song. One would hardly take the Chat for a Warbler, though it would be equally difficult to classify him elsewhere, and we are, therefore, willing to accept the evidence of less conspicuous struc- tural characters and include him as an aberrant member of this large family. The Chat breeds north to the New York line and farther along the Hudson, also at Summit (Hann and Holmes), Morristown (Thur- ber), Lake Hopatcong (Dwight), and Wallkill Valley, Greenwood and Beaver Lakes, Passaic county (Rhoads); also up the Delaware to High Knob and Port Jervis (Chapman). 19 290 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 684 Wilsonia citrina (Boddert). Hooded Warbler. ~ PLATE (4. Adults—Length, 5—5.70. Wing, 2.60. Forehead and sides of face, bright yellow; rest of head, throat and breast, jet black; remainder of upper surface, olive-green; lower surface, bright yellow, paler on the under tail-coverts; two outer pairs of tail feathers mainly white on the inner web, next pair with a ter- minal white spot. Female usually with less black than male, with no black whatever in the first breeding season. Young in first autumn.—Male similar to adult, but black everywhere veiled with yellow tips to the feathers; female with no black at all. Nest of fine strips of bark, leaves and grass, situated in the crotch of a bush; eggs, four to five, white, with reddish-brown spots around the larger end, .T0 x .50. Common summer resident in the pine barren swamps in the lower Hudson Valley, and about Greenwood and Wawayanda Lakes (Rhoads); a rare transient elsewhere. Arrives April 30th, departs September 15th. In the cedar swamps of the pine barrens, near Dennisville and Seaville, Cape May county, and Mays Landing, Atlantic county, I have found this Warbler quite plentiful, and Mr. Harlow has found it at Clementon. Its clear warble is easily recognized after it has once been heard, and has been represented by Mr. Langille, by the syllables “che-reé, che-reé, che-reé, chi-di-ee.” The Hooded Warbler is a beautiful bird, and in the cedar swamps the rich black and yellow of his plumage stand out with great dis- tinctness. In the lower Delaware Valley the bird is very rare, and Mr. Babson reports it as only a casual migrant at Princeton, and Mr. Miller as rare at Plainfield. At Englewood, Bergen county, Mr. Chapman?’ states that it is an abundant summer resident, and according to Mr. Bowdish it is locally common at Demarest. Mr. Rhoads also found it at Alpine.* 1 Birds Vicinity of N. Y., p. 7d. ? Cassinia, 1901, p. 50. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 291 685 Wilsonia pusilla (Wilson). Wilson’s Warbler. Adults.—Length, 5. Wing, 2.25. Above, olive-green, with a square, glossy, black crown patch; forehead, sides of face and entire under surface, yellow. Young in first autumn.—Similar, but black cap veiled with olive in the male and usually lacking entirely in the female. A regular but not common transient visitant. Spring, May 12th to 20th; autumn, August 20th to September 15th. One of the later Warblers of the spring flight. Its song bears some resemblance to that of the Yellow Warbler. 686 Wilsonia canadensis (Linnzus). Canada Warbler. Adult male——Length, 5—5.75. Wing, 2.60. Above, including sides of head, plain gray; feathers of the forehead and crown more or less centered with black: below, canary-yellow, with a necklace of black spots; a yellow line over the eye; spot in front and below the eye, black; under tail-coverts, white. Adult female.—Similar, but duller; the spots of the “necklace” are dull gray. Young in first autwnn.—Similar to adult female. Nest in a hollow on a bank among leaves and moss: eggs, four to five, white, with fine rufous spots, .65 x .50. Common transient visitant. Spring, May 5th (May 12th) to May 30th; autumn, August 20th to October Ist. Also found by Mr. 8. N. Rhoads to be a summer resident about the lakes of northern Sussex and Passaic counties, June 4th to 8th, 1909. This is one of the laten group of migrant Warblers, resembling somewhat the Magnolia on the under side but with the necklace spots smaller and no white on the tail. The song is represented by Professor Jones as “tu tu tswee tu tu,” the long middle note being pitched higher than the others. 687 Setophaga ruticilla (Linnezus). Redstart. PLATE 75. Adult male.—Length, 4.75-5.75. Wing, 2.50. Upper surface, as well as entire head, neck and chest, glossy black; a broad band across the middle of the wing involving all but the tertials, bright orange or salmon, with faint - 292 REPORT OF. NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. edgings of the same on the primaries; tail, with basal half of all but the two middle pairs of feathers, salmon; side of breast and under wing-coyerts, bright salmon; center of breast and abdomen, white, with a few black streaks where the white and salmon join; under tail-coverts mixed with blackish. In autumn the black feathers of the breast are slightly tipped with buffy-white, especially posteriorly. Adult female-—Head and back of neck, mouse-gray; back, olive; wings and tail, dusky; throat and breast, white, like the abdomen; salmon markings on wings, tail and sides replaced by pale yellow, those on the wings usually re- stricted to the secondaries. Young in first swummer.—Browner above and dull brown on the throat and breast. Young in first autumn.—Similar to adult female. Young in first breeding season.—Similar to adult female, but with some black feathers scattered irregularly on the head and throat. Nest of fine shreds of bark and other vegetable fibers mixed with downy material, in the upright fork of a small tree; eggs, four to five, bluish-white, spotted around the larger end with dark brown and rusty, .65 x .50. Common transient visitant and occasional summer resident in southern New Jersey. Common summer breeder in the northern counties. Arrives April 25th (May 3d), departs October 5th. The Redstart is one of the most conspicuous of the migrant War- blers; the brilliant salmon red across the wings and tail is made more conspicuous by the nervous activity of the bird, which is constantly spreading its tail and fluttering out in the air, clear of the branches, in pursuit of some choice insect. Its song Professor Jones compares with that of the Yellow Warbler, with the difference that it is retarded while that of the latter is ac- celerated toward the end. ‘Chee chee chee chee-pa.” In summer the Redstart is rather rare in southern New Jersey, but has been found nesting or observed in the nesting season in swampy locations in Cape May and Cumberland counties by Messrs. Reed and Wilde, at Haddonfield by Mr. Rhoads, at Manahawkin, Clementon, Bennett and Dennisville by Mr. Harlow, and by Professor A. H. Phil- lips, near Princeton. In northern New Jersey it is a common summer resident; Lake Hopatcong (Rhoads), Plainfield (Miller), near New York City (Chapman), High Knob (Chapman), Paterson (J. H. Clark), and rare at Summit (Holmes) and Morristown (Thurber). THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 293 Family MOTACILLIDZ. THE WAGTAILS. 697 Anthus rubescens (Tunstall). Titlark. Pipit. Adults.—Length, 6-7. Wing, 3.80. Above, grayish olive-brown; tips of wing-coverts, buff, forming two bars; innermost wing feathers edged with the same; tail, blackish, outermost pair of feathers largely white, the next pair white tipped; under surface of body, buff to pale cinnamon, usually thickly spotted with brown on the breast and sides of throat and body; plumage much paler and under surface much faded in spring. Common transient visitant along the seacoast, but more irregular inland: winter visitant in the most southern counties; March-May, October-November. Titlarks are delicate, active little birds always found in flocks while with us: sometimes very large ones. They are further characterized as birds of bare open tracts, especially of sandy or burnt fields. They are, moreover, walkers, not hoppers, and are continually wagging their tails. On burnt ground it is difficult to distinguish them until one is nearly upon them, when they suddenly take flight, displaying for a moment their white outer tail feathers, and with a faint ‘“‘dee-dee” are whirling up and up, until they drift away like wind-blown leaves. T have found them in very large flocks at Cape May, January 2d, 1892. Family MIMIDA. THE Mockers. The birds of this family are allied to both the Wrens and the Thrushes. They comprise three of our best-known species famous both for their song and their value as insect destroyers. a. Slaty-gray above and below. CATBIRD, p. 295 aa. Gray above, white below. MOcKINGBIRD, p. 294 ada. Rusty brown above, streaked below. BrowN THRASHER, p. 296 294 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 703 Mimus polyglottos (Linnzus). Mockingbird. Adults.—Length, 9-11. Wing, 4.60. Upper parts, ashy-gray, wings and tail more brownish; basal portion of primaries, white;. three outer tail feathers largely white; under parts, white, tinged with gray. Young in first summer.-—Similar, but speckled below with dusky. Nest of twigs, grass, rootlets, etc., in a bush: eggs, four to six, pale bluish, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown, .95 x .72. Very rare summer resident. The Mockingbird at the beginning of the last century seems to have been of regular occurrence in the vicinity of Philadelphia, and, ac- cording to Dr, B. 8. Barton, was a resident bird, though Wilson says they arrived about April 20th from the south. A significant state- ment which is also made bv the latter (writing about 1810) is that “the eagerness with which the nest of the Mockingbird is sought after in the neighborhoad of Philadelphia has rendered this bird extremely scarce for an area of several miles around the city. The continued popularity of. the species as a cage bird down to the present time has almost effected its extermination north of southern Delaware.” 'Turn- bull in 1869 says, “It is now rare.” Its decrease in New Jersey was doubtless coincident with its reduc- tion in Pennsylvania. Jacob Greent mentions it as apparently a familiar bird at Princeton in 1817, and in 1868 Dr. C. C. Abbott says: “‘Have seen but few specimens during the past seven years, and found but one nest.” Mr. G. N. Lawrence states that they bred on Barnegat Beach in 1866.” Mr. F. M. Chapman,* on authority of Mr. Martin, reports a nest at Tenafly, three miles north of Englewood, about 1876. The female was killed, however, and nothing more was seen of the species until 1884, when a pair nested in the same garden; the young were taken and reared in confinement, and although the male bird returned in the spring of 1885, nothing was seen of them after that date. Rey. Samuel Lockwood‘ states that Mockingbirds were plentiful about Keyport in 1832, but had entirely disappeared by 1880, though 1 Doughty’s Cab. Nat. Hist., II., pp. 7-10. aoNiS JUNK INS May, WANUIE. jo ath 3 Auk, 1889, p. 304. * Amer. Nat., 1892, p. 635. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 295 one pair were present in 1882. A colony still existed on Sandy Hook at least to 1892, though it suffered severely in the blizzard of 1888. Mr. Henry Hales states that a pair bred near Ridgewood in 1884, and one bird was seen in November, 1902." On August 27th, 1891, I secured a single bird at Cape May Point, and Mr. W. L. Baily got a young one in juvenal plumage in 1895 at Hally Beach. In August, 1897, Mr. Baily saw an adult at Cape May, one at Ocean View, March 80th, 1901, and another at Wildwood, De- eember 27th, 1903. Mr. D. N. MeCadden saw two at Stone Harbor, September 4th, 1903, and Miss C. Murphy reported one at Point Pleasant throughout the winter of 1902-3. At Beach Haven Mr. I. N. DeHaven saw one during the summer of 1906, and Mr. John Lewis Childs records a pair at Barnegat all sum- mer in 1900.? Professor A. H. Philipps secured a young one near Princeton some years ago.* 704 Dumeteila carolinensis (Linneus). Catbird. PLATE 7%6. Adults.—Length, 8-9.25. Wing, 3.60. Above and below, slate-gray, paler beneath; entire top of head as well as tail, black; under tail-coverts, chestnut. Female sometimes with the black a little duller. Young in first summer.—Dull gray, indistinctly mottled with brown edgings below, and lacking the black cap; under tail-coverts, brownish. Nest of leaves, twigs and grass and occasionally pieces of paper, in thickets; eggs, three to five, deep greenish-blue, .95 x .70. Common summer resident. Arrives April 21st (April 29th), de- parts October 18th. Equally at home in the swampy thickets or in the shrubbery of the garden, the Catbird is familiar to all. The gray dress and the irri- tating, complaining cry serve to identify him. His song is a medley of notes similar to that of the Thrasher, but more subdued, and usually given from the very middle of some dense clump of bushes. * Bird Lore, 1904, p. 134. * Auk, 1900, p. 390. * Birds of Princeton, p. 77. 296 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. The Catbird is a trustful bird, nesting about our houses just as long as we leave him some dense shrubbery and some fallen leaves among which to scratch for food. Half of the Catbird’s food con- sists of insects—ants, grasshoppers and caterpillars for the most part. Of his vegetable diet part is garden fruit, but the bulk consists of wild berries. Where the Catbird proves destructive, a simple ex- pedient is the planting of wild cherry trees or other wild fruit, which is always preferred to cultivated kinds. In the southern counties, especially along the coast, and casually fur- ther north, the Catbird occurs as a straggler in winter. Dr. C. C. Abbott has found them at Trenton, Mr. Rhoads!’ secured one at At- lantie City, December 26th, 1892, Mr. D. N. McCadden' another at Avalon, February 11th, 1894, and Dr. W. E. Hughes? one at Stone Harbor, December 31st, 1905, while Mr. W. L. Baily® saw several at Holly Beach in the winter of 1897-8, Mr. W. D. W. Miller* saw one at Plainfield, December 30th, 1897, and W. B. Evans saw one at Moorestown, December 25th, 1903.° 705 Toxostoma rufum (Linnezus). Brown ‘Thrasher. ET AMIE ete Adults.—Length, 11-12. Wing, 4.30. Above, bright cinnamon rufous; below, white, faintly tinged with buff on the sides and strongly streaked with black across the lower neck and breast and down the sides of the body, some of the streaks passing to cinnamon on the sides of the breast; under tail-coverts, buff; wing-coverts dusky towards the end and tipped with buffy-white, forming two wing bars. In autumn the buff wash below is stronger. Young in first swummer—Similar, but streaked above with dull brown. Nest a bulky structure of twigs lined with rootlets in low bushes or on the ground; eggs, three to five, grayish-white, minutely speckled all over with cin- namon-brown, 1.05 x .80. Common summer resident. Arrives April Ist (April 24th), de- parts October 22d. Casual in winter. The Thrasher is a conspicuous bird in thickets and along fence rows ‘Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J. * Cassinia, 1906, p. 58. Su osita: Pax, IDY Wo Oh Obs INU, Te Bt SOspreya Wie pa oie * Bird Lore, February, 1904. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 297 and edges of woodlands. We see him more frequently running along ahead or skulking through the bushes, easily recognized by his long tail and bright rufous coloration. Again, he is a familiar sight at early morning or evening, on the top of some tree with tail drooping and head thrown back, pouring out a song of which any bird might well be prond and which alone would confirm his relation to the Mock- ingbird. A grand medley of notes and whistles, each one exactly dupheated or sung in pairs. The Thrasher, from his rusty color and spotted breast, is frequently confused with the Thrushes and not infrequently called Brown Thrush. His relationship, while partly with the Thrushes, is also quite as much with the Wrens, so that he is to some extent a con- necting link. In a few instances Thrashers have been seen in winter. One was seen at Englewood, January 31st, 1885, by Mr. Chapman! and an- other upon another occasion,? while Mr. W. L. Baily saw several at Holly Beach in the winter of 1897-8,° one February 22d, 1894,* and two December 27th, 1903.° Family TROGLODYTIDA. THE WRENS. These little birds are among our most famous insect destroyers and deserve the most careful protection. They are also songsters of the highest ability. a. Longitudinal white streaks on the back. b. Bill, .40. SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN, p. 300 bb. Bill, .50—.60. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN, p. 301 aa. No longitudinal white streaks on the back. b. A conspicuous stripe over the eye and along the side of the crown. c. Wing, 2.05-2.20, dark brown above. BEWICK’S WREN, p. 298 ec. Wing, 2.20—2.60, bright rusty above. CAROLINA WREN, p. 298 bb. No stripe over the eye. c. Tail less than 1.50. WINTER WREN, p. 300 ee. Tail over 1.75. House WRENN, p. 299 t Auk, 1889, p. 305. * Foster, Abst. Linn. Soc., N. Y., V., p. 3. Abst. Proc: DV... @:, IL, p. 3. Pabst, Broce. Vi. OnO.010. p. 12. ° Bird Lore, February, 1904. 298 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 718 Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham). Carolina Wren. PLATE 78. Adults.—Length, 5.25-G. Wing, 2.385. Above, uniform russet or rufous chestnut, darker on the head; wings and tail barred with dusky and small white terminal spots on the wing-coverts; large concealed white spots on the base of the upper tail-coverts; under surface, white, washed with cinnamon, especially on the sides and flanks; under tail-coverts with narrow brown bars; a conspicuous white line over the eye narrowly bordered with black: plumage duller in summer. Young in first summer.—Similar, but somewhat mottled with dusky beneath. Nest large, made of grass, moss, leaves, feathers, ete., placed in holes in walls and buildings, or in hollow trees, etc.; eggs, four to six, white, spotted with rusty and pale purple at the larger end, .74 x .60 Common resident in southern New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley; rare elsewhere. The Carolina Wren is the largest of our Wrens, a bird of the woods and thickets, always in song, winter as well as summer. The song is a loud clear whistle resembling those of the Tufted Titmouse and Cardinal, birds which have aimost the same distribution. The most common variations have been excellently given by Mr. Chapman as “whee-udle, whee-udle, whee-udle” and “‘tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea- kettle.” The bird has also a fluttering note like the “bleat” of a tree- ~ toad, which is uttered with numerous bobbings of the body as he hops about. disturbed by some intruder. The Carolina Wren is common throughout southern New Jersey, especially in the western part. It is rare at Princeton (Babson), rare and irregular at Plainfield (Miller), but more common in the lower Hudson Valley (Chapman) from Fort Lee to Piermont. 719 Thryomanes bewicki (Audubon). Bewick’s Wren. Adults —Length, 5.25. Wing, 2.15. A miniature Carolina Wren in shape and proportions, but duller in color, being exactly the same shade as the House Wren. Distinguished from the latter by the white line over the eye and white tips and bars to the three outer pairs of tail feathers. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 299 Rare straggler from the south. Mentioned in Beesley’s Cape May list (1857), and given by Turn- bull as rare. Dr. C. C. Abbott, in his list of New Jersey birds (1868), says: “Rare: more abundant some seasons than others.” In 1876! he emphasizes this statement, saying: “I have not failed to find a considerable number of them for several years past; they return year after year.” But in 1884° he says a few pairs occurred some years ago, and in 1895" refers to it only as ‘ta western species.” The only other record that I know of is one bird seen at Haddon- field by Mr. S. N. Rhoads in 1890. 721 Troglodytes aedon (Vieillot). House Wren. PLATE 78. Adults.—Leneth, 4. Wing, 2. Above, brown, becoming rufescent on the rump; tail and wings and sometimes the back, barred with black; below, dull white, washed with russet on the flanks and slightly buffy on the breast; flanks and under tail-coverts barred with black; a pale line over the eye and large, round, white concealed spots on the base of the upper tail-coverts. Young in first summer.—Similar, but darker below and mottled from chin to abdomen with dusky edgings to the feathers. Nest in bird boxes, old Woodpeckers’ holes, etc., made of twigs, lined with feathers, grass, ete.; eggs, six to eight, vinaceous, minutely speckled with darker, .65 x .52. Common summer resident. Arrives April 21st (April 27th), de- parts October 5th. The House Wren is one of our familiar home birds, but one which seems to have become less common of late years, in some sections at least. Its cheerful warble used to be heard from every garden, but now, from the persecution of English Sparrows or from some other cause, it is only a migrant in certain localities. In autumn the House Wren takes to the fence rows and edges of woodland. Mr. S. N. Rhoads saw one bird, at Haddonfield, close at hand, early in February, 1909, which had evidently wintered in a lumber yard. 1 Amer. Nat., 1876, p. 237. * Naturalists’ Rambles about Home. ° Birds about Us. 300 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. The Wrens are wholly beneficial, ninety-eight per cent. of their food consisting of insects; grasshoppers, bugs, caterpillars and spiders being the most important articles of diet. 722 Nannus hiemalis (Vieillot). Winter Wren. PLATE 78. Adults.—Length, 3.50-4. Wing, 1.85. Above, russet brown, brighter on the rump and tail; wings, tail, and posterior half of back more or less distinctly barred with black, light areas on the outer wing feathers paler; under surface pale cinnamon; flanks, abdomen and under tail-coverts barred or mottled with black and dull white; a pale line over the eye; some concealed white spots on the basal parts of the upper tail-coverts. Tolerably common winter resident. Arrives September 25th, de- parts April 20th. This little short-tailed edition of the House Wren takes its place with us during the winter, inhabiting brush piles, and bobbing in and out under the banks of streams. His note while with us is an inquisi- tive little “pip-pip” as he bobs up and down on his short legs, with no suspicion of the wonderful tinkling melody that pours from his throat in his northern forest home. 724 Cistothorus stellaris (Lichtenstein). Short-billed Marsh Wren. Adults.—Length, 3.75-4.50. Wing, 1.75. Above, head and back, black; streaked with brownish white; forehead and nape, nearly uniform brown; rump and upper tail-coverts, rusty, the latter barred with black and dull white; wings and tail, blackish brown, barred with light brown and dull white; lower surface, dull white; sides of body, breast and under tail-coverts, cinnamon. Young in first summer.—Duller and paler below. Nest a globular structure of woven grass on or near the ground; eggs, six to eight, pure white, .64 x .48. Summer resident in the northern part of the State; common lo- cally; rare winter visitant or transient in southern New Jersey. This bird is known to me only as a rare transient or winter visitor in the swamps of southern New Jersey, where it is usually flushed THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 301 from the dead grass only to drop back again into the welcome shelter after a short bobbing flight. Specimens have been taken at Beach Haven; October 3d, 1882. S. N. Rhoads. Haddonfield; September 17th, 1890. 8S. N. Rhoads (Coll. W. 8.). Cape May; January 28th, 1892. W. Stone (Coll. W. S8.). Cape May; January 29th, 1892. S. N. Rhoads (Coll. W. S8.). May’s Landing; October 25th, 1892. S. N. Rhoads (Coll. W. S.). Princeton; September 25th, 1897. W. E. D. Scott (Coll. Prince- ton). Princeton; October 9th, 1898. W. A. Babson. In the Great Swamp, Morris county, Mr. Larue K. Holmes and Mr. H. H. Hann found this Wren breeding commonly; Mr. Harold Her- rick found them on the Passaic meadows, near Chatham,’ and Mr. S. N. Rhoads found them nesting abundantly in the Wallkill Valley, northern Sussex county, June 11th, 1909. Mr. Dallas Lore Sharp found a pair on the Delaware Bay meadows in late June (see Holmes, Cassinia, 1904, page 17, where an excellent account of the species in New Jersey is given), and Mr. W. B. Crispin found a nest near Salem, June 5th, 1909. 725 Telmatodytes palustris (Wilson). Long-billed Marsh Wren. Adults.—Length, 4.25-5.50. Wing, 1.95. Above, head and middle back, blackish-brown, the iatter streaked with white and a white line over the eye: sides of back, shoulders and rump, lighter brown, becoming rusty; wings, brown, the innermost feathers edged with black and brown spotted; central tail feathers, brown, narrowly barred with black, others blackish, more coarsely barred with brown on both webs; under surface, white, tinged with cinnamon on sides and flanks. Plumage exceedingly worn and faded in summer. Young in first summer.—Duller, with the white streaks above almost obsolete. Nest globular, woven of grass and cat-tail leaves, supported on cat-tails, calamus or small bushes; eggs, five to nine, uniform chocolate-brown or very finely speckled, .64 x .45. Common summer resident mainly in coast and tidewater swamps. Arrives May 10th, departs October 15th. In the breeding season the cat-tail swamps are fairly full of the bubbling songs ef the Marsh Wrens, which always seem to contain * Forest and Stream, XII., p. 165. 302 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. something of the moist quality of the bird’s surroundings. The birds, with tails turned up over their backs, sway up and down on the reed- stalks or bob in and out of the nests, which surround one on every side.* They occur abundantly at Cape May and other coastal swamps all the way to New York, and also up the Delaware to Trenton. I have found them breeding above tidewater at May’s Landing; Professor Phillips has found nests at Duck Pond, near Princeton,? and Mr. Miller reports them in Great Swamp, near Plainfield, and on the Raritan; Mr. P. B. Philipp found them abundant at Newton, Sussex county. As an illustration of the abundance of the nests of this bird in marshes where colonies are established, and also as an example of the extent to which the egg-collecting mania may be carried, we may quote Mr. B. B. Haines, who states that he has known a collector, near Elizabeth, to obtain from 400 to 500 eggs in a day.* At Cape May Mr. Rhoads and J found them wintering in small numbers, January 28th, 1892.4 Family CERTHIIDA. THE CREEPERS. 726 Certhia familiaris americana (Bonaparie). Brown Creeper. PLATE 79. Adults.—Length, 5—5.75. Wing, 2.50. Above, brown, each feather with a central grayish-white streak; rump, rusty; tail, grayish-brown; wings, brown, spotted on both webs of the feathers with white or gray; below, grayish-white. Nest behind loose pieces of bark hanging to tree trunks, made of chips, moss, cobwebs, etc.; eggs, four to six, white, spotted with reddish-brown, .58 x .48. Tolerably common winter resident, more abundant in migrations. Arrives September 20th, departs April 15th. Summer resident in the mountains of Sussex county. Of. C. J. Hunt, Cassinia, 1904, pp. 17-25, for account of habits in N. J. * Birds of Princeton, p. 79. °O. and O., 1883, p. 6. * Auk, 1892, p. 204. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 303 The Creeper appears to be more like a mouse than a bird, as he goes slowly up the tree trunks by short jumps, clinging close to the bark and examining every crack for insects that may be lurking there. Upon reaching the upper part of the tree, he dives down to the root of the next one, and starting often only a few inches from the ground, again begins the ascent. His only note, while with us, consists of several thin wiry “seeps.” His food is wholly insectivorous. Mr. -P. B. Philipp has taken nests in the Tamarack Swamp, at Newton, Sussex county, in May and June, 1906, 1907 and 1908, and regards the species as a rare but regu- lar breeder in that locality. Family SITTIDA. Tue NUTHATCHES. Small birds allied to the Titmice, but peculiar in their climbing habits, usually progressing downwards along the trunks of trees in- stead of upwards like the Woodpeckers. a. Top of head black or gray. b. Wing, 3.50 or over. - WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, p. 308 bb. Wing less than 3. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, p. 304 aa. Top of head brownish. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, p. 305 727 Sitta carolinensis Latham. White-breasted Nuthatch. PLATE. 79. Aduit male.——Length, 5.25-6. Wing, 3.60. Above, bluish-gray; whole top of head and nape, glossy black; below, including sides of face and neck, grayish- white; thighs and part of under tail-coverts, chestnut; wing feathers blackish, edged and tipped with blue-gray or white, innermost ones blue-gray with oval black spots and white tips; greater-coverts with white tips forming a bar; middle pair of tail feathers, blue-gray; others, black, varied with white, form- ing a diagonal band across each half of the tail when spread. Adult female.—Similar, but black of head veiled with blue-gray, seldom show- ing distinctly except on the nape. Young in first summer.—Duller, with feathers of tne upper surface edged with dusky. Nest in a hole in a tree, composed of leaves, feathers, etc.; eggs, five to eight, white, speckled with rusty and pale purple, .80 x .60. 304 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Common resident, most abundant in winter. While equally a bird of the tree trunks, the Nuthatch takes exactly the opposite view of life from the Brown Creeper; hanging head down, with his short stubby tail pointed up, he explores. the tree from top to bottom, ending where the Creeper begins. He often runs around the trunk or out on horizontal limbs, and occasionally upwards, but his preference is to travel upside down. His note, uttered now and then at intervals in his search for food, is a pecuhar nasal, “‘ank, ank, ank,” sounding much farther away than it really is. In winter we frequently find a number of insectivorous birds hunt- ing together in a mixed band—Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, Creepers, Chickadees and Kinglets making up the company. 728 Sitta canadensis Linnzus. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Adult male.——Length, 4.25-4.75. Wing, 2.75. Above, uniform bluish-gray, including wings and middle pair of tail feathers; others, black, with diagonal subterminal white bars on the two outer pairs; top of head, nape and sides of head to below the eye, glossy black; cheeks, chin and a line over the eye, pure white; lower surface of body, rusty chestnut (much paler in spring). Adult female—Similar, but with head mainly dark gray above and lower parts paler. Irregular transient visitant, sometimes abundant in autumn and re- maining, in small numbers, throughout the winter; very rare in other years, always scarce in spring. Arrives September 10th, departs May 15th. In the spring of 1900, after being abundant all winter, two pairs were noticed at Princeton beginning to make excavations in old trees, but they did not remain to breed.’ Habits similar to those of the White-breasted Nuthatch. Distin- guished by its small size, the black band through the eye and rusty under parts. Note higher and thinner, not so emphatic. 1 Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 72. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 305 729 Sitta pusilla Latham. Brown-headed Nuthatch. Adults.—Length, 44.40. Wing, 2.60. Upper parts, blue-gray, except the head and nape, which are brown; wings, dusky; tail, dusky, two outer feathers with subterminal white spots, central pair gray; under parts of body, white, tinged with buff. Very rare straggler from the south. Beesley gives it in his list of Cape May birds (1857), and Turnbull states that it is a rare visitant to the southern counties, but does not specify whether he referred to Pennsylvania or New Jersey. The only definite occurrence is a single bird observed by Mr. S. N. Rhoads, at Haddonfield, in winter, about 1876. It came to feed on suet fastened to a tree near the window. Family PARID/:. THE TITMICE. Small arboreal birds, our species all of gray plumage; especially con- spicuous in winter as they search the tree-tops for food, frequently hanging, head down, from the slender twigs. a. Head crested gray. TUFTED TITMOUSE, p. 305 aa. Head not crested, black. b. Wing, .20, longer than tail. CAROLINA CHICKADEE, p. 307 bb. Wing equal to or shorter than the tail. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADER, p. 306 731 Baeolophus bicolor (Linnzus). Tufted Titmouse. PLATE 80. Adults.—Length, 3.75-6.50. Wing, 3.25. Head, crested; color above, plain slate-gray, including wings and tail; below, grayish-white, flanks strongly washed with cinnamon; forehead, black; eye region, whitish, with a small black spot just above the orbit. Young in first summer.—Browner above, with the crest and black forehead much less developed. Nest in a hole in a tree, made of feathers, leaves, grass, ete.; eggs, five to eight, white, spotted with reddish-brown, .74 x .54. 20 306 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Common resident in the southern half of the State, north to Orange (Riker) and Plainfield (Miller); north of this it occurs only as a straggler. The Tufted Tit has much the same habits as the Chickadee; search- ing the tree-tops for insects, and on crisp winter mornings we can hear his loud, clear whistle for considerable distances through the woods, “ti-lee, tt-lee, ti-lee, ti-lee,” reminding one somewhat of certain notes of the Carolina Wren. At other times we surprise him, low down in some bushy thicket, and he then indulges in a rapid “dee-dee-dee- dee,” which takes the place of the Black-cap’s “‘chick-a-dee” in his repertoire. Mr. Chapman has observed the Tufted Tit at Englewood in April, but it does not nest there. It was heard by Dr. Dwight at Lake Ho- pateong, and Mr. P. B. Philipp found one pair breeding at Newton, Sussex county, June, 1908. At Summit (Holmes and Callender), Chatham (H. B. Bailey)* and at Morristown (Thurber) it breeds regularly. 735 Penthestes atricapillus (Linnezus). Black-capped Chickadee. PLATE 80. Adults.—Length, 4.75-5.75. Wing, 2.60. Above, olive-gray, tinged with buff on the rump; below, white, washed with buff on the sides; entire top of the head and nape, black; sides of the face and neck, pure white; throat and fore neck, black, the posterior feathers frosted with white, most marked in winter ; wings and tail, blackish, edged with grayish-white; nearly pure white on the innermost wing feathers and outermost tail feathers. Young in first summer.—Duller in color. Nest in a hole in a tree, made of feathers, grass, hair and bark fiber; eggs, five to eight, white, spotted with reddish-brown mainly on the larger end, ADIN O< 45), Common resident in the northern half of the State, probably not breeding south of the Raritan (Miller); rather rare winter visitant in southern New Jersey. The Chickadee is one of our most familiar and fearless birds, full of curiosity and activity, going through the trees in little bands, from branch to branch, hanging upside down to explore the under side of a * Auk, 1886, p. 410. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 307 twig and occasionally coming down to the tall weed stalks. The usual call is the familiar “chick-a-dee, chick-a-dee-dee-dee,” while in the nesting and breeding season there is the clear whistle “tee dee,” the first a high note, the second much lower. In the vicinity of Princeton and Haddonfield, and probably else- where in south Jersey, the Chickadee occurs in winter along with the resident Carolina Chickadee. 736 Penthestes carolinensis (Audubon). Carolina Chickadee. Adults.—Length, 4.25-4.50. Wing, 2.45. Coloration like the preceding species, but the wing and tail edgings narrower and grayer, never pure white. Nest and eggs similar to those of the Black-cap; size, .53 x .48. Common resident throughout southern New Jersey, north to Princeton, but more plentiful in the pine barrens than elsewhere. This is the Chickadee of the southern half of the State and a char- acteristic bird of the pine barrens. In habit, as in coloration, it re- sembles the Black-cap; the notes are similar but the “chick-a-dee” is said to be higher pitched, while the whistle is lower. Family SYLVIIDZ. THE KINGLETS AND. GNATCATCHERS. A small group of little birds representing the Warblers of the: old world. a. Plumage olive or olive-gray above. b. A black stripe on each side of the crown. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, p. 308 bb. No black stripes on the crown. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, p. 308 aa. Plumage bluish-slate above. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, p. 309 308 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 748 Regulus satrapa (Lichtenstein). Golden-crowned Kinglet. PLATE 81. Adult male—Length, 3.25-4.50. Wing, 2.20. Above, grayish-olive, brighter on the rump; wing and tail feathers, blackish, edged with olive; wing-coverts tipped with white, forming two bars on each wing; below, ‘grayish-white, erown with two broad black bands bordered on the inside with yellow and in- cluding a brilliant orange central patch; a grayish-white band across the fore- head and back over the eyes immediately below the black. Female.—Similar, but lacks the orange center to the crown patch, the entire area between the black stripes being lemon-yellow. Rather common winter resident. Arrives September 30th, departs April 20th. This diminutive little bird is a familiar winter species, especially among evergreens, where he finds insects enough to satisfy his need throughout the cold months. 749 Regulus calendula (Linnzus). Ruby-crowned Kinglet. PLATE 81. Adult male.—Length, 3.75-4.50. Wing, 2.25. Above, grayish-olive, brighter on the rump; wing and tail feathers, blackish, edged with olive; tips of the wing-coverts, whitish, forming two bars across each wing; below, grayish- white; a patch of bright vermilion-red on the crown and a nearly complete white ring around the eye. Female.—Similar, but lacks the red crown patch. Common transient visitant. Spring, April 2d (April 12th) to May 1st; autumn, September 15th to November Ist. Krider? says it winters in the New Jersey cedars, and C. J. Hunt records one at Lakewood, December 9th, 1901.? The two Kinglets occur together during migrations, but this one seems the most abundant. He comes earlier in the fall and lingers longer in the spring, at which season he occasionally favors us with a splendid bit of song, a fine, clear, varied warble that is hard to believe can be produced by so small a bird. 1 Field Notes, p. 26. ? Bird Lore, 1902, p. 28. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 309 751 Polioptila czerulea (Linnzeus). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Adult male.—Length, 4.25-5.50. Wing, 2.10. Above, bluish-gray, brightest on the head; a narrow black band across the forehead and back over the eyes; wings, dull black, edged with gray, the innermost feathers with white; tail, jet black, the outermost pair of feathers largely white, the next two pairs with white tips, diminishing in extent; below, white, with a slight grayish-tint. Female and young during the first summer and autumn.—Similar, but with- out the black frontlet. Nest not unlike a large Hummingbird’s nest, made of grasses and vegetable fibers and covered with lichens; usually placed on a horizontal limb of a tree; eggs, bluish-white, thickly spotted with brown and rufous, .58 x .45. Rare and local summer resident in southern New Jersey. Arrives April 10th to May 1st, departs September 3d. The Gnateatcher is a very rare bird in this State, but two nests have been found, so far as I am aware; one at Bridgeton, by W. L. Baily, the other at Cape May Point, by S. N. Rhoads, May 17th, 1903,’ though Beesley (1857) gives it as a breeder in Cape May county.* The following species have been obtained : Princeton; April 28th, 1875. W. E. D. Scott (Princeton Coll.) .? Cape May county; April 15th, 1879. Dr. W. L. Abbott (Acad. Nat. Sciences, Phila.). Woodbury; May 1st, 1880. Dr. W. L. Abbott, three specimens (Acad. Nat. Sciences, Phila.). Haddonfield; April 10th, 1882. S. N. Rhoads (Collection W. Stone) .* Dennisville; May, 1891. C. A. Voelker.* Atlantic City; April 16th, 1893. I. N. DeHaven, four specimens* (Coll, Academy of Natural Sciences and I. N. D.). Cape May Point; April 11th, 1903. C. J. Pennock.’ According to Mr. Babson, Mr. Scott has taken other specimens at Princeton, but no nest was ever found there, and although regarded as regular in 1878, by Scott,® it is not so now. Mr. Chapman mentions a 1 Geology of Cape May. ? Babson, Birds of Princeton, p. 81. 5 Cassinia, 1903, p. 75. * Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 148. 5 The Country, 1878, p. 354. 310 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. number of specimens taken near New York City, but only stragglers and not from New Jersey. The Gnatcatcher is as small as the Kinglets, with some of their habits and some of those of the Chickadee. His song is very low pitched. Family TURDIDZ. THE THRUSHES, ROBINS AND BLUEBIRDs. The members of this family are generally regarded as our finest songsters, their notes being peculiarly sweet and musical. Their most conspicuous structural characteristic is the so-called “booted” tarsus, the plates on the front of the tarsus being welded to- gether into one long piece. The typical Thrushes are very similar to one another, being brown above and white beneath, with the breast more or less speckled. The familiar Robin and Bluebird differ widely in color, and have plain breasts, but their young show the characteristic spotted breast of the Thrush family. adda. . General color above blue, breast rusty red. BLUEBIRD, p. 315 . General color above dusky, head and tail black, breast rusty red. Rosin, p. 314 General color above brown or olive-brown, breast white or buffy, more or less speckled or streaked. ; . Head and back brighter brown than the tail, which inclines to olive; spots below large, round and black. Woop THRUSH, p. 311 . Upper parts uniform reddish-brown, markings below faint and brownish, confined to the throat and upper breast. VEERY, p. 311 Tail more rusty brown than the back. HERMIT THRUSH, p. 313 Upper parts uniform olive-brown. ec. Throat, upper breast and sides of face deep buff. OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH, p. 313 ce. Throat, breast and sides of face grayish-white. GRAY-CHECKED THRUSH, p. 312 BICKNELL’S THRUSH, p. 313 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. * 311 755 Hylocichla mustelina (Gmelin). Wood Thrush, Wood Robin. PLATE 82. Adults.—Length, 7.50-8.25. Wing, 4.10-4.50. Tawny-brown above, brightest on the head, duller and more olive on the tail; below, white, slightly tinged with buff on the breast; sides of neck, entire breast and sides of abdomen marked with large blackish spots. Young in first summer with more or less pale streaks and spots on the back and wing-coverts. Nest of leaves, fine twigs, plant stems and mud, placed in a small tree eight to ten feet up; eggs, three to four, greenish-blue, 1.05 x .70. Common summer resident. Arrives April 24th (April 30th), de- parts October 1st. No low, rich woodland is without at least a pair of Wood Thrushes, and as scon as one enters the cool shade he hears either the clear, flute- like modulated song, or the metallic “put-put-put” of their alarm note. The Wood Thrush is the largest and most heavily spotted of any of our Thrushes, the only one in which the spots run down below the breast. His food is seventy-five per cent. insects and the rest wild berries. The Wood Thrush is not a shy bird; he will frequent shady village streets as well as the more remote woodland, but he must have shade and prefers nearness to water. In the pine barrens he is restricted to the cedar swamps. 756 Hylocichla fuscesens (Stephens). Veery, Wilson’s Thrush. Adults.—Length, 6.50—7.75. Wing, 3.90. Above, uniform tawny-brown ; below, white, strongly tinged with buff across the breast, and a slight brown tint on the sides of the body; breast and sides of throat with numerous small tawny-brown spots. Young in first summer with pale spots above. Nest of leaves, fine roots and strips of bark on the ground or in the base of a bush; eggs, three to five, greenish-blue, .90 x .65. Common summer resident in the northern counties; transient visit- ant in the southern half of the State. Arrives April 26th (May 2d), - 312 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. departs September 20th. Absent from the southern part of New Jer- sey May 30th to August 20th. As a migrant the Veery is simply one of the several smaller Thrushes that pass silently through our woods twice a year, differing from each other only in shade of color. As a summer resident, however, it is one of the leaders among our famous songsters: The song is hard to describe; “weird” and “un- earthly” gives some notion of its character, while the syllables, “twee- le-ah, twee-le-ah, twee-la, twee-la,” represent the notes, but the quality is peculiar among bird music. At a distance it has something of the tinkling of bells, or it has been likened to whistling down a gun barrel, or to a series of chords instead of single notes. Occasionally, in south Jersey, I have heard late migrants indulge in a low song,’ but usually it is reserved for the summer home, where the Veery is constantly heard but seldom seen, since he frequents thick woods and has a faculty for concealing himself. Mr. Babson? has seen Veeries in June a short distance north of Princeton and thinks they nest there; about Plainfield they breed regularly (Miller), also at Summit (Callender and Holmes) and Lake Hopatcong (Rhoads), South Orange (H. B. Bailey),® Ridgewood (Fowler), Paterson (Clark), Alpine (Rhoads), &c. 757 Hylocichla alicia (Baird). Gray-cheeked ‘Thrush. : Adults —Length, 7—7.75. Wing, 4- . Above, olive-brown, very slightly browner on the tail; below, white, tinged with buff on the breast and brown on the sides of the body; breast and sides of the throat spotted with blackish, spots becoming paler towards the abdomen; sides of face and cheeks, grayish- brown. Very similar to the Olive-backed Thrush, but always distinguished by the differently colored cheeks. Common transient visitant. Spring, May 3d (May 12th) to May 30th: autumn, September 20th to October 10th. Distinguished from the Olive-backed Thrush by the gray instead of buff cheeks. Similar in habits. 1Of. Cassinia, 1905, p. 98; 1901, p. 49. 2 Birds of Princeton, p. 81. 3’ Auk, 1886, p. 489. THE BIRDS OF NEW. JERSEY. 313 757a_ Hylocichla aliciz bicknelli Ridgway. Bicknell’s Thrush. Adults.—Length, 6.25-7.25. Wing, 3.65. Coloration exactly like the Gray- cheeked Thrush or a trifle browner above; size smaller. Rare transient visitant. Spring, May; autumn, September 10th to October 5th (Babson). A small edition of the Gray-cheek. Mr. Babson records it from Princeton, but we have no record from southern New Jersey, though it doubtless occurs. 758a Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni (Cabanis). Olive-backed Thrush. Adults—Length, 6.50-7.50. Wing, 4. Above, uniform olive-brown; below, white, strongly tinged with buff across the breast and with paler brown on the sides of the body; breast and sides of throat thickly spotted with blackish, spots becoming paler towards the abdomen; cheeks and sides of face strongly tinged with buff like the breast. Common transient visitant. Spring, April 30th (May 7th) to May 25th; autumn, September L5th to October 15th. A silent member of the spring migratory host, and frequent in autumn about the poke berry bushes and dogwood. 759b Hylocichla guttata pallasi (Cabanis). Hermit Thrush. Adults.—Length, 6.50-7.50. Wing, 3.50. Above, olive-brown; tail, bright tawny; below, white, tinged with buff on the breast and pale brown on the sides of the body; breast with numerous large blackish spots, becoming paler towards the abdomen. Young in first summer with light spots above. Common transient visitant and occasional winter resident, espe- cially in the southern counties. Morristown, January 30th, 1886 (Thurber and Green), Plainfield, winter of 1901-2 (Miller), and ~314 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. every year in the pine barrens and along the coast islands of Cape May county. Spring, April 1st (April 13th) to May 4th; autumn, October 10th to November 5th. The Hermit passes through earlier in the spring and later in the fall than the other migrant Thrushes, and is particularly welcome in winter, when we not infrequently find one or two about some woodland spring or in some dense thicket. In parts of Sussex county it may possibly be found to breed. 761 Pianesticus migratorius (Linnzeus). 20bin. PLATE. 83. Adult male.—Length, 9-10. Wing, 4.90-5.40. Above, dark slate-gray; head, sides of face, tail and long wing feathers, black; a white spot over and under the eye and on tip of outer pair of tail feathers; next pair slightly margined with white at tip; below, bright cinnamon rufous, except the throat, which is white streaked with black, and center of abdomen and under tail-coverts which are white, the latter mixed with black. In late fall and winter the upper parts are tinged with olive and the feathers of the under surface are edged with whitish. Adult female often rather duller than the male. Young in first summer mottled with black and white spots above and with white tips to many of the wing feathers; below, nearly white, in the middle of the breast, strongly tinged with cinnamon rufous on the sides and thickly spotted with black. Nest of mud and grass lined with fine grass; placed on the limb of a tree, or sometimes on old buildings; eggs, three to five, greenish-blue, 1.15 x .80. Abundant summer resident and occasional resident; regularly so along the southern coast. Arrives February 14th (March 4th), de- parts November 10th. The Robin is, perhaps, our best known bird; the frequenter of gar- dens, orchards and lawns, one cannot help knowing him. In the southern counties he winters regularly, especially just back of the seacoast, where large flocks may always be found. After the nesting season the Robins frequent regular roosts during the night, and in autumn course about the country in flocks, descend- ing on the dogwood and other berry-bearing trees. The Robin gets many a bad name on account of his raid on the cherry trees, but his case is not so bad as some would have us think. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 315 The Department of Agriculture has shown that nearly half of his food is animal, fully one-third being noxious insects and seven per cent. earth worms. Of the fruit and berries eaten only one-tenth is cultivated. The cherries, ripening before any wild fruit is available, are the main source of his early summer food. As a protection the planting of Russian mulberries is suggested, as they ripen at the same time as the cherries and are much preferred by the birds. The shooting of the Robins is ineffective, as it is impossible to ex- terminate them or for the gunner to stay on guard all the time; furthermore, it destroys a bird which is a valuable insect destroyer at all other seasons, and a songster we could ill afford to lose. 763 Ixoreus nzvius (Gmelin). Varied Thrush. Adults.—Length, 9-10. Wing, 4.90-5.20. Slate above, outer tail feathers with white spots at tip; wings, dusky, with four transverse bands of rusty; below, rusty, with a black breast band; ear-coverts, black; line over the eye, rusty. Very rare and accidental straggler from the west. Dr. Samuel Cabot procured a specimen in Boston, March, 1848, that had been shot in New Jersey,’ while another, taken at Hoboken, December, 1851, is recorded by Mr. G. N. Lawrence.” 766 Sialia sialis (Linnzus). Bluebird. PLATE 84. Adult male.—Length, 5.75-7. Wing, 4. Above, uniform bright blue; sides of the face rather duller; thréat, breast and flanks, cinnamon-chestnut; abdo- men and under tail-coverts, white. In autumn and winter the feathers of the upper surface are veiled with chestnut and those of the lower parts with whitish. Adult female.—Above, bluish-gray, becoming bright blue on the rump, tail and outer edges of wings; below, pale cinnamon rufous on the breast and sides Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., May, 1848, p. 17. Ann: stye. Nat. Est. IN. Y., V.) D. 22d. 316 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. of bedy; throat paler and abdomen and under tail-coverts white; winter plumage browner above. Young in first summer.—Above, brownish-gray, back streaked with white; tail and outer edge of wings, blue; below, white, feathers of the breast, throat and sides of body edged with brown, producing a mottled or scaled appearance. Nest in a hollow tree or box, made almost wholly of grass; eggs, four to five, bluish-white, .80 x .60. Common summer resident and occasional resident. Arrives Feb- ruary 17th (March 2d), departs November 10th. The soft warble of the Bluebird has come to be recognized as the announcement of spring’s arrival, and we look eagerly for the bird on every warm day of February. In southern New Jersey, and elsewhere locally, the Bluebird’s presence has less significance, as small flocks find shelter in the thickets all winter long, and even on days that are anything but spring-like, we can hear their low “tur-lur, tur-lur.” The Bluebird seems to have been one of the chief sufferers from the introduction of the English Sparrow, and many a bird box for- merly inhabited by these beautiful Americans is now the domicile of the ever present foreigner, recalling the deserted old homesteads that one sees now and then converted into shelters for gangs of Italian laborers. Bibliography of New Jersey Ornithology. Apart from the casual allusions to birds made in the journals of some of the early voyagers who entered the mouth of Delaware Bay, the first work to contain notes on New Jersey birds is Peter Kalm’s Travels, in which are comments on various species observed by him during his stay at the Swedish settlement of Raccoon, on the Dela- ware, in 1749. The great classics of American ornithological litera- ture, the works of Wilson, Audubon and Nuttall, contain many refer- ences to the birds of the State, while in later years the ornithologists of Philadelphia and New York, as well as resident naturalists, have published many lists and notes dealing with New Jersey birds. The following list contains all the more important books and papers re- lating to the ornithology of the State and shorter notes or papers dealing with special species: 1753-61. Katm. Prerer. En Resa Til Norra America, &c. Stock- holm, Vols. I.-III. First English Edition, 1770-71, for bird matter, cf. Trotter, Auk, 1903, p. 249. 1799. Barton, B. 8. Fragments of the Natural History of Pennsyl- vania. Philadelphia, folio pp. ixvili. and 1-24. As Philadelphia naturalists have never been able to stay on their own side of the Delaware River, it is probable that Barton’s observations relate in part to New Jersey. 1808-1814. Witson, ALEXANDER. American Ornithology. Phila- delphia, Vols. I.-IX. The text of the last volume is by George Ord. Wilson’s excursions into New Jersey seem to have been in the immediate vicinity of Camden, and along the coast from Beesley’s Point and Ocean City to Cape May City. (317) 318 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1815. OrD, GEORGE. Zoology in the Second American Edition of Guthrie’s Zoology. The Bonaparte’s and Ring-billed Gulls are here described from the Delaware River. 1817. Orp, Grorcr. An account of an American Species of the genus Tantalus or Ibis. Jour. Acad. Nat. Sct., Phila., I., p. 53 Plegadis autumnalis from Egg Harbor. 1824-5. Orp, Grorce. Additional matter in Wilson’s American Ornithology (second edition). The new matter is mainly in Vols. VII.-IX., which were much amplified. 1825-33. BonaparTE, CHas. L. American Ornithology, Vols. I-IV. Philadelphia. Virtually a continuation of Wilson, containing a few references to New Jersey birds. 1826-28. Bonapartr, CHas. L. The Genera of North American Birds and a synopsis of the species found within the territory of the United States. Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., New York, ii., pp. Y-128, 293-451. A few mentions of New Jersey. 1828. Bonapartr, CHas. L. Further Additions to the Ornithology of the United States. Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., New York, ii., pp. 154-161. Tringa himantopus discovered in New Jersey. 1828-9. Orp, GrorGE. Additional matter in Wilson’s American Or- nithology (Hall Edition, Vols. I.—III., and Vol. of Plates). 1830. ANonymous. Woodcock Shooting. Doughty’s Cabinet of Natural History, 1., pp. 97-99. In New Jersey. 1831-39. Aupunon, J. J. Ornithological Biography, Vols. I.-V., Edinburgh. Audubon’s references to New Jersey birds are based upon a residence of several months (middle of May to middle of September, 1829) at Cam- den, a visit to Egg Harbor [Beesley’s Point] in June, 1829, and a few ex- cursions with his friend, Edward Harris, who resided at Moorestown. He also quotes observations of Mr. Harris and of Dr. James Trudeau. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 319 1832. GrEEN, JAcoB. Notes of a Naturalist. Doughty's Cabinet of Nat. Hist., Vol. I1., pp. 7-10 and 53-56. Chronological notes at Princeton, N. J., following the plan of Barton’s Fragments of Nat. History. 1832. I. The Variety of Game in New Jersey. Doughty’s Cabinet of Nat. Hist., II., pp. 15-18. Pinnated Grouse almost exterminated on the ‘“‘plains.”’ 1832. Rusticus. My Favorite Walks. Doughty’s Cabinet of Nat. Hist., Vol. IL., pp. 95-96. In New Jersey. 1832. Epitor. Hudsonian Godwit. Doughty's Cabinet of Nat. Hist., Vol. IL., p. 158. Discovery of this species in New Jersey at Cape May by T. R. Peale, in May, 1828. 1832-1834. Nurratnt, THomas. A manual of the ornithology of the United States and of Canada. Vols. I. and II. Cambridge and Boston. Nearly all references to New Jersey are quotations from Wilson or Audubon, which is remarkable when we consider how much time Nuttall had spent in the State pursuing his botanical investigation. 1836. Ord, GrorGE. Observations on the Cowbunting. Loudon’s Magazine, IX., p. 55. Mentions nest of Dendroica vigorsti [“Sylvia pinus’’] found by Wilson near the coast of New Jersey, May, 1813. 1837. Warp, J. F. Notice of the Pine Grosbeak (Pyrrhula enu- cleator) in the environs of New York. Ann. Lyc. N. Y., IV., p. dl. 1844. Cassin, JoHN. On the abundance of Strix nyctea about Phila- delphia. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sct., Phila., I1., p. 19. One hundred shot in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, winter 1843-4. 1844. Giraup, J. P. Birds of Long Island. Refers to the Heath Hen and some other birds in New Jersey. . 820 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1846. LAWRENCE, GEO. N. Description of a New Species of Anser. Ann: Lyte Nn 2Y.., PVsop. ATA. Branta nigricans from New Jersey coast. 1848. SamuEL Casor. European Widgeon taken in New Jersey. Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., III. p. 21. Cf. also do. VI., p. 376. 1848. Herpert, Henry WM. Frank Forester’s Field Sports of the United States and British Provinces of North America.— (Numerous subsequent editions). Includes accounts of wild fowl of the New Jersey coast. 1851. Cassin, JoHN. Notice of an American species of Duck hith- erto regarded as identical with the Oidemia fusca L. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sct., Phila., V., p. 126. O. velwetina [O. deglandi Bp.] described from Egg Harbor. 1852. LawrEeNcE, Gro. N. Ornithological Notes. Ann. Lyc. N. Y., V., p. 220. Varied Thrush and Pine Grosbeak from New Jersey. 1853. HerBert, HENRY Wm. (FRANK FORESTER). American Game in Its Seasons. N. Y. 1853. 1853. Kriper, JoHN. Sporting Anecdotes Illustrative of the Habits of Certain Varieties of American Game. Phila., 1853. Refers to New Jersey birds. (855. Cassin, JonN. Remarks on the appearance of Lowia leucop- tera in great numbers in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sct., Phila., VII., p. 203. 3855. Cassin, JoHN. Remarks on Crex pratensis, a specimen of which was obtained from Salem, New Jersey. Proc. Acad. Nat. Set, hia... Vil.2p- 200. .857. Brestry, THos. Catalogue of the birds of the County of Cape May, in Geology of the County of Cape May, N. J., by Wm. Kitchell. Briefly annotated list of 196 species at pp. 138-145. The following are among the species starred to indicate that they breed in the county. That THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 321 none of them do breed in the county is certain, and it may be that the plac- ing of stars opposite them was purely a printer’s error. With the excep- tion of the last two they do not even breed in the State: White-throated Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Myrtle Warbler, Black-poll Warbler, Yellow- palm Warbler, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Golden-winged Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler. There are interesting references to birds in the historic chapter by Dr. Maurice Beesley. 1857. Lewis, EKnisHa J. The American Sportsman. Containing hints to sportsmen, notes on shooting, the habits of the game birds and wild fowl of North America. Phila. Refers to birds of New Jersey coast. 1858. Barrp, SPENcER F.; Cassin, JoHN, and LAWRENCE, GEo. N. Explorations and surveys for a railroad route from the Missis- sippi Itiver to the Pacific coast. Vol. IX., Birds. Washington, pp. 1.—Ivi. and 1—1005. In the catalogue of specimens a number of New Jersey specimens are listed. 1866. Lawrence, Gro. N. Catalogue of birds observed in New York, Long and Staten Islands and adjacent parts of New Jersey. Ann. Lyc., New York, VIIL., pp. 279-300. Several important New Jersey records: Dryobates borealis, Mimus polyglottos, Piranga rubra and Scolopax rusticola. 1368. ‘Tripper, T..M. The Dwarf Thrush. Amer. Nat., I1., p. 380. Records of Hermit (?) Thrush and Bohemian Waxwing at Orange, IN Ble 1868. Anporr, C. C. Catalogue of vertebrate animals of New Jersey. Cook’s Geology of New Jersey, App. E., pp. 751-830. This publication is noteworthy as being the first general list of New Jersey birds. No less than 301 species are given, but unfortunately the data accompanying the records of rare species are very incomplete and unsatisfactory, while many statements about the time of occurrence of species in the State, especially as regards the breeding season, are wholly at variance with the experience of all other ornithologists who have since studied the birds of New Jersey. The following species are mentioned as breeding or as occurring through- out the summer in New Jersey, although no one else has been able to verify Dr. Abbott’s statements, and unfortunately the latter are not sup- ported by any exact dates or localities or by any specimens: Pigeon Hawk, Hermit Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet. Winter Wren, Red-bellied Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Blackburnian Warbler, Northern Shrike, Fox Sparrow, Rusty 21 ish) oO ra) REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Blackbird, Saw-whet Owl, Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sand- piper, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead Duck. In Dr. Abbott’s “Birds About Us,” published in 1895, he omits New Jersey from the breeding range of many of these species, notably the Olive-backed Thrush, Kinglets, Winter Wren, Red-bellied Nuthatch, Rusty Blackbird and Fox Sparrow. In his publications of 1870 and 1884 (see below ), however, he endorsed most of the above statements and even added other ‘‘breeders’’ of the same class. 1869. TurNBULL, W. P. The Birds of East Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Philadelphia, 8vo., pp. 1—vii., 1-50. Also an identical Glasgow edition and a larger quarto with vignettes. This is our first reliable list of the birds of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 1870. ApBott, C. C. The Marsh Harrier. Amer. Nat., IV., p. 377. Comment on scarcity of males in New Jersey. 1870. Assort, C. C. Night Herons. Amer. Nat., 1V., p. 377. In the city of Trenton. 1870. ABporr, C. C. Notes on certain inland birds of New Jersey. Amer. Nat., IV., pp. 536-550. 1871. Tuorre, T. B. Bird Shooting on the Coast of New Jersey.— Appleton’s Journal, VI., Sept. 1871, p. 379. 1872. Looxwoop, SamureL. The Great Nothern Shrike and the Eng- lish Sparrow. Amer. Nat., VI., p. 236. Shrikes and birds of prey as enemies of the Sparrows. 1872. Apporr, C. C. Occurrence of the Scissor-tailed Flveatcher in New Jersey. Amer. Nat., VI., p. 367-8. Shot on Crosswick’s Meadows, five miles below Trenton, April 15th. 1873. Triper, T. M. The Irregular Migrations of Birds. Amer. Nat., VIL., pp. 389-394. Sudden appearance of Great-crested Flycatcher at Orange, N. J., and absence of Red-headed and Hairy Woodpeckers. 1873. Triprpr, T. M. The Golden-winged Woodpecker. Notice of Colaptes auratus x mexicanus at Orange, New Jersey. Amer. Nat., VII., 1873, p. 498. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 323 1874-1881. Barrp, 8. F.; Brewer, T. M., and Ripeway, R. History of North American Birds. ae Birds, 1874, Vols. I—IIT.; Water Birds, Vols. I., I1., 1884. Contains a few references to New Jersey, probably all compiled. 1874. Apport, C. C. The Kinglets in New Jersey. Amer. Nat., VIIL., pp. 864-865. Still maintains they nest in New Jersey, but gives no data. 1874. Brewrr, T. M. The Kinglets in New Jersey. Amer. Nat., WATE pd02. 1874. Herrick, Harotp. Description of a new species of Helmin- thophaga. Proc Acad. Nat. Sct., Phila., 1874, p. 220. Type of H. lawrencei taken in New Jersey. 1874. Trippr, T. M. The Migration of Birds. Amer. Nat., VIIL., 338—d48. . Refers to Connecticut Warbler, Tree Swallow and Hawk flights. _ op) oe Apsporr, C. C. Notes on the habits of certain Thrushes. Rod and Gun, VI., p. 86, May 8th, 1875. At Trenton, N. Je 1876. Asport, C. C. Bewick’s Wren. Amer. Nat., X., p. 237. “Have not failed to find a considerable number for several years past.” 1876. Asport, C.C. My February Field ‘est and Stream, VI., Mar. 23d, 1876, pp. 99-114. March Notes do., April 20th, p. 163. Three Months of Field Notes do. Aug. 10th, pp. 3, 20. 1876. Anporr, C. C. The occurrence of White Egrets at Trenton, N. J. Amer. Nat., X., pp. 4738-476. The Snowy Heron arrived in numbers August 14th, and some Ameri- can Egrets August 17th. The Little Blue Herons “are always here and caused no comment.” Yet, according to Dr. Abbott, no White Herons had been seen for several years in any numbers. As the Little Blue Herons are always far more plentiful in the white plumage at this time, and as the species has not known to breed in the Delaware Valley, so far as the experience of others goes, it would seem probable that Dr. Abbott's (Snowy Herons) were really the immature Little Blue Herons. Similar flights have occurred since. 324 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1876. Prercr, M. P. Scarcity of Birds in New Jersey.—VForest and Stream, VI., March 16th, 1876, p. 84. 1877. Herrick, H. Capture of a second specimen of Helmintho- phaga lawrencei. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1877, p. 19. Hoboken, N. J., spring 1876. 1878. Huyuer, A. I. Winter Birds on the Hackensack.—The Country, 1. p. 149. 1878. Scorr, W. E. D. Some Princeton Birds—The Country, L., p. do. 1879. Dwieut, J., Jr. The Stilt Sandpiper on the New Jersey coast. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 63. Ten shot at Squan Beach September Ist, 1879. 1879. Herrick, H. Notes on some birds of Chatham, New Jersey. Forest and Stream, April 3d, 1879, p. 165. Notes on twenty-six species rare or of special interest. 1879. Nicuots, G. L. Migration of some Warblers through Summit, New Jersey, during the last spring. Forest and Stream, July 17th, 1879, p. 464. 1879. Scorr, W. KE. D. Late fall and winter notes on some birds ob- served in the vicinity of Princeton, New Jersey, 1878-79. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, pp. 81-85. Many valuable observations. 1879. Scorr, W. E. D. Notes on birds observed at Long Beach, New Jersey. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, pp. 222-228. The most important paper on our coast birds. 1879. Treat, M. Notes on the intelligence of birds. Lippincott’s Magazine, xxiv., September, 1879, pp. 359-364. 1879. Zareaa, L. A. Capture of a Fish Crow near Seabright, Mon- mouth county, New Jersey. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 239. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 325 1880. Apporr, W. L. Passerculus princeps in New Jersey. Forest and Stream, XIV., p. 44. One shot at Seven Mile Beach December 30th, 1879. 1880. ALLEN, J. A. Destruction of birds by lighthouses. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, p. 134. Reference to Cape May Light. 1880. Hates, Henry. The birds on a farm. Oologist, 1880, p. 74. At Ridgewood, New Jersey. Nesting of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Bobolinks. 1880. Lockwoop, S. A Black Robin. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, p. 46. At Freehold, N. J. 1880. Scorr, W. E. D. Golden-winged Woodpeckers nesting in a natural cavity in a decayed tree. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, p. 56. At Princeton, N. J. 1880. Zarnca, L. A. Notes on the northern range of the Fish Crow, with some account of its habits. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, pp. 205-208. Regularly to Seabright and less so to Sandy Hook. 1881. Brewster, W. On the relationship of Helminthophaga leuco- bronchialis and H. lawrencei, &e. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club. Nyack, N. J. 1881. DutcHer, W. Great Carolina Wren. Forest and Stream, ° XVI., July 14th, 1881, p. 473. Specimen taken at Greenville, N. J. 1881. Scorr, W. E. D. Occurrence of Virco philadelphicus in Mer- cer county, New Jersey. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1881, p. 56. Two shot, September 21st and 28th, 1876. 1881. Scorr, W. E. D. Some observations on the migration of birds. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1881, p. 97 and p. 188. Through a telescope at Princeton. 326 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1881. Scorr, W. E. D. The White-bellied Swallow on the New Jer- sey Coast in November. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1881, p. 115. Abundant at Squan Beach November 16th, 1880. 1881. Scorr, W. E. D. The Ipswich Sparrow at Squan Beach, New Jersey. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1881, p. 116. One shot November 16th, 1880, by G. R. Hardenbergh. 1882. Homo. English Widgeon on the New Jersey Coast. Forest and Stream, XVIII., March 2d, 1882, p. 86. Several killed at Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor. Hutchin’s Goose killed at Tuckerton. 1882. Rnoaps, 8S. N. Nesting of Hmpidonax minimus and Helmin- therus vermivorus in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1882, p. 55. 1882. Wescorr, C. S. Occurrence of the Snow Goose in Delaware Bay. Forest and Stream, XVII., January 5th, 1882, p. 447. Remained at Bombay Hook all winter. 1883. Assorr, C. C. Occurrence of the Swallow-tailed Kite in New Jersey. Science, Vol. I1., No. 29, p. 222. 1883. B. B. The Clapper Rail. Orn. and Odlogist, p. 39, 40. Seven hundred eggs collected for sale. 1883. Bettows, C. E. Rare Birds. Ornithologist and Oologist, VALE pi yh: “Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorar carbo)” taken at Bridgeton, N. J. 1883. Haines, B. B. Long-billed Marsh Wren. Ornithologist and Oologist, VIII., p. 6. Nesting habits in New Jersey. 1883. Haines, H. F. Breeding of the Virginia Rail at Elizabeth, New Jersey. O. and O., VIIL., p. 7. 1883. Morcay, T. Nest of Totanus melanoleucus found at Somer- ville, New Jersey. Ornithologist and Oologist, VIII., p. 67. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 327 1883. Ruoaps, 8S. N. Early Capture of the Orange-crowned War- bler. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Ciub, 1883, p. 179. Haddonfield, N. J., March 22d, 1883. 1884. B. B. The Wood or Summer Duck. Orn. and Odlogist. Nests on Passaic River and in Ocean county. 1884. T. B. A. The Egret (in New Jersey). Forest and Stream, February 14th, p. 44. 1884. T. B. A. The Least Bittern. Jorest and Stream, February 7th, p. 25. Its abundance in New Jersey. 1884. Barrett, H. F. Arrival of Birds at New Providence, Union County, New Jersey (1883). O. and O., 1884, p. 45. 1884. BrLttows, C. E. The Willet (Symphemia semipalmata) Breeding in Delaware Bay. Forest and Stream, June 5th, p. 364. 1884. Riker, C. B. Crossbills in New Jersey. Forest and Stream, May 15th, p. 302. 1884. SHerRatTT, W. J. (=W. J. Rogers). European Skylark in New Jersey. O. and O., 1884, p. 24. 1884. Suerratr, W. J. Briimnich’s Murre on Great Bay, New Jer- sey. O. and O., 1884, p. 48. 1884. Asport, C. C. A Naturalist’s Rambles about Home. D. Ap- pleton & Company, 1884, 8vo., p. 485. In this work Dr. Abbott presents a list of the birds of Mercer county, New Jersey, in which he reiterates many of the statements made in his State list of 1868 about the nesting of various birds, and adds some species as summer residents which no other ornithologists have found in the State at this season. There is the same lack of data that characterized the earlier list. Cf. J. A. ALLEN, Auk, 1885, p. 86, for critical review. 1885. BarreLt, H. F. Birds of Upper Passaic Valley, N. J. O. and O., 1885, pp. 21 and 42. Unreliable. A number of species listed as breeders which do not nest in New Jersey. No details given. 328 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1885. Rrkmr, C. B. A specimen of Helminthophila leucobronchialis in New Jersey. Auk, 1885, p. 378. Maplewood, Essex county, May 11th, 1883. 1886. ApBorrt, C. C. Upland and Meadow. 1886. Auten, J. A. Aegiaiitis meloda circumeincta on the New Jer- sey coast. Auk, 1886, p. 482. 1886. Bainey, H. B. The Cardinal Grosbeak and Tufted Titmouse, breeding in Essex county, N. J. Auk, 1886, p. 410. 1886. Battery, H. B. Wilson’s Thrush, breeding at South Orange, N. J. Auwk, 1886, p. 489. 1886. Brewsrrer, W. An interesting specimen of Helminthophila. Auk, 1886, p. 411. Intermediate between H. lawrencei and H. pinus, taken at Morristown, N. J., May 15th, 1884, by Frank Blanchet. 1886. CHAPMAN, F. M. The Lark Finch in New Jersey. Auk, 1886, p. 136. Specimen secured at Schraalinburgh, November 26th, 1885. 1886. CHapMAN, F. M. Additional specimen of H. leucobronchialis at Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1886, p. 411. 1886. CHapmMan, F. M. The Barn Owl at Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1886, p. 485. 1886. OLtp Saur. A day among the Fish Hawks (includes breeding of Least Bittern at Sea Isle, N. J.). Oologist, 1886, p. 49. 1886. Parker, H. G. A Two Days’ Collecting Trip on the New Jer- sey Coast. O. and O., 1886, p. 138. A valuable account of bird life on Seven Mile Beach. 1886. Ruoaps, 8. N. Crow Roosts and Roosting Crows. Amer. Nat., 1886, pp. 691 and 777. The most extensive paper on the subject up to this time. 1886. THurBER, E. C., and Green, M. M. Winter Birds of Morris- town, N. J. O. and O., 1886, p. 90. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 329 1886. THurRBER, E. C., and Green, M. M. Notes on the Fall Migra- tion from Morristown, N. J. O. and O., 1886, p. 92. 1886. THurBer, E. C. Helminthophila leucobronchialis in New Jer- sey. Auk, 1886, p. 411. Taken May, 1859, at Morristown, by Aug. Blanchet. 1886. Trippetr, H. Red Crossbill and Pine Grosbeak (at Montclair, N. J.). Oologist, 1886, p. 39. 1887. CHapman, F. M. Additional Captures of Helminthophila leu- cobronchialis. Auk, 1887, p. 348. Englewood, N. J., May 15th, 1886, June 26th and July 31st, 1887. 188%. DeHaven, I. N. Black Skimmer in New Jersey. Forest and Stream, XXIX., December Ist, 1887, p. 105. Two seen August Ist, 1887. 1887. Fosrrer, L. 8S. Melanerpes carolinus (L.) in New Jersey. For- est and Stream, December Ist, 1887, p. 363. Male taken at Keyport, November 238d, 1887. 1887. Martin, E. Crow Roosts of New Jersey. Oologist, IV., June- September, pp. 94-95. 1887. Rureers, C. T. Rail in Captivity. Forest and Stream, August 4th, 1889, p. 23. Virginia Rail and young at Trenton, N. J. 1887. Scuicx, C. S: Nesting of the Black Skimmer. Orn. and Oologist, p. 102. Seventy-five nests on Seven Mile Beach, 1885-6. 1887. Tuurper, E. C. Helminthophila leucobronchialis in New Jer- sey. Auk, 1887, p. 349. Morristown, N. J., May 15th, 1887. 1887. Tuurper, E. C. A list of the Birds of Morris County, N. J. True Democratic Banner, Morristown, N. J., November 10th, 17ths 24th, 1887. ~ 330 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1888. Hates, Henry. A Few Bird Notes. O. and O., 1888, pp. 56 and 158. Purple Finch in New Jersey in June, 1886. 1888. Morris, R. T. Wood Duck in Winter. Forest and Stream, January 12th, 1888, p. 485. On Hackensack marshes. 1888. Ruoaps, S. N. Occurrence of Larus marinus on the southern coast of New Jersey. Auk, 1888, p. 318. Several at Atlantic City during blizzard of March, 1888. 1888. SuHick, C. S. A Day with the Fish Hawks on Seven Mile Beach. Bay State Oologist, I., No. 2, February, 1888, pp. 13-15. Also Nesting of (Fish) Crow, p. 24, and occurrence of Pileated Wood- pecker. 1888. S[Hick]. C. S. My Annual Trip to Seven Mile Beach, N. J. Oologist, 1888, p. 120. 1888. WHEELER, C. LER. A Nest of the American Osprey. Oologist, 1888, p. 147. On Two Mile Beach, N. J. 1889. CHapBouRNE, A. P. An Unusual Flight of Killdeer Plover Along the New England Coast. Auk, 1889, pp. 255-263. Navesink, N. J., December 15th, 1888. 1889. CHapmMan, F. M. Notes on the Mniottltide of Englewood, N. J. Auk, V1., April, 1889) p. 198. D. tigrina once, G. philadelphia once, D. vigorsii twice, D. castanea twice, H. leucobronchialis three, Geothlypis formosa breeds. H. ruficapilla, breeding female, taken June 16th. JD. discolor entirely absent. 1889. CHapmMan, F. M. Notes on Birds Observed in the Vicinity of Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1889, pp. 302-305. 1889. Fostrr, L. S. The Snowy Owl in New Jersey in November, 1889. Forest and Stream, November 28th, 1889. 1889. H. A. R. [—Harry G. ParKer]. A Trip to Seven Mile Beach, Nid O} and OL; U889.p. 4. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 331 1890. CHapMAN, F. M. The Song of Helminthophila leucobronchi- alis. Auk, 1890, p. 291. Male in full song May 11th, 1890. 1890. Hates, HENry. Bird Notes from Northern New Jersey. (0. and O., 1890, p. 106. 1890. J. L. K. Nyctea nyctea and Uria levonira at Perth Amboy, N. J. Forest and Stream, XXXV., January 15th, 1890, p. 511. 1890. Lewis, 8. The Red-bellied Woodpecker in Northwestern New Jersey. Auk, 1890, p. 206. Shot a female at Newton, November 16th, 1889. 1890. Linnzwan Society, N. Y. Abstract of Proceedings, No. I1., 1889-1890. A few notes on New Jersey birds. 1890. Netson, Junius. Descriptive Catalogue of the Vertebrates of New Jersey. Geological Survey of New Jersey, final report, Vol. ie. .1890. A compilation unfortunately based mainly upon Dr. Abbott’s list of 1868. Many of the errors of that work are repeated and a few new ones added. It is unfortunate that this work was not placed in the hands of an ornithologist for revision. 1890. Raymonp, W. O. Evening Grosbeaks at Summit, N. J. 0. and O., 1890, p. 46. March 6th, 1890. 1890. Scuicx, C. 8. Birds found breeding on Seven Mile Beach, New Jersey. Auk, 1890, pp. 326-329. 1890. Warren, B. H. Birds of Pennsylvania (2d edition). Refers to extermination of Least Terns in New Jersey. 1891. CHapMAN, F. M. [Birds of High Knob, N. J.] Abst. Proc. Linn. Soce., 1890-1, p. 4. Vireo solitarius in June. The fauna was Alleghanian. 1891. CHapman, F. M. Former Occurrence of Spiza americana in Northern New Jersey. Auk, 1891, p. 395. 332 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1891. Norris, J. P. A Series of Eggs of the Osprey. O. and O., 1891, p. 162. 1892. CHapMAN, F. M. Breeding of Helminthophila pinus with Hl. leucobronchialis at Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1892, p. 302. 1892. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1890-1891, pp. 1-13. 1892. Hates, Henry. Bird Notes from Northern New Jersey. O. and O., 1892, pp. 38 and 136. 1892. Laurent, Puitip. Birds of Five Mile Beach, N. J. O. and O., 1892, pp. 43, 53, 88. 1892. Sourmwick, W. C. Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis in New Jersey. Auk, 1892, p. 303. One shot at Raritan, N. J., May 30th, 1889. 1892. Srone, W. Winter Birds of Cape May, New Jersey. Auk, 11892 53p oe e0D: 1893. Burns, F. L. Nesting of the Fish Crow on the New Jersey Coast. Oologist, 1893, p. 310. 1893. Cuapman, F. M. The Carolina Wren in the Lower Hudson Valley. Auk, 1893, p. 87. Fort Lee, Englewood (nesting and resident). 1893. Greene, H. T. Nesting of the Barred Owl at Montclair, N. J. Oologist, 1893, p. 230. 1893. Howrett, A. H. On the Occurrence of Three Rare Birds on Long Island, N. Y. Auk, 1893, p. 90. Mentions Helminthophila celata, Hoboken, N. J., May, 1865. C. S. Gal- braith (Coll. Amer. Mus. N. H.). 1893. Howianp, K. V. S. Hawk Migration. Forest and Stream, June Ist, 1893, p. 513. Montclair, N. J. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 333 1893. Linnazzan Society oF N. Y. Abstract of Proceedings, No. V., 1892-3. Occasional notes on New Jersey birds. 1893. RicHarps, Gro. Capture of a Yellow Rail, Hackensack, N. J., September 30th, 1893. Forest and Stream, XLI., October 21st, 1893, p. 336. 1893. Stone, W. Sharp-tailed Finches of the New Jersey Coast. Auk, 1893, p. 85. 1894. CHapman, F. M. Visitors’? Guide to the Local Collection of Birds in the American Museum of Natural History, N. Y. City, with an Annotated List of the Birds known to occur within Fifty Miles of New York City. Covers practically the same territory as Lawrence’s 1866 list and brings the N. Y. Local List up to date. Contains many New Jersey records. 1894. Stonr, Wirmer. The Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey; prepared under the direction of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, pp. i—vi., 1-176, Philadelphia. An attempt to present an up-to-date summary of the bird-life of these two States; 352 species are listed. “Ir. Stone, with the assistance of his fellow-members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, has presented us with a faunal list which, except in unimportant details, may well stand as a model for works of this nature. * * * The work is well and tastefully printed, typo- graphical errors are rare, and we congratulate Mr. Stone and his asso- ciates on having performed their task in a manner which demands the highest commendation.’”—The Auk, N. Y. City. 1894. Davis, W. T. Staten Island Crows and their Roosts. Auk, 1894, pp. 228-231. 1894. Stone, W. Summer Birds of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Auk, 1894, p. 133. 1895. Burns, F. L. Notes from Southern New Jersey. Auk, 1895, p- 1389. Phalaropus lobatus, two killed May 23d, 1894. Nest of Ammodramus henslowii found May 22d on Peck’s Beach. 1895. AssotT, C. C. The Birds About Us. 534 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1895. CHAarmMan, EF) M. In, Abstract Proc, Linn: Soc. N.-Y., Vite Daioe Highty miles off Barnegat, N. J., May 6th, 1894, large flocks of North- ern Phalarope and two Long-tailed Jaegers. 1895. Kram, 8. A. The Turkey Buzzard in Plainfield, New Jersey. Auk, 1895, p. 80. One caught June 30th, 1894. 1895. OBERHOLSER, H. C. Dendroica palmarum in New Jersey. Auk, 1895, p. 185. Female taken at Red Bank, Monmouth county, September 28th, 1889. 1895. Sace, J. H. The Golden Eagle in New Jersey. Auk, 1895, pene: Vineland, N. J., February 19th, 1868. 1895. VAN RENSSELAER, STEPHEN, Jk. Winter Birds of the Orange Mountains in Essex County, N. J. Oologist. 1895, pp. 79-81. 1896. Brerizr, DE L. The Pine Grosbeak (P. enucleator) in New Jaen. Auk, 1896, p. 17. Two seen March Sth, 1896, two miles west of Ridgewood. 896. Braistin, W. C. The Golden Hagle in New Jersey. Auk, 1896, p. 81. One shot, Crosswick’s Creek, autumn, 1888. 1896. CHapman, F. M. The Wild Pigeon at Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1896, p. 341. A young female shot by C. Irving Wood, June 23d, 1896. 1896. SuHriner, C. A. The Birds of New Jersey. Paterson, 1896, pp. 1-212. Wholly compiled. Species arranged alphabetically. 1896. Struper, J. H. Birds of North America. While this work refers casually to New Jersey birds, the information is mainly compiled, some of it from such ancient sources as to be positively misleading, as, for instance, the statement that a few Prairie Hens are “still” found in the State! © THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 335 1897. DeWrirr, Donatp. An Unusual Site for a Robin’s Nest. Oologist, 1897, p. 87. On the ground. 189%. Jupp, 5. D. Northern New Jersey Notes. Auk, 189%, p. 326. Dendroica caerulea taken about September Ist, 1887, and a young Ammodramus henslowii August Sth, 1889, at Boonton, Morris county. 189%. OpeRHoLsER, H. C. An Osprey’s Vigil_—Osprey, II., p. 50. Monmouth county, N. J. 1897. Rreep, J. H. Unusual Occurrence of Briinnich’s Murres at Beverly, N. J. Auk, 1897, p. 202. December 15th and 16th, 1896, several flocks of 15-20; several speci- mens secured. 1897. Reep. J. Harris. Breeding of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Beverly, N. J. Auk, 1897, p. 323. Nest begun June Ist, 1896. 189%. Witpr, M. L. C. Nesting of the Parula Warbler in Cape May County, New Jersey. Auk, 1897, pp. 289-294. 1898. Anonymous. Ring-neck Pheasant in N. J. Oologist, 1898, Bec: 1898. Cuapman, F. M. Golden Eagle in New Jersey. Auk, 1898, p- d4. One caught at Long Branch, August, 1897. 1898. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1892-1897, pp. 1-42. 1898. Owen, C. C. The American Egret at Maplewood, N. J. Auk, 1898, p. 51. Two shot July 27th, 1897. 1898. Mitter, W. D. W. New Jersey Notes. Osprey, February— March, 1898, I]., 6-7, p. 91. Several winter records of interest. 336 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1898. Stonz, W. Wilson’s Phalarope at Ocean City, N. J. Auk, 1898, p. 268. One shot by G. H. Moore, May 19th, 1898. 1899. CHapman, F. M. The Season’s Flight of Crossbills. Bird Lore, 1899, p. 25, also p. 59, and 1900, p. 25. 1899. Green, H. T. A Queer Nesting ‘Site. Oologist, 1899, p. 104. Bluebird’s nest in tin can on ground. 1899. Lemmon, Wm. P. Nest of Duck Hawks in New Jersey. Os- prey, LV. p42. On the Palisades of the Hudson. 1899. Stonr, W. A Search for the Reedy Island Crow Roost. Bird Lore, 1899, pp. 177-180. 1900. CHitps, J. L. The Mockingbird at Barnegat, N. J., and on Long Island, N. Y. Auk, 1900, p. 390. A pair seen August 25th at Barnegat, where one had been singing earlier in the summer. 1900. Cuitps, J. L. Tree Swallows by the Million. Auk, 1900, pe ON. In September at Barnegat, N. J. 1900. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1898-1899, pp. 1-28. 1900. Stonr, W. Breeding of the Little Black Rail in New Jersey in 1844 and 1845. Auk, 1900, p. 172. On Egg Harbor River, near Beesley’s Point. 1901. Basson, W. A. Birds of Princeton, N. J., and Vicinity. _ Rull. of the Bird Club of Princeton University, Vol. 1., No. 1, Pp.) (oR: An admirable publication. The best work devoted exclusively to New Jersey birds that had appeared up to this time, replete with accurate and detailed data. 1901. Crispin, Wm. B. Notes on Two Birds of South Jersey. Oologist, 1901, p. 106. Osprey and Fish Crow. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 337 1901. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1900, pp. 1-16. (1901. Evans, W. B. Some Observations on the Habits of Cross- bills (Lozia c. minor) observed at Hanover, N. J., May 4th—6th, 1900s, Abst. Proc. D. V.O.C., 1900, p:. 7: 1901. Hates, Henry. Notes on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Bird Lore, 1901, p. 141. At Ridgewood, N. J. 1901. Lemmon, I. McC. Swallow Manceuvers. Bird Lore, 1901, p. 174. Tree Swallows at Englewood, N. J. 1901. Mituer, W. D. W. Breeding of the Alder Flycatcher (Hm- pidonaz trail alnorum) near Plainfield, N. J. Auk, 1901, p. 108. 1902. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1901. Cassinia, 1901, pp. 45-52. 1902. Evans, W. B. Trespassing of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Zamelodia ludoviciana) in the Carolinian Fauna. Cassin, 1901, pp. 32-34. 1902. Spring Migration, 1901. Cassinia, 1901, pp. 40-43. A record from Moorestown by W. B. Evans. 1903. CHapMAN, F. W. The Pine Grosbeak at Englewood, N. J. Bird Lore, 1908, p. 199. . 1908. Coaeins, H. L. The Heart of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Cassinia, 1902, pp. 26-31. A good description of the bird-life. 1903. Dartineton, E. J. Among the Great Blue Herons. Oologist, 1903, p. 41. At Salem, N. J. 22 338 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1903. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1902. Cassinia, 1902, pp. 49-57. 1903. Evans, W. B. The Unusual Flight of White Herons in 1902. Cassinia, 1902, pp. 15-21. 1903. Hix, G. E. Red Crossbills in New Jersey in July. Bird Lore, 1903, p. 166. 1903. Justice, A. R. Nesting of the Little Black Rail in New Jer- sey. Atlantic Slope Nat., 1903, I., No. 2, p. 11. Nest and eight eggs on meadows of Rancocas, five miles from Mount Holly, May, 1872, found by C. L. Mather, and bird shot. | 1903. Mrtter, W. D. W. Breeding of the Alder Flycatcher (Hm- pidonax traulii alnorum) near Plainfield, N. J. Auk, 1903, p. 68. 1903. Minter, W. DeW. The Palm Warbler in New Jersey. Bird Lore, 1908, p. 199. At Plainfield, September 23d and October 4th. 1903. Morsr, S. R. Birds of New Jersey. Annual Report of the NV. J. State Museum, 1902, pp. 25-34. A catalogue of species represented in the museum. 1903. Ruoaps, 8S. N. Henslow’s Bunting (Ammodramus henslowi) in New Jersey. Cassinia, 1902, pp. 6-14. A good history of the bird. 1903. Sronrn, W. Notes on Winter Crow Life in the Delaware Valley. Auk, 1903, pp. 267-271. 1903. Stonr, W. Spring Migration, 1902. Cassinia, 1902, pp. 32-48. Records and notes from eight stations in New Jersey. 1903. Witpr, M. L. C. An unusual Nesting Site of the Carolina Chickadee. Atlantic Slope Nat., I., No. 3, p. 23. Swallow-tailed Kite seen in 1893. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 339 1903. WitpE, M. L. C. Breeding of the Pileated Woodpecker in Southern New Jersey. Atlantic Slope Nat., I., No. 3, p. 27. June 4th, 1893, in extreme southeastern Cumberland county, along West Creek. Also Bendire Life Histories, p. 107. 1904. Caskey, R. C. Pine Grosbeaks in New Jersey. Bird Lore, 1904, p. 98. 1904. Cuitps, J. L. Curlew Sandpiper in New Jersey. Auk, 1904, p. 485. Same record as following. 1904. Cuitps, JoHN Lewis. Curlew Sandpiper in New Jersey. Warbler, 1904, p. 71. Long Beach, July 29th, 1904. 1904. Coacins, H. L. Crow Roosts and Flight Lines in South- eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Cassinia, 1903, pp. 29-42. A supplement to Rhoads, 1886, bringing the matter up to date. 1904. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1903. Cassinia, 1903, pp. 71-77. 1904. Fowirr, H. W. Water Birds of the Middle Delaware Valley. Cassinia, 1903, pp. 438-53. A valuable summary containing much original data. 1904. Gorman, V. E. Notes on the Birds of February and March, 1902. Burd Lore, 1904, p. 64. At Montclair, N. J. 1904. Hates, Henry. Mockingbirds in New Jersey. Bird Lore, 1904, p. 134. 1904. Justice, A. R. Henslow’s Bunting in New Jersey. Atlantic plone Nat., 1., No: 6, p. 79: On Seven Mile Beach many specimens taken by Mr. McIlvaine, June, 1875. 1904. Lemmon, I. McC. A Strenuous Screech Owl. Bird Lore, 1904, p. 133. Englewood, N. J. 340 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1904. McDavirr, I. L. Some New Jersey Birds. Warbler, 1904, p. 6. A Vineland, N. J., list. 1904. MiLtER, W. D. W. Breeding of the Dickcissel in New Jersey. Auk, 1904, p. 487. An important occurrence. 1904. Morsg, 8. R. Birds of New Jersey. Annual Report of the N. J. State Museum for 1903, pp. 29-118. Largely transcribed from Stone, Birds of Hastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 1904. Ruoaps, S. N. Exit the Dickcisseh—A Remarkable Case of Local Extinction. Cassinia, 1903, pp. 17-28. } A valuable historical résumé. 1904. Rogurs, C. H. Notes from in and near New York. Bird Lore, 1904, p. 98. ! 1904. Stone, W. Spring Migration, 1903. Cassinia, 1903, pp. 58-70. Notes and records from eleven New Jersey stations. 1904. TrorreR, SPENCER. The Red-headed Woodpecker as a Pennsyl- vania and New Jersey Bird. Cassinia, 1903, pp. 6-10. 1904. Witpr, M. L. C. Breeding of the Least Bittern in New Jersey. Atlantic Slope Nat., I., No. 6, p. 74. Rancocas to Cape May. 1905. Braistin, WM. C. Avocet in New Jersey. Auk, 1905, p. 78. 1905. Burns, F. L. Some New Jersey Records. Wilson Bull., XVIL., p. 27. 1905. Crispin, Wm. B. Some Rare Finds this Season. Oologist, XXIT., No. 4, p. 90. 1905. Crispin, Wm. B. Great Blue Heron Collecting in Salem County, N. J. Oologist, XXII., No. 7, p. 101. 1905. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1904. Cassinia, 1904, pp. 62-68. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 341 1905. Hann, H. H. A Preliminary List of the Birds of Summit, Union Co. N. J. Wilson Bull., XVII., pp. 117-122. 1905. Hix, Gro. E. Holbeell’s Grebe at Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1905, p. 407. 1905. Hix, Gro. E. Brewster’s Warbler at Englewood, N. J. Auk, 1905, p. 417. ; 1905. Hotmrs, L. K. The Short-billed Marsh Wren (Cistothorus stellaris) in Eastern Pennsylvania and’ New Jersey. Cassinia, 1904, pp. 17-25. A history of the species. 1905. Hotmes, LARvE K. Summer Birds of Summit, Union County, N. J. Wilson Bull., XVII., pp. 8-12. 1905. Hunt, C. J. A-Birding in the New Jersey Pines. Wilson Bull., XVII., pp. 105-107. 1905. Hunt, C. J. That Feathered Midget of Our Tidewater Swamps—the Long-billed Marsh Wren. Cassinia, 1904, pp. 14-16. 1905. Lemmon, IsaBeL McC. Winter Feeding at Englewood, N. J. Bird Lore, VII., p. 242. 1905. Rogers, C. H. July Horizon in Mercer County, N. J. Wilson Buil., XVII; p..10. 1905. Stons, W. Spring Migration, 1904. Cassinia, 1904, pp. 46-61. Contains notes and records from twelve New Jersey stations. 1905. Witpr, M. L. C. Breeding Habits of Parula Warbler in New Jersey. Wilson Bull., XVII., pp. 4-8. 1906. BowpisH, B. S. Some Breeding Warblers of Demarest, N. J. Auk, 1906, pp. 16-19. 342 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1906. Burns, F. L. Red-throated Loon at Grassy Sound, N. J. Wil- son Bull., 1906, p. 25. 1906. CHapmMan, F. M. The Birds of the Vicinity of New York City. [Guide Leaflet, No. 22.] Amer. Museum Journal, Vol. VI., Nos. 2 and 3. April and July, 1906, also reprinted. A valuable compilation containing also much original data and much more complete in every way than the earlier list of 1894. 1906. Dartineton, E. J. Haliaetus leucocephalus. Oologist, July, p. 106. Breeding in New Jersey. 1906. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1905. Cassinia, 1905, pp. 69-76. 1906. Hates, Henry. Swallow Notes from Northern New Jersey. Bird Lore, 1906, p. 1738. 1906. Hunt, C. J. Change of Location of a Crow Roost. Auk, 1906, pp. 429-431. 1906. Hunt, C. J. Two Days with the Beach Birds and Botanists. Wilson Bull., 1906, p. 9%. 1906. Mitter, R. F. Snowy Owl South of 40th Degree, N. Latitude. Oologist, 1906, p. 124. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 1906. Mitter, W. D. W. Notes from Plainfield, N. J. Bird Lore, 1906, p. 138. 1906. Mitter, W. D. W. Breeding of the Savanna Sparrow in Southern New Jersey. Auk, 1906, p. 340. 1906. Mitirr, W. D. W. Migrant Shrike in Spring. Bird Lore, 1906, p. 173. 1906. Mrtuer, W. D. W. Black Terns near New York City. Bird Lore, 1906, p. 211. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 343 1906. Stonn, W. Spring migration, 1905. Cassinia, 1905, pp. 52-67. Contains notes and records from fourteen New Jersey stations. 1907. Apsotr, CLinton G. Summer Bird Life of the Newark, N. J., Marshes. Auk, 1907, pp. 1-11. An important paper announcing the breeding of the Florida Gallinule, Least Bittern and Pied-billed Grebe. 1907. AsBorr, CLINTON G. American Coot Nesting near Newark, N.J. Auk, 190%, p. 436. 1907. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1906. Cassinia, 1906, pp. 58-64. 1907. Various Writers. European Starling in N. J. Bird Lore, 1907, pp. 209-210. 190%. Hormnrs, LARvr K. Birds found within a Radius of Twelve Miles of Summit, New Jersey. Wilson Bull., 1907, pp. 21-27. 1907. A. L. L. Hunting Without a Gun. Forest and Stream, Feb- ruary 23d, 1907, p. 292; March 23d, p. 454. Winter birds at Millhurst, N. J. 190%. L[z=mmon], I. McC. Spring Warblers. Forest and Stream, August 17th, 1907, p. 254. All late at Englewood, N. J. 1907. Mituer, R. F. Singular Nesting of the Fish Hawk or Osprey on Telegraph Poles. Oologist, 1907, p. 156. At Anglesea, not ‘Cape May,” as stated. 1907. Miuier, R. F. The Black Tern at Philadelphia, Pa. Auk, 1907, peel, 1907. Mitter, W. D. W. An Owl Tragedy. Bird Lore, 1907, p. 173. Syrmum varium. Nest at Plainfield, Ni J 1907. Rogers, C. H. Birds observed on May 14th, 1907, at Princeton, N. J. Wilson Buil., 1907, pp. 104-107. In article by Lynds Jones, which also contains an anonymous list from Bloomfield, N. J. “344 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1907. Stone, W. Spring Migration, 1906. Cassinia, 1906, pp. 40-56. Contains notes and records from eleven New Jersey stations. 1908. Hunt, C. J. A Pensauken Diary. Cassinia, 1907, pp. 44-53. 1908. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Delaware Valley Ornitho- logical Club, 1907. Cassinia, 1907, pp. 81-86. 1908. Sronr, W. Spring Migration, 1907. Cassinia, 1907, pp. 54-79. Contains notes and records from thirteen New Jersey stations. 1908. TrorrerR, SpeNcER. Type Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Cassinia, 1907, pp. 17-27. 1908. WryGanot, CoRNELIUS. Some Birds of Brown’s Mills, N. J. Cassinia, 1907, pp. 6-16. 1908. Brown, CLARENCE. A Winter Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Bird Lore, p. 82. At Rutherford, N. J., January 26th—February 15th. 1908. Cuarkr, W. G. A Family of Great Owls. Bird Lore, pp. 99- 102. Barred Owls at Schraalenburgh, N. J. 1908. DEWirr, Epmunp. A Purple Martin’s House. Forest and Stream, April 4th, p. 592. At Lawrenceville, N. J. 1908. Hartow, R. C. Virginia Rail and Kentucky Warbler in New Jersey. Auk, p. 218. Kentucky Warbler at Manahawkin, July 3d, 1904, and May 21st, 1907. 1908. Hower, R. H. Ardea egretta in New Jersey. Auk, p. 473. 1908. Hunt, C. J. The Kentucky Warbler in Southern New Jersey. Auk, p. 87. Pensauken. 1908. Minune, R. F. The Black Tern at Camden, N. J., and Phila- delphia, Pa. Auk, p. 215. THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 345 1908. Ocran. Black Ducks Breeding in New Jersey. Forest and Stream, October 24th, p. 652. Several pairs on Barnegat Bay. 1908. OLpys, Henry. Capture of a Tagged Canvasback Duck. Auk, p- 80. Manahawkin Bay. 1908. Stone, Witmer. Methods of Recording and Utilizing Bird Migration Data. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., pp. 128-156. Based partly on New Jersey records. 1908. Stone, Witmer. European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Auk, p. 221. 1908. Stonr, Witmer. The Life Areas of Southern New Jersey. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., pp. 452-459. 1908. Von LenceRKE, J. Migration of Hawks. Auk, July, p. 315. Stagg Lake, Sussex county. 1908. Wooprurr, E. 8. Another capture of a Tagged Duck. Auk, April, p. 216. Redhead at Beach Haven. 1909. Bratstin, Dr. W. C. A List of the Birds Observed on the Barnegat Region of the New Jersey Coast in August, 1908. Cas- sinia, 1908, pp. 41-44. 1909. DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLuB, Abstract of Pro- ceedings, 1908. Cassinia, 1908, pp. 67-71. 1909. Hartow, R. C. The Little Blue Heron in New Jersey. Auk, p. 189. 1909. Hartow, R. C. The Yellow Rail at Salem, New Jersey. Auk, p- 190. 1909. Hown, R. H., Jr. A Curious Influx of Southern Herons to New Jersey. Auk, p. 76. Ardea coerulea at Sea Bright. 346 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 1909. Hunt, C. J. Some Birds of a Maurice River Farm. Cassinia, 1908, pp. 14-19. | New Jersey. 1909. Moors, R. T. Three Finds in South Jersey. Cassimia, 1908, pp. 29-40. Nests of Marsh Hawk, Black Duck and Pine Warbler. 1909. Strong, Witmer. Bird Life at Catoxen. Cassinia, 1908, pp. 25—28. Medford, N. J. 1909. Stone, WitmMeER. Report on the Spring Migration of 1908. Cassinia, 1908, pp. 45-64. Glossary of Technical Terms Abdomen. The belly. Auriculars. Feathers covering the ear. Azillaries. Rather elongated feathers growing from near the juncture of the wing and the body, seen only when the wing is raised. Cere. The naked skin surrounding the nostrils in Hawks, Pigeons, etc. Crissum. The lower tail-coverts. Coverts. Small feathers covering the upper and middle part of the wing and upper and under part of the tail. Culmen. The ridge or keel of the upper mandible. Ear-coverts. Fine feathers overlying the ear opening. Ear-tufts. Erectile tufts of feathers on each side of the forehead as in the owls. They have nothing to do with the ears. Gape. The opening of the mouth. Gonys. The keel of the lower mandible from the tip to where it branches. Interscapulars. Feathers of the back; between the shoulders. Lore. The space between the eye and the bill. Malar region. Side of the lower jaw behind the bill. Mantle. Back, scapulars and wings of Gulls and some other birds in which this area is peculiarly colored. Mandible. The jaw. Nape. Upper portion of the hind neck. Nasal. Pertaining to the nostrils. Nuchal. Pertaining to the nape. Occipital. Pertaining to the back part of the head. Primaries. The quill feathers that grow from the hand or outer section of the wing, usually nine or ten in number. Primary coverts. Smaller stiff feathers immediately overlying the base of the primaries. Rectriz. One of the long tail feathers of a bird. Remewx. A primary or secondary of the bird’s wing. Rictal. Pertaining to the corner of the mouth or gape. Rump. That part of the lower back immediately above the upper tail-coverts. Scapular region. A longitudinal band of feathers on each side of the back. Secondaries. The long stiff quill feathers growing from the forearm or second section of the wing. Speculum. The bright-colored patch on a duck’s wing. Superciliary. Above the eye. Tarsus. The (usually bare horny) part of the bird’s leg between the toes and the heel joint. Really part of the foot rather than the leg. Tertials. 'The three innermost secondaries which are usually graduated and differently colored from the others. Vermiculated. Marked with irregular fine lines. (347) PAR a ith. Notes on New Jersey Hishes, Amphibians and Reptiles By HENRY: Wa'FOWELER, Of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. (349) a) ey ik i Peco lar “WOES Gai Kin BO) Om ep lid¢erl Dee canta a . eed AICO OW SA Rae a ” “cotta bain e for Waa. LIDIA 1G Pee i her ie ‘ t be | éj | = : * ‘ i - ’ * in A : : ' ) a fi ty BAN. ; eo 7 t ‘ x . z ue ‘ Ly ; ‘ ve . v , i ihe“ ie yy ay | ‘ * 7 ” rel el? Pal fi i] : Joey wry j { os ae eee yes sii ati as 1. Notes on New Jersey Fishes. This account is a record of my observations made during the past season, together with such information as I have been able to gather from apparently reliable sources. Several recent additions to the fauna are here noted. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer, of Trenton, and Dr. R. J. Phillips, of Philadelphia, have kindly furnished me with some interest- ing notes. Family PETROMYZONIDA. Petromyzon marinus Linnzus. Lamprey. Lamper. Lamper Eel. Mr. Emlen Martin reports a large example about three feet long taken in the Rancocas Creek, at Centerton, Burlington county, during the spring of 1908. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says that at Trenton and below, in the Dela- ware, they would formerly appear in spring and early summer in all the shad and herring fisheries. They attached themselves to shad, herring or carp, removing the scales at the point of attachment to rasp off the flesh and thus be enabled to suck the blood. Fish so at- tacked soon become weak, and often an infested shad has been seen swimming laboriously behind the main school. On one occasion a shad with two rather small lampreys of about nine or ten inches in length, one dangling from each opercle, was seen swimming in this way. The young do not seem to be known or be used by the fishermen. Lampreys run in the tributary creeks or smaller streams in the spring and early summer to spawn. Large ones, reaching four or five pounds in weight, were met with, and when about their nesting were very pugnacious, viciously attempting the defensive, though harmless. Lampreys were not used as food by the fishermen. (351) 352 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family CARCHARIIDZ. Carcharias littoralis (Mitchill). Sand Shark. A large shark, about eight feet long, evidently this species, was reported late in August of 1908 by Mr. W. J. Fox, from Sea Isle City. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer reports a shark, very likely this species, as having been taken in the Delaware River many years ago, about 1848. It was taken at Fisher’s Point (Fish House now, or its vicinity, and in Camden county) and brought to Trenton, and there kept on exhibi- tion in the flesh some time after. It was said to have measured eight feet seven inches in length. Dr. R. J. Phillips reported a large shark, evidently this species, and about seven feet long, taken at Corson’s Inlet, in Cape May county, on August 10th, 1908. When opened it was said to contain a sea robin (Prionotus) and five spots (Letostomus). Family SPHYRNIDZ. Sphyrna zygeena (Linnezus). Hammer Head Shark. Dr. Phillips says he saw a hammer head about eighteen inches long, at Corson’s Inlet, early in August of 1908. Family RAJIDA. Raja eglanteria Lacépéde. Common Speckled Skate. Skates, evidently this species, as they are said to be of small size with pointed snouts, were reported by Dr. Phillips to be common at Corson’s Inlet. A small and partly-digested skate was once found in the stomach of a red drum (Scienops) when opened. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 353 Raja levis Mitchill. Barn Door Skate. Dr. Abbott tells me that the skate he reported in 1868 under this name was taken in-the Delaware, somewhere in the vicinity of Beverly, in Burlington county, and was later exhibited in Trenton. Family DASYATIDZ. Dasyatis centroura (Mitchill). Sting Ray. Two examples, most likely this species, were reported taken at Cor- son’s Inlet during the past summer, according to Dr. Phillips. Family ACIPENSERIDA. Acipenser sturio Linneus. Sturgeon. In Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county, reported scarce by the fishermen, and but few taken now. Mr. H. Walker Hand reports that the fishermen were meeting with much better success off Green Creek, Cape May county, than for sev- eral years past, during late spring in 1908. At Dias Creek one of the fishermen caught two large roe sturgeon, seven black drums and five hundred pounds of weakfish on April 27th, it being the first lift of the pound-nets for the spring. I saw two large examples taken at Pennsgrove, Salem county, in the Delaware, on July 22d, 1908, My. J. B. Vanderveer says the sturgeon ascends the Delaware tiver at Trenton in the spring when the water begins to warm, after the breaking up of the ice. They move up in small-sized schools or bunches of a dozen or more on the new moon, afterwards dropping back. The buck is smaller than the sow, which weighs from fifty to 23 354 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. one hundred and twenty pounds. They deposit in the rapids on gravel bars, and at times the sexes are rather polyandrous, as many as a dozen males accompanying a single female. On one such occasion the anxious bucks were seen swimming nervously about and around an indisposed sow. As she did not seem ‘to accept their attentions, some were seen to move off and then swim rapidly at her, striking their noses, one or more at a time, against her sides, 50. that the ova were literally forced out. At the same time the milt was expelled and the ova fertilized en masse. Sturgeon seldom jump when ascending the river, as they are then vigorous, and seemingly have the requisite amount of air. But after spawning their condition is weakened, ap- pearing lazy, or often as over-sleepy, or becoming feverish, lying around on the bottom, and it is then that they frequently jump for air. Of many individuals opened, none were ever found to contain any food, unless it may have been invisible to the naked eye or micro- scopic. Formerly sturgeon fishing was carried on by spearing—that is, before nets were used. This was accomplished either at night with a light or during the day. The sturgeon could usually be readily located, as when dropping down stream they all move down tail first with the current, though the instant their tails would strike anything, such as a rock or log, they would immediately start up stream again, thus leaving a wake most always discernable at the surface. It was by means of this wake that the fish were located. They would then repeat their downward course until again feeling an obstruction. The fishermen believed that this method of descending tail first was to avoid the contact of the rocks and the snout, the latter being some- what sensitive and capable of being easily bruised. The harpoon or barb was sometimes thrown free, or fastened to a rope, the latter method, of course, necessitating careful management in a boat, as a large sturgeon could tow it at good speed. The exhausted fish were finally hooked into the boat. Acipenser brevirostrum Le Sueur. Mouche. According to the fishermen at Bridgeport, in lower Raccoon Creek, Gloucester county, the “mouche” is said to be very scarce. They dis- tinguish it chiefly by its small size, which is said not to exceed three feet. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 355 Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says this fish seems to be well known to the Delaware River fishermen, who claim it differs from the common sturgeon in having full-developed milt and ova when twelve inches long; that it seldom or never reaches over three feet in length; is mostly transparent when held to the hght, while the common stur- geon is solid and not at all transparent; that the bony dorsal bucklers appear to differ, and that its snout is always blunt, even when small, while that of the common sturgeon is sharp when young, though blunt only with age. The flesh is very highly prized about Trenton, and the fish was known locally as the “Delaware salmon.” Fishermen say that this species makes but a single run in the spring, and that on one moon, generally the full moon in April or late March. This fish is mostly called the mouche to distinguish it from the common sturgeon. Family CLUPEIDZ. Pomolobus mediocris (Mitchill). Hickory Shad. Reported by fishermen to Dr. Phillips as occurring at Corson’s Inlet. Pomolobus pseudoharengus (Wilson). Alewife. In Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county, the “moon eye” is said by the fishermen to arrive late in May with the next. Many have been taken in the creek at times and they are valued as food. Mr. Emlen Martin says they run in the Rancocas Creek as far as Hainesport, Burlington county. They arrive later than the shad, or about the middle of May. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer, of Trenton, says that the alewife still ascends the Delaware in the spring in great numbers, and formerly in countless thousands, being the object of extensive fisheries for many years. They are the first herring to appear, and come with the shad, or a little later. They appear usually in April, fully four weeks in most seasons before the “black belly,” though some have been taken as early as February. Though the fishermen admit that their ascension is 356 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. largely due to the spawning instinct, yet they argue that the food sup- ply ever plays the dominant part in their habits. What this food they speak of is, is not clear, but may perhaps be microscopic plant or animal life contained in the water, as all the shad and herring ascend- ing in the spring, and many hundreds have been examined, are found apparently empty. However, as they think it moves about in large areas in the water, either deep or at the surface, and is variously influenced by the tides, winds and rains, so the fish seem to act in accordance. They always seem to follow this so-called food, pushing ahead or falling back as it moves. The alewife moves up the river in schools of varying size, sometimes, as formerly, in immense num- bers. If weather conditions are unfavorable, such as protracted cold, they run in the creeks where warmer water forming shallower places affords them comfort. The fishermen do not believe they spawn to any extent in these places, unless land-locked or obstructed in some manner. They select places, similar to those used by the shad, when depositing, and in this respect resemble them very much. They usually find a deep place, frequently of several feet, and always where the water has a whirling or rotating motion or current, as about deep eddies near the rocks in the river. Such places usually have clear or clean bottoms, but if not and such a locality is preferred, the fish will clean them by brushing them with their tails until only the bare stones or rocks are left. The fish assemble in schools in these places, moving restlessly about together. The ova and milt are deposited at the same time, the whirling water serving to thoroughly mix it as it sinks to the bottom on the rocks, especially in pebbles or stones in eddies. The fish never deposit in mud. Sometimes the spawn may be entirely destroyed by protracted foul or muddy water, freshets, floods, or similar causes. Like the sturgeon, when ascending, the alewife is vigorous and active, and appears to require little air from the surface, as they seldom jump. After depositing and when slipping down stream on their return to the sea, they may frequently be observed to jump. This jump is spoken of by the fishermen as the “rattle,” which has earned for them the local name of “rattler.” Indeed, it is claimed, so different are the sounds pro- duced by this fish, from those of the black belly, that they have each earned their vernaculars from the fishermen by these peculiar habits when rising to the surface for air. The spent alewife ascends to the surface of the water abruptly, producing a more solid sort of splash, and when descending the tail is thrown up so that from NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. Go Ou -~2 the laterally vibrated strokes near the surface a kind of rippling or rattling splash is produced. Sometimes over a large area hun- dreds will be found rattling, every few rods a wake appearing at the surface, and again a dozen may jump at once. As the herring gradually develop from the fry and reach a somewhat advanced adoles- cent stage, the condition of taking food appears to be different. This is thought probably due to the undeveloped branchial apparatus, it not vet having formed a fully-developed sieve to capture the food taken by the adult. It is at this stage that they will devour most any aquatic insect or small invertebrate, and only then may they be lured by the angler with his fly. Passing on down the river and reaching the sea they develop gradually the adult conditions and finally live in the ocean. The prevalent theory of the fishermen seems to be that the fish follow the current of the Delaware basin out into the Gulf Stream, where they may obtain suitable food. They also think that there is probably more southern migration, and that in the following spring the ascending herring enter the bays and rivers as the suitable food lures them on. This herring is variously called by the fishermen alewife, alewi, bulger or rattler. Although I have not taken them myself, they have been taken on Burlington Island in the Delaware and have been reported to run in the small guts sometimes in the spring. Pomolobus zestivalis (Mitchill). Black Bellied Herring. The “black back” is sometimes numerous in Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county, according to the fishermen. It is valued as food. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer, of Trenton, says that this fish is distin- guished by the fishermen of the Delaware River chiefly by the black peritoneum and its more slender form. It ascends the river much later than the alewife, appearing usually about three weeks after- ward, sometimes four, or near the middle of or late in May, accord- ing, of course, to conditions. At least it is always conspicuously later. It appears sometimes in considerable numbers, though it does not seem to be quite so abundant on the whole as the alewife. When ascend- ing it is like the alewife, vigorous and apparently without need of (Sh) Or (o.6) REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. ascending to the surface of the water, for it seldom, if ever, rises there unless possibly for food. It differs from both the alewife and shad in selecting shoal water to deposit, though never running in the creeks or small streams. They select shoals of clean gravel, often in the current, and there deposit their eggs. Like the alewife, the ova and milt are deposited at once, and all fertilized together as they sink to the bottom. They never deposit in mud. Sometimes quite large schools are found about the spawning-grounds. When spent and thus weakened they frequently rise to the surface of the water for air in their downward course in the river to the sea. They differ in their movements at the surface from the alewife at this time, and are said to “flip” by the fishermen, the name having been suggested doubtless by the noise or sound produced. They will ascend to the surface for air and suddenly turn, and in the downward course the impetus of the tail at the surface produces a single sharp slapping sound called the “flip.” Hence the fishermen call them flippers. Like shad and alewives, nothing has been found in the stomachs of the many examples examined, except, possibly microscopic animal life not seen by the naked eye. Later, as they develop near the adult con- dition, though with imperfect branchial apparatus, they feed like the alewife and may then also be taken on a fly. Called rail herrin, black belly or flipper locally by the fishermen. Alosa sapidissima (Wilson). Shad. A curious hermaphrodite of this species, in which milt and roe were about equally developed, was taken in the Delaware during late March of 1908 and brought to Camden. The organs are of the usual type of the milt and roe, only the anterior portion of each is characteristic of the milt alone, the posterior being the roe. This example was secured by Mr. J. B. Fine. A number were reported to have been taken during spring runs in the tidewater of Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county. They are thought to be much less abundant than formerly, the fisher- men thinking the polluted river water has acted as a greater check to their abundance in the river than any other cause. . Mr. Emlen Martin says that in the catches, which numbered about NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 359 thirty to fifty individuals during the season of 1908, most all were bucks, but one or two roes having been taken, in the Rancocas Creek, at Centerton. The largest seldom were over eight pounds. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer, of Trenton, says that this well-known food- fish, the most important in this respect of all our river fishes, our fishermen believe to be far less common than formerly, when the ex- tensive fisheries netted unusual catches. Unlike the herrings, the shad is said to produce no disturbance at the surface of the water when taking air. It ascends the river in the spring, as soon as the water warms sufficiently, and is at that time vigorous, and seemingly in its upward course seldom or never ascends to the surface of the water for air. Shad select such places as the alewife use, and spawn in a similar manner. They differ from both of our herrings, how- ever, in that during their descent or return to the sea they never make any disturbance when rising to the surface for air, Fishermen think this is due to the shape of the nose being more produced. As the fry develop they soon reach a half-grown size, when they will devour most all kinds of insects and small aquatic animals, and at this season may be taken on a fly. When ascending the river, as on one occa- sion at the Delaware River bridge, at Trenton, the shadow of this seemed to form an impassable barrier. To one looking down from above large schools could all be seen herded all along the edge of the dark shadow, but not a single individual for an instant passing into ii. Finally a leader among the fish appeared, and after swimming along the shadow several times finally determined on a point to pass through, when the whole multitude placidly followed in a narrow stream. The young are capable of caring for themselves after about three moons, and are eagerly devoured by chub, rock, perch, cat fish, 1 ; Dr. R. J. Phillips has seen it at Gloucester. Reported to have been taken in the Delaware at Burlington Island. At Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, many bright, silvery young were found on August 13th, 1908. They were about two inches long. After being in alcohol a short time their backs were brilliant emerald-green in some lights, with a bright violet streak back from upper eye edge to caudal base above. They were associated mostly in schools of moderate size, though were often taken with the other small fishes. 360 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe). Mossbunker. Color, when fresh, of a young example, deep steel-plumbeous to slaty, blackish or neutral-blackish on back. Line of demarcation from about level with upper margin of eye to about middle of base of upper caudal lobe rather distinct, and all about with pale tints or nebule of pale indigo. Rest of side and entire lower surface, inclusive of lower surface of head also, and iris, bright silvery to mereury-white. Upper surface of head becoming pale and translucent grayish on snout and front of mandible. All this region also finely dotted with dusky. Dorsal and caudal pale translucent grayish, finely dotted with darker. Other fins pale translucent whitish. Length 2°/,, inches. A single example taken at Corson’s Inlet on January 14th, 1908, in a hauling-seine. W. J. Fox and D. McCadden. Menhaden were so abundant in the latter part of August, 1908, that they ran in Tuckerton Creek and the tributaries of Little Egg Har- bor and Tuckerton Bay, so that large numbers were captured for fertilizers. This was thought to be due to the blue fish forays, the latter also running in in numbers, some being taken inside. J. A. G. Rehn. Family DOROSOMATID. Dorosoma cepedianum (Le Sueur). Gizzard Shad. Several mud shad were taken in Raccoon Creek, near Bridgeport, Gloucester county, according to the fishermen, in March of 1908. They are not valued in any way. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer, of Trenton, says they occur mostly in muddy ponds and in some instances have been taken in such places by the boat-load. Though of no use as a food-fish, they have been sold as “bitter heads” or “poor soles,” as low-grade fish. They are not a very hardy species, and resort to the mud in cold weather, where they stay all winter. They feed on the ends of decayed channel grass or candocks in winter. In warm weather they take their prey at the sur- face of the water like a small rock, and will then also take a hook NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 361 baited with a worm. ‘They will also take small fish. They deposit, unlike their relatives, in the mud. The female is much larger and more chunky than the male. Called gizzard shad, gizzard fish and mud shad by the river fishermen. Reported to have been taken in the Delaware at Burlington Island. Family ENGRAULIDIDZ. Anchovia brownii (Gmelin). Broad Banded Anchovy. Dr. R. J. Phillips reports anchovies about three inches long which were rather abundant at Corson’s Inlet this past summer. They were taken for bait by the fishermen, who knew them as “pink white bait.” Family ARGENTINIDA. Osmerus mordax (Mitchill). Smelt. A number were taken in the Delaware River at Trenton in early April of 1908, according to Mr. Vanderveer. He says they are taken by hook and line fishermen in late spring and early summer, mostly in May and till the middle of June.. They run in the little inlets later, but do not leave the tidewater, and are often seen in some numbers about the sewer outlets. They bed in deep water in muddy bottoms, in winter. Family ANGUILLIDA. Anguilla chrisypa Rafinesque. Kel. Found in Repaupo Creek, near Repaupo, in the Delaware basin of Gloucester county, April 19th, 1908. Reported abundant in Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, Gloucester county. One seen about thirty inches long on April 19th, 1908. oo 63 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. © Transparent young found in Sluice Creek, a tributary of Dennis Creek, above the “beaver dam,” Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. Fishermen reported that quite large ones are taken at times. Several small or half-grown ones were found about the more muddy places and under stones on Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. Dr. Phillips found it at Corson’s Inlet, reaching about two and one- half feet. : Found on Burlington Island in June of 1902. Family LEPTOCEPHALID. Leptocephalus conger (Linnzus). Conger Eel. According to Dr. Phillips, the fishermen report it as occurring off Corson’s Inlet. Family CYPRINIDA. Hybognathus nuchalis regius (Girard). Silvery Minnow. Abundant in the Delaware River, near Florence, Burlington county, on July 11th, 1908. They were mostly small, and not associated with other fishes, swimming in rather large schools just a little off shore. This was abundant in the Delaware River, at Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. They occurred in some places in small schools, appearing not to associate very much with the other fishes, and usually were found about the clearer, clean, sandy shallows or shores. One very large or adult example was secured, and all exhibited the usual silvery-white coloration, none being brassy. I have found this species several times in the Delaware, about Bur- lington Island. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 363 Semotilus bullaris Rafinesque. Chub. Color when fresh with back and upper surface of head, deep steel- blue, greenish reflections seen in certain lights. Edges of scales at pockets, with deep neutral-black tints forming continuous reticulated pattern till well down middle of sides. Under surface of body opaque silvery-white. Sides of head with a brilliant deep rosy-red or ver- milion tinge, fading paler and whitish below. Entire side of body with deep rosy-red tinge, intense in life. Snout olivaceous-brown. Cheeks intense scarlet. Iris bright orange, with narrow ring around slaty pupil lighter and apparently better defined. A dark neutral streak around origin of squamous area on post-occipital and nuchal region. Dorsal olivaceous, with warm orange tints, and becoming bright vermilion at base of fin. Caudal ochraceous-olive, radii around outer portions more neutral tint. Shoulder girdle with bright orange- vermilion tinge. Pectoral brilliant orange-vermilion, deepest inside, and upper margin narrowly dusky. Ventral paler, orange-vermilion medianly, without dusky. Anal pale orange medianly, with whitish around margins. Length eleven and one-half inches. This example was taken in the Delaware, at Trenton, April 4th, 1908, and for- warded to me by Mr. J. B. Vanderveer and Dr. C. C. Abbott. I was very glad to have this opportunity of exdmining this fish in high coloration. Though no tubercles were present on the upper surface of the head, I have seen adult breeding-males which were so furnished. These large chubs are taken with the suckers, and as they will all live some time in captivity, find a ready sale among the Jewish popu- lation. Dr. Abbott first described this species from our limits many years ago.’ Very shortly after his elucidation, and the application of the name Cyprinus corporalis Mitchill to it, a step which has since, to a great extent, been thought justified by later writers, Cope set aside and renamed the fish Leucosomus rhotheus,? besides rejecting Rafinesque’s generic name Semotilus. Cope is also credited with having stated that there were apparent inaccuracies in Dr. Abbott’s description of color, and without living specimens a correction could not be made, but its general appearance when drawn from the water, 1Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, p. 154. i, C3; p. O23. 364 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. as far as recollected, was silvery, without spots or bands. These remarks are hardly justified at all by my own observations, as Dr. Abbott’s fish was a fully-developed breeding-male. These are most certainly as gorgeously attired as described by himself long ago and in my notes above. At other times of the year the chub, it is true, is silvery, but more especially when young. The spots and bands referred to are to some extent evanescent, diffuse or variable, and sometimes appear more intense than at others, though never much more than obsolete tints at best. Mr. Vanderveer says that the chub often feeds on the little bits of vegetation which sometimes float to the surface, after-a school of suckers have been browsing about and dragging the plants from the bottom. At such times it would be comparatively easy to locate them by the disturbance at the surface of the water, when they were readily captured. Occasionally taken in the tidewater of Raccoon Creek, near Bridge- port, Gloucester county, during warm weather. They are said to reach but a moderate size and are not especially valued. Mr. Vanderveer says that in the Delaware near Trenton in winter and spring, sometimes browsing suckers will disturb the channel grass by pushing about among it and thus little decayed ends will float to the surface. These ends will then form a tempting lure to the chub, and the little disturbance at the water’s surface indicating to the fishermen the condition below so that a profitable haul may be made. Sometimes both chubs and suckers were taken in this way. The tail of the chub produces but a little wake as he swims near the surface. Chubs are cannibals, eating their own kind, fish-spawn, and insects. The latter they always take with a break at the surface. They grow rapidly in warm weather, or till the water cools. In winter they lurk about deep holes with hard bottoms. They readily take dough-bait. In size they reach a weight of about two and one- half to three pounds and a maximum length of about twenty inches. Abramis crysoleucas (Mitchill). Roach. Young very abundant in large schools associated with Notropis chalybeus in Still Run, near Porchtown, this one of the head-waters of the Maurice River in Gloucester county. They were not so darkly- NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 365 colored as usual in cedar-stained streams, and were only found in sheltered quiet places along shore April 17th, 1908. Reported to be frequently taken in Sluice Creek, tributary of Den- nis Creek, in Cape May county. About Trenton Mr. J. B. Vanderveer finds the roach more of a ereek or pond fish, and, when found in the river, usually about chan- nel grass. He found it reached a length of about seven inches. Abundant in the lower tidal of the Assiscunk Creek, near Burling- ton, on September 15th, 1908. An adult about five inches long had very pale yellow lower fins. The young very abundant in all the still muddy shallows, swimming rather slowly about in scattered schools. Disturbing or making the water muddy did not appear to especially inconvenience them. Small examples taken on Burlington Island in June of 1902, and larger ones seen later. Notropis bifrenatus (Cope). Bridled Minnow. An unusually yellowish example was seined in the Delaware River near Florence, Burlington county, on July 11th, 1908. Found on Burlington Island by me. Notropis hudsonius amarus (Girard). Spot Tailed Minnow. In the Delaware River at Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, this was the least abundant cyprinoid on August 13th, 1998. It associated with and frequented to some extent the same places as the silver fin. The fry and small examples were most numerous, but few adults having been secured. The caudal spot, though evident, was not very vivid. I have taken this fish in the Delaware at Burlington Island. 366 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Notropis whipplii analestanus (Girard). Silver Fin. This was the most abundant cyprinoid in the Delaware along the shores of Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. Many young were found in some places, as along the clear, sandy banks, in veritable hosts. The beautiful adults, some of which were males, were interesting, as they had entirely lost the breeding-tubercles and satin-white fin-pigment. Their scales, however, exhibited the beautiful reticulated diamonds in the usual pattern, and the posterior dorsal membranes were marked distinctly with the characteristic black dorsal blotch. Abundant in the lower tidal of the Assiscunk Creek, near Burling- ton, on September 15th, 1908. They frequented the shallows, but all seen were young or small in size. They preferred the muddy shoals with the retreating tide, and were seldom found associated with the other small fishes. When disturbed in these places they had a curious habit of skipping or jumping out of the water in their efforts to get away quickly. They would frequently jump several inches in the air and skip a distance of from a few inches to a foot, in this greatly sug- gesting mullets (JZugil) as they jump a cork-line of a seine. They would all then be enabled to reach deep water-and so escape. We did not notice the kilhes do this. Found by me in the Delaware at Burlington Island. Notropis chalybzeus (Cope). Blue Green Minnow. Very abundant in Still Run, near Porchtown, upper basin of the Maurice River, in Gloucester county, April 17th, 1908. They were witbout breeding-dress, lacking tubercles or orange pigment. Both this and Abrams crysoleucas, with which they were associated, were preved on by the pike which were constantly darting into the schools, seizing a victim and as quickly returning to their original point of vantage. None of the minnows were of the dark cedar-stained type found in other lowland streams. Small or young examples were numerous. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 367 Cyprinus carpio Linnzus. Carp. Abundant about Bridgeport in Raccoon Creek, Gloucester county. taised in carp ponds for market. Family CATOSTOMID. Erimyzon sucetta oblongus (Mitchill). Chub Sucker. One small example taken in a school of minnows in Still Run, one of the headwaters of the Maurice River near Porchtown, Gloucester county, on April 17th, 1908. Reported common, and usually found in summer by the fishermen at Bridgeport, in Raccoon Creek, Gloucester county. Reported in the ditches or runs on Burlington Island. Catostomus commersonnii (Lacépéde). White Sucker. Taken in the Delaware River at Trenton early in April of 1904 with the chub and smelt. They are sold to the Jews, according to Mr. J. B. Vanderveer. The river fishermen distinguish several kinds. The sand sucker is described as mostly dull yellowish, and this color encircling most all the body except a narrow whitish median ventral or abdominal stripe. It is said to be rather shorter, more plump and not much in meadows. They travel alone, all moving up about one time and on one moon. Other suckers, called creek sucker, black sucker and gravel sucker, may possibly refer to some other species. Some are said to have the dorsal scale pockets blackish, the belly white, and the body more slender. They weigh up to four and one-half pounds, with about fifty individuals to 200 pounds. Reported to be common in Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, Gloucester county, in the spring. Reported to occur on Burlington Island. 368 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family SILURIDA. Felichthys marinus (Mitchill). Sea Cat Fish. Color, when fresh, beautiful steel blue-black on back or wpper sur- face, fading brilliant mereury-white on sides and lower surface. A bluish sheen extending down whole length of sides. Under surface of body shining milky-white. Dorsal and caudal dusky, latter darker towards edges. Pectoral dusky above, below and inner edges dull whitish. Ventral and anal dull whitish, latter antero-medianly pale dusky. Maxillary barbel silver-gray, otherwise distally whitish. Lower mental barbels whitish. Edge of upper jaw gray-white. Man- dible whitish. Iris silvery. Adipose fin dusky. Length thirteen inches. Sea Isle City. W. J. Fox. August 20th, 1908. Ameiurus catus (Linneus). White Cat Fish. ‘ In Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county, the white cat is reported to appear early in June, when but few are taken. Mr. Emlen Martin secured two examples in the Rancocas Creek, at Centerton, Burlington county, in August, on live minnow bait. He also says that a number were taken during the spring, but that they are less abundant than the yellow cat. Some attained five or six pounds in weight. Said to run in Sluice Creek, tributary of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county, to the beaver dam, but not taken above, according to the fishermen. A young example was taken in the Delaware River, at Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. It was a pale livid slaty-gray in color. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says two forms of forked tail cat fish occur in the Delaware, and differ chiefly in the eye and coloration. The large white cat fish is said to deposit only when a foot or more in length, while the “bullhead,” or the smaller form, is said to deposit when NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 369 but four inches. Formerly the large white cat was very abundant, uppearing in late May or early June, according to the weather, and on either side of the river, as a long continuous procession, narrow, but of great length. During their ascension they would frequently flip like the black belly herring, though the very large ones usually ap- peared to move up singly and seldom or never flip. The frequency of their flipping very often determined the extent of the procession, for if rather narrow the flipping was comparatively less than when the procession was wide. These processions would push away beyond tide- water into the upper basin of the Delaware for many miles, their object seemingly to feed on the numerous small snails which swarmed in those regions. As this source of food seemed to decrease or disap- pear, the cat fish gradually descended the river, so that they would again reach Trenton by about July. As the snails grew, or at least seemed to be more numerous, the advent of the cat fish was more marked, the fish afterwards gradually disappearing. Sometimes two or three runs would be noted in June, when the ascension occurred, and on one occasion many years ago seven wagonloads were taken in a single haul. The fishermen think the “bullhead” never occurs in strings, but appears scattered, both when ascending and descending, and it is only found when baited. The “silver tail” moves off the first full moon in August. Bullheads reach about one te three or four pounds in weight, and though considered better in the Susquehanna, the “silver tail” is the better fish in the Delaware. Reported to occur in the Delaware at Burlington Island. Ameiurus nebulosus (Le Sueur). Yellow Cat. This species is reported to be common in Raccoon Creek at Bridge-- port, Gloucester county. A number, each weighing about a pound, were seen April 19th, 1908. Mr. Emlen Martin says it is common in the Rancocas Creek at Centerton, Burlington county. teported common in Sluice Creek, tributary of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says they deposit in the Delaware in June, 24 370 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. and run in the creeks and ponds, where they care for their young. In the late summer they move out into the channel grass in the larger streams to feed on snails, sometimes as late as September. At times twenty to one hundred pounds have been netted in a single “set.” Called vellow cat or nigger cat fish by the fishermen. Found by me on Burlington Island. Family ESOCIDA. Esox americanus (Gmelin). Ditch Pike. 1 have found this on Burlington Island. Esox reticulatus Le Sueur. Pickerel. Abundant in the mill pond at Franklinville, Gloucester county, basin of Little Ease Run, headwaters of the Maurice River, April 17th, 1908. Very abundant, though most all seen were small, in the headwaters of the Maurice River called Still Run, near Porchtown, Gloucester county, on April 17th, 1908. A small example seen at the head of the lake at Millville, Maurice River, in Cumberland county, May 9th, 1908. Several young about two inches long or less were taken in Sluice Creek, above the dam, tributary of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county. Said to occur in the lake, of rather large size, and the only species. Dr. R. J. Phillips has taken it at Palatine and Clayton. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 371 Family UMBRIDZ. Umbra pygmzea (De Kay). Mud Minnow. Several small examples taken in Crooked Creek at Cape May Court House, Cape May county, January dth, 1908. Several large dark examples taken in Great Sound Creek, Cape May county, January 5th, 1908. A small dark example was found in a quiet muddy pool near Porch- town, basin of Still Run, headwaters of the Maurice River in Glou- cester county, on April 17th, 1908. It was associated with a number of small tadpoles. Several dark examples, one quite large, taken in Repaupo Creek of the Delaware basin, in Gloucester county, April 19th, 1908, near Repaupo. Several taken in the clear cedar water of Little Timber Creek where it flows through a cedar swamp near Coopers, Gloucester county, April 19th, 1908. In a little choked-up brook tributary to the lake at Millville, Maurice River basin, Cumberland county, they are abundant, though of small size. All were rather dark, though less so than those taken in the first branch of the lake at its head and in the black water among the cedars. These latter fish were dusky-black with very dark bellies. May 9th, 1908. Several in a sphaguum bog along Sluice Creek, tributary of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. Small in size and variably deep blackish in color. Found by me on Burlington Island. Oo ~2 oo REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family PQ:CILIIDZ. Fundulus majalis (Walbaum). May Fish. Dr. R. J. Phillips says it is common at Corson’s Inlet, and the female is distinguished as of that sex by some fishermen. Locally abundant in the surf at Ocean City on September 10th, 1908. The numerous adult females were usually more abundant than the males. Some of the latter were in high coloration, head blackish and anal long, ete. Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus (Walbaum). Mummichog. Abundant in Crooked Creek, Cape May county, on January 5th, 1908. Abundant in Great Sound Creek, Cape May county, on January 5th, 1908. At Newbold’s Island, in the Delaware River, Burlington county, it was quite abundant along the shallows of the shore on August 13th, 1908, though less so than Fundulus diaphanus. No large ones were found, and though both sexes were distinct in their coloration, they were of the ornatus type. The males thus lacked the extreme dark color with sulphur-yellow variegations, and the females were a little speckled. Dr. Phillips says the “bullhead” is common at Corson’s Inlet. Small or young very abundant in the lower tidal of the Assiscunk Creek, near Burlington, on September 15th, 1908. They were usu- ally associated with the next. Very abundant on Burlington Island. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 373 Fundulus diaphanus (Le Sueur). Barred WKillifish. Small example taken in the upper waters of Crooked Creek, near Cape May Court House, Cape May county, January 5th, 1908. Abundant in the Delaware River, near Florence, Burlington county, on July 11th, 1908. Many were males, and some large females were also seen, though the former had lost some of their brilliancy. The most abundant fish met with along the shores of Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, in the Delaware River, on August 15th, 1908. Some were quite large or full-sized adults, and quite larger than the last species. These very large examples were dull sandy- brown, with dull vertical bars. Medium-sized individuals, males with faded breeding-dress, were rather common. Some others were quite small, though they all retained but faint traces of their former bril- liant yellowish and azure tints. The young were very common. Very abundant, and reaching a larger size than the preceding, in the lower tidal of the Assiscunk Creek, near Burlington, on September 15th, 1908. Very abundant on Burlington Island. Family BELONIDA. Tylosurus marinus (Walbaum). Green Gar, One small example found in the Delaware River, near Florence, Burlington county, on July 11th, 1908. Others of larger size were seen. In the Delaware River, at Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908, several small ones were taken, and some large ones about a foot in length were seen. They were probably more frequently captured than we supposed, but were easily enabled to slp through the meshes of the net on account of their slender bodies, and thus dis- appear before being observed as the net was hauled ashore. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says the bill fish is rather rare in the Dela- ware, appearing sometimes in a small school of about a dozen, though * 374 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. usually two or three individuals are seen at one time. It appears in June and July, till August, and reaches a length of from one and one- half to two feet. Dr. R. J. Phillips says it is common in the bait-nets at Corson’s Inlet this year. It reaches a maximum size of about eighteen inches. Found by me in the Delaware about Burlington Island. Family HEMIRAMPHID. Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Ranzani). Half Beak. Dr. R. J. Phillips reports about a dozen taken at Corson’s Inlet in a bait-net during the past summer. Family ATHERINIDA. Menidia menidia notata (Mitchill). White Bait. Silversides. Color when fresh pale and very translucent sandy-gray or brown, edge of each scale on back with dark margins formed of dusky dots. A narrow silvery lateral streak from axilla to base of caudal, sharply defined from back by a narrow streak of plumbeous on its upper edge along entire course. This silvery streak of intense mercury-like ap- pearance its whole length. Muzzle translucent brownish, and inclusive of mandible and preorbital finely dotted with dusky. Iris bright silvery-white. Upper surface of head translucent sandy-gray like rest of body, and also finely dotted with dusky rather inconspicuously. Cheeks, opercle and side of head with bright silvery, reflected pale bluish and purplish in some lights. Inside of gill-opening silvery- gray, finely dotted with dusky. Fins all pale translucent grayish- white. Peritoneum showing through body-walls of abdomen bright silvery. Length four and three-eighths inches. Also, five others from Corson’s Inlet on January 14th, 1908. At the above locality this fish is seined as a food-fish, and is known as “white bait.” The smaller examples are shipped to the Philadelphia markets en masse, and I have NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 375 seen large pans or boxes, each containing many thousands of indi- viduals, exposed there for sale. At Corson’s Inlet they were cooked or boiled in grease, and when thus served are said to be very palatable, if not boiled too much. They seem to keep well when frozen, like smelts, and are thus readily transported. They appeared to be equally abund- ant at this season as they are during warm weather and along other points of the seashore. Dr. Phillips says it was common during the past summer in the bait-net at Corson’s Inlet, was used as food, and known as “white bait” by the fishermen. Several taken in the surf at Ocean City on September 10th, 1908, with the sand lance. They soon die out of water. Some were quite large in size and rather duller silvery than usual. Taken at Grassy Sound July 18th, 1904. Family MUGILIDA. Mugil curema Valenciennes. Mullet. Dr. Phiilips says that the small mullets, evidently this species, are used as bait for rock at Corson’s Inlet. The large ones in the fall are called “fat backs.” Several taken in the surf at Ocean City on September 10th, 1908. They were about six inches long, and had the golden opercular blotch quite prominent. None attempted to jump the cork lines of the seine as it was hauled ashore, as they so often do in still water. Family GASTEROSTEIDZ. Gasterosteus aculeatus Linneus. Two Spined Stickleback. Color when fresh, deep slaty or neutral-blackish over the greater portion of the upper surface, fading into a steel slaty-gray on the sides, and also somewhat paler below. Dark color of the back spreads over at least upper half of body, and while more or less uniform on 376 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. back, is inconspicuously mottled on sides with a slightly darker shade than gencral body-color! This mottlng takes the form more or less of specks of rather uneven size, distributed at least over all of the cuirass of the trunk. Along base of anal the spots are distinct. Snout, edge of mandible and preorbital till level with lower margin of eye all dusky or slaty-blackish like rest of upper surface of head, though line of demarcation after eye not so distinct and not extending below upper basal margin of pectoral. Opercle and pre-pectoral plate pale like sides of trunk, and finely mottled with rather a few dusky specks. Sides of mandibular rami tinted a little with neutral-slaty. Iris neutral-slaty with a narrow silver circle around slaty-black pupil. Rest of under surface of head like thorax. From axil of ventral back to vent and just above pale pubic process a tract of neutral specks or dots extending back. In some lights entire lateral and lower surface of body has a brilliant shining and metallic appearance like dark burnished steel. Dorsal spines pale neutral, membranes transparent. Dorsal rays, anal and caudal translucent whitish, also pectoral. Ven- tral spine grayish-white, and membrane within closed fin brillant orange. Length two and one-half inches for largest example. In all, fourteen examples from Corson’s Inlet, Cape May county, on Jan- uary 14th, 1908. They were taken in a hauling-net or seine by Mr. W. G. Carothers. They were not known to the fishermen. Most all show at least a little orange tinge in the ventral membranes. Shrimps were also very common at the same time.? Apeltes quadracus (Mitchill). Four Spined Stickleback. Several adults, males with red ventrals, were taken in Great Sound Creek, Cape May county, on January 5th, 1908. Found abundantly in grassy pools on Burlington Island in June of 1902. 1Orago septemspinosus. Also an example of Globiocephala brachyptera Cope was captured there under the same date, the skeleton of which I have examined in the Academy. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. We Family FISTULARIIDZ. Fistularia tabacaria Linneus. Trumpet Fish. One was taken in a tide pool at Corson’s Inlet this summer, accord- ing to Dr. R. J. Phillips. It was about eight inches long. Family SYNGNATHIDA. Syngnathus fuscus Storer. Pipe Fish. Mr. J. A. G. Rehn secured an example at the mouth of Westecunk Creek, in Ocean county, in salt water, on August 12th, 1908. Dr. Phillips says several were taken at Corson’s Inlet, and a small and large one preserved. One hauled: ashore in the sea lettuce at Ocean City on September 10th, 1908. It was very dark brown in color. Family TRICHIURIDA. Trichiurus lepturus Linneus. Cutlass Fish. “silver eel” in late June of 1908. W. Reported at Sea Isle City as J. Fox. Family CARANGIDZ. Seriola zonata (Mitchill). Amber Fish. Pilot Fish. One taken at Ocean City on August 15th, 1908, by Mr. D. Mc- Cadden. Dr. Phillips reports two taken early last August in Corson’s Inlet. ~ 8 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Od Selene vomer (Linnzus). Moon Fish. One at Sea Isle City late in August, 1908. W. J. Fox. They were then reported to be abundant there, and a number were shipped to market. Dr. Phillips reports small ones taken in the bait-nets at Corson’s Inlet. Trachinotus carolinus (Linnzus). Common Pampano. A pampano, evidently this species, reported taken at Corson’s Inlet on August 21st, 1908, by Dr. Phillips. Several taken at Ocean City on September 10th, 1908, in the surf. Family POMATOMID. Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnzus). Blue Fish. Dr. Phillips says they are common some years at Corson’s Inlet. Small ones abundant in August. One small example taken at Ocean City on September 7th, 1908, by Mr. David McCadden, with an isopod crustacean on the gills. Forty-three examples of moderately small size were taken, mostly in a single haul of the seine, in the surf at Ocean City, on September 10th, 1908. They were apparently all herded in a school in one of the gullies or little bays formed along the beach, and from which the tide was fast ebbing with a very strong undertow. All the fish opened contained half-grown sand lance, most of which appeared to have been swallowed whole. One blue fish, when thrown on the dry sand, vomited a small live sand lance. But a single blue fish was found infested with the familiar isopod crustacean attached to the gills. The teeth of the blue fish, even when small, are very sharp, and I was painfully bitten by one in its struggles as it floundered about. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 379 The flesh is excellent eating at this age, being very tender, juicy, and of excellent flavor. About three or four are a very fair meal for one person. Family STROMATEID. Poronotus triacanthus (Peck). Butter Fish. Dr. Phillips reports having seen it at Somers Point and Atlantic City. Family APHREDODERID. Aphredoderus sayanus (Gilliams). Pirate Perch. A bright-colored nearly full-grown example taken in Repaupo Creek, Delaware basin, near Repaupo, in Gloucester county, on April 19th, 1908. Family CENTRARCHID. Pomoxis sparoides (Lacépéde). Calico Bass. One small or young example several inches long was taken in a seine in the clear water on a sandy bank along the shore of Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. In life it was dull muddy-brown with blackish specks. Acantharchus pomotis (Baird). Mud Sun Fish. A rather large example was taken above the “beaver dam” of Sluice Creek, tributary of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. Coloration of the usual olive. + 380 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Enneacanthus gloriosus (Holbrook). Blue Spotted Sun Fish. In a pool formed at the exhaust of the Pensauken water works sev- eral examples were found March 21st, 1908. No other fishes were seen. The pool is about twenty by forty feet in size, with about three or four feet depth, of warm water, and of such high temperature that the aquatic vegetation al! along the banks was forced well beyond the other plants outside the area of the pool. Though suffering somewhat from the frosts, the forced plants were still growing. Constant clouds of vapor were steaming from the surface of the water, though the fish were of the usual activity when captured, and displayed the usual characteristics when found in midwinter. They all seemed to lurk in the vegetation along the banks. An example nearly full grown, though not especially brilliant, was taken in Repaupo Creek, near Repaupo, Delaware basin, in Gloucester county, on April 19th, 1908. Found in grassy pools on Burlington Island in June of 1902. Lepomis auritus (Linnzus). Long Eared Sun Fish. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says the river sun fish was more abundant about Trenton formerly, were taken with lines, and reached as much as three-quarters of a pound in weight. Young abundant in the Delaware about Burlington Island. Eupomotis gibbosus (Linnzus). Common Sun Fish. Said to be abundant in Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county. Young taken in the grass of the lake above beaver dam of Sluice Creek, tributary to Dennis Creek, in Cape May county, May 10th, 1908. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 381 In the Delaware River, at Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, the young were common about the more grassy places, though all small and rather dull-colored, August 13th, 1908. Mr. Vanderveer says this is very common in the Delaware, often in pools and creeks, Common in the Delaware about Burlington Island. Micropterus dolomieu Lacépéde. Small Mouthed Black Bass. Introduced into Sluice Creek above the “beaver dam,” basin of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county. Family PERCIDZ. Perca flavescens (Mitchill) Yellow Perch. Fishermen reported a few to occur in Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county. One seen taken by a fisherman on April 19th, 1908. Reported scarce in Sluice Creek, tributary of Dennis Creek, in Cape May county. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer savs it ascends the Delaware rather scattered in the spring or about several to a bunch, and these bunches moving close along shore. It ascends also the creeks and meadow streams, and deposits about Trenton. Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi (Storer). “'Tessellated Darter. In the Delaware, at Newhbold’s Island, Burlington county, they were abundant about the mouth of the inlet on sandy bottoms. All were adults, but of a pale straw color, none in the dress of the breed- ing-male. August 15th, 1908. PS ats Seen in shallow runs on Burlington Island. LEE LAL EN c a8 . > wi( LIBRARY) = ZA ipaug 2 ee. pe SP Ow, 382 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family SERRANIDA, Roccus lineatus (Bioch). Rock. Reported frequently taken in Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Glou- cester county. Reported to be taken rarely at Townsend’s Inlet. Young very abundant in most all localities seed at Newhbold’s Island, Burlington county, August 13th, 1908. All were small, and none over about three inches in length. The dark lateral stripes above the lateral line were very inconspicuous, and the dark vertical bands on the back were also somewhat obscure in the living fish. Usually all were rather dull olive above and whitish below. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says the rock spawns along a hard, sandy shore where the water is clear and surging, so that the eggs may be disturbed and lashed about in the sands. The young are very abun- dant in the late summer about Trenton in the Delaware. Dr. R. J. Phillips says they are taken at Corson’s Inlet up to forty- nine pounds. Examples, twenty-one, seventeen and twelve pounds were taken this year. Other years’ examples, twenty and twenty-three pounds in weight were taken. Young common about Burlington Island. Morone americana (Mitchill). White Perch. Perch. Reporied frequent in Raccoon Creek, at Bridgeport, Gloucester county. . About a hundred taken in an eel seine in Ludlam’s Thoroughfare, Sea Isle City, during the middle of August, 1908. Several young were taken in the Delaware River at Newbold’s Island, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. The largest was several inches long. Color silvery as usual, and scarcely variegated. Mr. Vanderveer says the white perch is not known to spawn about Trenton. They appear scattered, and then appear to locate in certain territories, seemingly to protect themselves, the large ones leading the NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 383 schools. Once fifty-one examples, weighing fifty pounds altogether, were taken in one haul. Dr. Phillips has found it at Corson’s Inlet. Frequently found about Burlington Island. Centropristes striatus (Linnzeus). Black Sea Bass. Dr. R. J. Phillips has caught it at Ocean City, Grassy Sound, Cor- son’s Inlet and South Atlantic City. Family SPARIDZ. Stenotomus chrysops (Linnzus). Porgy. Dr. Phillips has taken it at Corson’s Inlet and off Five Fathom Bank. Lagodon rhomboides (Linnzus). Sailor’s Choice. Dr. Phillips reports three taken at Corson’s Inlet this year. Archosargus probatocephalus (Walbaum). Sheepshead. Dr. Phillips reports that they are seen, and some caught, every year at Corson’s Inlet. They come up to the top of the water on high tides at times to feed on the mussels along the pilings. On such occasions they have been known to be speared. 384 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family SCIZNIDA. Cynoscion regalis (Schneider). Weak Fish. Several were reported to have been taken in the Delaware River, at Pennsgrove, Salem county, during 1907, They were known locally as “trout,” and where taken in gill nets. This is as far up the river as IT am aware they have ever been found. _ My. H. Walker Hand reports weak fish plentiful at Green Creek, Cape May county, by May 3d, 1908. Dr. Phillips says they are not especially plentiful at Corson’s Inlet. They are taken usually from one to two pounds, and occasionally larger ones come in. Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier). Spotted Weak Fish. Dr. Phillips says that small ones were caught at Corson’s Inlet, about 1905, during the night, in the bait-net. He saw a small lot taken about ten years ago at Cape May. They were brought in from off shore, and weighed about one-half pound each. Bairdiella chrysura (Lacépéde). Silver Perch. Dr. Phillips says that he first saw it at Corson’s Inlet this year. Quite plentiful in the main channel, on the king fish grounds. Scizenops ocellatus (Linnzus). Red Drum. Dr. Phillips says they are caught every year at Corson’s Inlet, and are the principal game fish. They are taken down close to the surf line in the inlet. They are also taken by casting in the surf. They NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 385 feed head down and tail up, the caudal ocellus frequently visible, under the railroad bridge, where they have also been caught, one weighing forty pounds. They have been seen caught on the outer bar as high as fifty-six pounds, though he never saw smaller examples than about twenty pounds in weight. They are valued as a food-fish. Leiostomus xanthurus Lacépéde. Cape May Goody. A half-grown example was taken in the surf at Ocean City on Sep- tember 10th, 1908. Dr. Phillips says they are very plentiful some years at Corson’s Inlet, and very scarce others. They are carnivorous, and great bait thieves. He has also taken them at Somers Point. Menticirrhus saxatilis (Schneider). King Fish. Young were taken in several haulings of the seine in the sea lettuce, at Ocean City, on September 10th, 1908. They were beautifully varie- gated with deep brown blotches. Dr. Phillips has taken them at Corson’s Inlet and South Atlantic City. They have been plentiful the last three years, especially the past season, catches being about fifty to seventy-five per man on a tide. He caught fifty-eight on part of one tide this year. The young were also extremely abundant during 1905, and they were then the only fish taken in bait-nets. This and the sea bass are the principal fish for the summer excursionist. Pogonias cromis (Linnzus). Black Drum. Dr. Phillips caught one last year, at Corson’s Inlet, weighing fifty- eight pounds. Small banded examples of about twelve pounds were caught in surf-casting this year. Though the big fish are said to be inedible and poor eating, the large one he took last year was found to be very good. He thinks its flesh equals that of the red drum. 25 386 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family LABRIDZ. Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaum). Bergall. A fine example, seven and one-quarter inches long, taken at Ocean City on September 7th, 1908. Also two others on the same day, not preserved. Back with many warm russet spots. David McCadden. At Corson’s Inlet and Barnegat Pier Dr. Phillips has taken this fish. He says they are plentiful early in the season till late, and are never much over six, and mostly about three or four inches in length. It is occasionally eaten, though the flesh is not as firm eating as that of the tautog. It is a great bait-stealer. Tautoga onitis (Linnzus). Tautog. Several taken about the old wreck and pilings at Ocean City Sep- tember 10th, 1908. They are fine pan fish when small. They are mostly skinned when prepared as food. Dr. Phillips has taken this at Corson’s Inlet, Barnegat Pier, Long- port and Ocean City. It is a good food-fish. He has seen examples of four pounds weighed at Corson’s Inlet, and had reports of one eight pounds from Townsend’s Inlet. They usually run two to two and one-half pounds. Family BALISTIDZA. Balistes carolinensis Gmelin. Trigger Fish. An example twelve and one-quarter inches long was taken on a hook and line at Ocean City on September 7th, 1908. The spots on dorsal, anal and caudal were deep violet, though towards margins of these fins they faded out to grayish. Some similar on base of pectoral. Also faint bluish spots and vermiculations on back. Iris dull gray- brown. David McCadden. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 387 Family OSTRACIIDA. Lactophrys triqueter (Linnzus). Trunk Fish. Bull Fish. Mend 2* 3° depth 17/.s. Di 0s Avo P: 115: greatest width of body 11/, in its length; greatest depth of body 11*/,; snout 2 in head; eye 2144; interorbital 1. Body shaped almost orbicular generally, upper and lower surfaces convex, greatest depth nearly midway in length, and profiles simi- larly convex, that of upper bulging more posteriorly and of lower more anteriorly. Back with a high trenchant keel, beginning a little before middle in length of body and continued to dorsal origin. Sides of body constricted concavely. Lower surface convex. Edges of body otherwise not especially carinated, convex. Caudal peduncle small. Head large, deep, laterally compressed with concave sides, upper and lower surfaces a little convex, anterior upper profile steep, though more inclined than lower. Muzzle bluntly convex, rather short. Snout deep, sides constricted concavely, profile slightly and evenly convex. Eye large, rounded, high, near upper edge of head posteriorly in its length. Teéth small, uniserial, convex, not numerous, and simple. Lips apparently tough. A slight groove sloping down from before front of eye anteriorly, and nostrils inconspicuous. Inter- orbital space broad, depressed a little convexly, and slight convexity rising out behind towards dorsal keel. Gill-opening small and inconspicuous above base of pectoral. Body encased in a bony cuirass made up of hexagonal plates. On upper surface and sides they form ridges fashioned as rhombs, and these becoming mostly smaller on head. Lower surface of body per- fectly smooth. ‘ Dorsal small, posterior, its base entirely before that of anal, and anterior rays longest, edge of fin rounded. Anal little larger than dorsal, similar, and inserted directly behind base of latter. Caudal small, oblong. Pectoral largest of fins, elongate, and upper rays longest. Vent close before anal, rather large. Color of dried example mostly uniform dull brownish generally, center of each hexagonal plate deep brown. Iris pale slaty. Fins dull brown. Teeth deep horny-brown. 388 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Length 19 millimeters, or a trifle over three-quarters of an inch. ’ The above is the only example I have ever seen. It was taken at Grassy Sound, in Cape May county, on September 18th, 1904, by Mr. Jacob Miller, and kindly presented to me by Mr. R. F. Miller, of Philadelphia. None of the fishermen to whom it was shown could identify it. One called it a young “bull fish.” None of them seemed to be acquainted with it. It was caught in a live-box. Family TETRODONTID~. Lagocephalus lzvigatus (Linnzus). Rabbit Fish. One taken at Sea Isle City on July 1st, 1908. W. J. Fox. Another was also taken somewhere on our coast during the past summer, but its data was not preserved. Spheroides maculatus (Schneider). Puffer. Dr. Phillips says it is common in warm weather at Corson’s Inlet, takes the hook, and reaches about six inches in length. Family DIODONTID. Chilomycterus schcoepfi (Walbaum). Burr Fish. Dr. Phillips says it was seen this year at Corson’s Inlet, and taken on the hook. It reaches eight inches in length, is thought to be rare by the fishermen, and lives a long while out of water. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. 389 Family COTTIDA. Myoxocephalus zeneus (Mitchill). Sculpin. Dr. Phillips reports three seen at Corson’s Inlet this year, and it was said to have been common during the past summer. It is taken in the bait-net on the sandy beaches. This is the first definite record for this species on the coast of New Jersey. Family TRIGLIDZ. Prionotus carolinus (Linnzus). Sea Robin. Probably the most common species at Corson’s Inlet. Dr. Phillips says it is regarded as a pest when fishing for king fish. It is plenti- ful every summer. They croak when hauled in the boat. Not seen over eight inches. Family PLEURONECTIDZ. Lophopsetta maculata (Mitchill). Window Light. Seen at Corson’s Inlet in summer, according to Dr. Phillips. They reach about a foot, though usually smaller, and are eaten. Paralichthys dentatus (Linnzus). Summer Flounder, Dr. Phillips says it is common at Corson’s Inlet, sometimes ex- tremely so. Caught by trolling the bullhead minnow and clams. They run quite large, occasionally up to four pounds. 390 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family SOLEIDA. Achirus fasciatus Lacépéde. Sole. Mr. Emlen Martin reports one taken in the Rancocas Creek, at Centerton, Burlington county, some years ago. Two examples were taken in the Delaware River, at Newbold’s Is- land, Burlington county, on August 13th, 1908. They were scarcely one and one-half inches or more in length. Color mostly translucent brownish on the colored side, the pale side a livid grayish. When taken they were very inactive, and were found clinging to stones. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says the “flounder” is occasionally taken in the Delaware tidewater, but not above Trenton. Family OPHIDIID. Rissola marginata (De Kay). Sand Cusk. Dr. Phillips says they are caught in the bait-net at Corson’s Inlet. They soon bury themselves in “live” sand, tail first. Though not used as food, they are considered among the best bait for rock bass. More were caught last year and this year than ever before, generally one or two at every haul. Family AMMODYTIDZ. Ammodytes americanus De Kay. Sand Lance. Five examples secured at Ocean City on September 7th, 1908, the largest seven inches long. Reported to be very abundant, and many found on the sand by Mr. D. McCadden. Found abundant on Sep- tember 10th, though mostly of small size, and many devoured by blue fish. Dr. Phillips says that at Corson’s Inlet it is used as bait for rock, and reaches about eight inches in length. NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES. . 391 Family BATRACHOIDIDA. Opsanus tau (Linnezus). Oyster Fish. Color when fresh, pale olive-brown, generally paler below, and tinted with salmon-pink on breast and throat. Head above finely mottled and speckled with very fine numerous markings of dusky- olive. Some also on base of pectoral. Side of head and flanks with brownish specks. Trunk with dusky to blackish vermiculations and blotches. Vertical fins and pectoral like back, becoming terra-cotta to ochraceous tinted towards margins, and all barred with dusky. Spinous dorsal mottled. Rayed dorsal with broad bands, somewhat irregular, and sloping down behind. Caudal with five transverse bands, outer broadest, and also broad dark band on caudal peduncle at base of fin. Anal with pale, rather narrow and ill-defined bands obliquely up behind. Pectoral with about seven or eight transverse narrow bands, irregular towards base of fin, and distal ones broader. Ventral pale salmon or pinkish. Iris gray-brown, narrow dull gilt circle around slaty pupil. Length eight and three-quarter inches. Ocean City. September 7th, 1908. David McCadden. Also three more examples. Dr. Phillips says it is not rare at Corson’s Inlet. It is caught along muddy banks when fishing for small sea bass. Runs about six inches in length. Family GADIDA. Microgadus tomcod (Walbaum). Tom Cod. Reported to Dr. Phillips at Corson’s Inlet, though not seen. 9 ‘oo FXG) REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Phycis regius (Walbaum). Hake. Dr. Phillips says it was common at Corson’s Inlet during last June, though not used as food. Family MERLUCCIIDA. Merluccius bilinearis (Mitchill). Whiting. Mr. David McCadden secured an example on July 26th, 1908, in Great Egg Harbor Bay, at Ocean City, Cape May county. Family LOPHIIDA. Lophius piscatorius Linneus. Angler. Dr. Phillips says he has seen it in the pound at Atlantic City. 2. Notes on New Jersey Amphibians and Reptiles. —_———_¢——____. In preparing this account I am especially indebted to Mr. W. D. W. Miller, of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, for notes about Plainfield, and to Mr. C. Few Seiss, of Phila- delphia, who has kindly placed at my disposal an account of his col- lections. To this I have added my own notes and those of several others who have kindly contributed information and material. Family AMBYSTOMIDA. Ambystoma opacum (Gravenhorst). Blotched Salamander. Mr. W. D. W. Miller says it is scarce about Plainfield, Union county. Ambystoma punctatum (Linnzus). Spotted Salamander. Mr. Miller also found this salamander scarce about Plainfield. Family PLETHODONTIDA. Hemidactylium scutatum Tschudi. Four Toed Salamander. Mr. Miller says it is not common about Plainfield. A small example was obtained at Cape May, Cape May county, during the middle of July, by Mr. O. H. Brown. This is the first (393) 394 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. record of the occurrence of this species in the southern part of the State I have. The specimen is now preserved in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Plethodon erythronotus (Green). Red Backed Salamander. Mr. Miller says it is abundant about Plainfield. Mr. C. Few Seiss has both the red and the gray forms from High Bridge, in Hunterdon county. Plethodon glutinosus (Green). Sticky Salamander. Mr. Miller says it is locally abundant about Plainfield, especially in the trap ridges, though entirely absent from certain areas. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge and vicinity, in Hunterdon county. Spelerpes bislineatus (Green). Two Lined Salamander. Mr. Miller found it abundant about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county. Spelerpes longicauda (Green). Long Tailed Salamander. Mr. Miller says it is common, about water, along the foot of the trap ridges immediately north of Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has two specimens from Hunterdon county. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 395 Spelerpes ruber (Daudin). Red Salamander. Mr. Miller found it common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county. He also obtained one example from Gloucester, in Camden county. Family DESMOGNATHIDZ. Desmognathus fusca (Rafinesque). Dusky Salamander. Mr. Miller found it abundant about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge, in Hunterdon county. Family PLEURODELIDA. Diemictylus viridescens (Rafinesque). Newt. According to Mr. Miller, it is common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has both the olive and red forms from High Bridge. Family BUFONIDA. Bufo americanus Holbrook. Toad. Mr. Miller says but one form of toad, most likely this species, is abundant about Plainfield. At Burlington, Burlington county, on April 26th, 1908, they were very vociferous. Many newly-hatched tadpoles, evidently this species, were found in - 396 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Sluice Creek, tributary of Dennis Creek in Cape May county. No adults seen. May 10th, 1908. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge, also Gloucester and Camden in Camden county and Atlantic City in Atlantic county. Several seen about Ocean City, in Cape May county, on September 10th, 1908. Family HYLIDA. Pseudacris triseriatus (Wied). Swamp Tree Toad. Mr. Miller says it is rather abundant about Plainfield in Union county, judging by the spring chorus, but so inconspicuous after the song season that he met with-but two or three until this time. These specimens he says were preserved. Acris gryllus crepitans (Baird). Cricket Toad. Mr. Milier reports it common about Plainfield. Two found at Franklinville, in Gloucester county, on April 17th, 1908. Several in pools about Repaupo, in Gloucester county, on April 19th, 1908. Abundant, and occasionally their rattling notes were heard in the beaver swamp of Sluice Creek, in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. They were associated with the frogs and were dark or blackish in color. Mr. Seiss has it from Gloucester and High Bridge. Hyla pickeringii (Holbrook). Pickering’s Tree Toad. Mr. Miller says it is abundant about Plainfield. Found in numbers in full chorus in swamps about Franklinville, in Gloucester county, on April 17th, 1908. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 397 Abundant in chorus in all the meadows near Repaupo and Gibbs- town, in Gloucester county, on April 19th, 1908. Below Millville dam, Cumberland county, it was heard in large chorus along the Maurice River, on May 9th, 1908. Hyla andersonii Baird. Anderson Tree Toad. Color, when fresh, beautiful pea-green on back and upper surfaces of limbs. This color is bounded all along its edges on head, flanks, sacral region posteriorly, tibial region and hallux, by a narrow line of pale whitish, with just a very slight tint of dilute azure in some places. On femoral region this pale boundary-line is not evident. Irom nares, to and including eye, back towards axilla, a deep indigo- black streak or band, this not wider than vertical diameter of eye, and sharply and conspicuously evident, especially being due to pale narrow boundary-lines. ‘These blackish bands do not extend across tip of nose. Edge of upper jaw paler green all around. At axilla indigo-black band becomes a beautiful lavender-gray, which extends well back in bright color toward groin, but not to latter. Just little above axilla it sends forward a narrow dark grayish-lavender branch, which widens out into broad dusky-lavender or neutral tint of throat or vocal vesicle. Edges of lower lip slightly, though rather broadly, pale violet or purplish all around to greenish patch, which begins about opposite front part of eye. Greenish of upper surface of fore limbs is thus completely separated from that of back, and is bordered with a fine or narrow pale line all around, which at shoulder assumes a slightly bluish hue. Breast livid pale lavender, papille larger or more whitish, though all annectant colors fuse gradually into it. Hand above dull prussian-blue, and this color not sharply demarked from bright orange-red of hand below, which latter color is also brightest in the first two fingers. In fact, bluish of upper surface of hand is largely superiorly external, only extending over outer half, and in the basal joint of the third finger and nearly whole of upper surfaces of the fourth finger. The two inner fingers are brilliant orange-red. Bluish of hand above extends along forearm to elbow, be- hind narrow yellowish-green line separating green above. On lower surface of forearm it fades beautiful violet, and next to yellowish-green 398 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. line turns somewhat dusky. Posterior humeral region and lower front surface of forearm bright gamboge-brown, blotched and spotted with most brilliant orange. These spots rather small on wrist and in axilla, also rather dull on former and very bright on latter, and at posterior humeral region rather large. On orange-red of hand and fingers are many small brilliant orange dots or spots. Lower surface of hand on outside becomes somewhat brownish. Belly fades posteriorly at first through a pale gamboge or brownish into brilliant orange-red of lower surface of hind limbs. Half way along flanks, for spots are not continued to axilla, large brilliant orange spots are distributed in inguinal region, then a little more sparsely and of smaller size along front of tibial region, lower posterior surface of fibula and tibia, and then on upper surface of foot, where, of course, much smaller. In- ferior tibio-fibular region with tinge of dull gamboge. From knee along anterior margin of pale line separating green of upper surface of tibio-fibular region, a blackish-indigo annectant line, narrow and soon fading into lilac and then into gamboge-orange below. Outer edge of foot superiorly and out on basal portion of fourth toe and entire upper surface of fifth toe lilac-purple. Feet otherwise orange- red, innermost digits most brilliant and most everywhere finely spotted with orange. No spots on belly and inter-femoral region, though papille all of paler shade. Ventral region with narrow whitish line separating greenish of back, below dusky-lilac tint, be- coming more pronounced below. All these colors soon give place to green of upper surface and orange-red of lower. Iris beautiful golden, variegated with different shades to form very narrow golden circle around black pupil. Length from tip of snout to tip of out- stretched fourth toe, three and a half inches. Received by Mr. J. W. Holman, through Mr. J. A. G. Rehn, from Stafford’s Forge, in Ocean county, April 29th, 1908. Another, with the same data, was also received on September 18th, 1908. Hyla versicolor Le Conte. Common Tree Toad. Mr. Miller says it is common at Plainfield. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 399 Family RANIDZ. Rana pipiens Schreber. Leopard Frog. A small blackish tadpole, evidently the young of this species, was taken in Goshen Creek, near Goshen, Cape May county, on January 5th, 1908. Mr. Miller says it is not very common about Plainfield. Several bright green examples were found about South Dennis, in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. All had the markings on the back very distinct. They would jump into the water as one approached, and were quite conspicuous by their green color. Mr. Seiss has it from Camden and Gloucester. Rana virgatipes Cope. Sphagnum Frog. This interesting frog was heard frequently calling in the sphag- num bogs of Sluice Creek, a tributary of Dennis Creek, below South Dennis in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. They were evidently in the height of their breeding. A pair found in copula had the axillary type of embrace, the male of course mounted above in the usual position. The sexes showed little difference in color, the female, however, usually appearing more swollen or obese, if not a trifle large. The frogs exhibited all the characteristics of those found in Mare Run, in 1904. They were equally retiring in their habits, and could be distinguished among the submerged vegetation only when one happened to move, which is always very slight in its disturbance to the water, or happened to be near when calling. The name, “cluck- cluck” was used rather vaguely by some people to distinguish them from the other species. Mr. H. Walker Hand reports he is positive that he has heard this species near Cape May City, among the fresh marshes or ponds. Its occurrence there would not be altogether un- expected. 400 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Rana catesbeiana Shaw. Bull Frog. Mr. Miller says it is somewhat common and local or restricted about Plainfield. One seen in Little Timber Creek, Delaware Basin, near Coopers, in Gloucester county, on April 19th, 1908. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge and Camden. Rana clamata Daudin. Green Frog. Mr. Miller says it is abundant at Plainfield. Several frogs, evidently this species, were heard about Franklin- ville, in Gloucester county, on April 17th, 1908. Found about Porchtown, in Gloucester county, on April 17th, 1908. Both adults and tadpoles were seen. Found at Repaupo, in Gloucester county, on April 19th, 1908. Several found about the lake at Millville, in Cumberland county, on May 9th, 1908. One nearly full grown, and the small tadpoles seen were also most likely this species. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge and Gloucester. Rana palustris Le Conte. Pickerel Frog. Mr. Miller found it common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge and Gloucester. Rana sylvatica Le Conte. Wood Frog. Mr. Miller found it common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 401 Family COLUBRID. Regina leberis (Linnzus). Leather Snake. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county. Natrix sipedon (Linnzus). Water Snake. Mr. Miller says this and the garter snake are the most abundant species about Plainfield. A large example taken at Beverly, in Burlington county, on May 2d, 1908, by Mr. 8. Scovell. One found at the head of Millville Lake, in Cumberland county, on May 9th, 1908. Found in Sluice Creek near South Dennis, in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. ‘They were all dull with obscure markings above. The several individuals seen were swimming about the sphagnum, and probably had plenty of food in the frogs. They were about two feet in length. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county, and Gloucester, in Camden county, where it was seen in many places. Storeria occipito-maculata (Storer). Red Bellied Snake. Mr. J. A. G. Rehn tells me he saw an example of this species taken at Hammonton, in Mullica township, Atlantic county, by Stephen Milstead, Sr., in March, 1908. Color, in life, deep dusky-brown on back, inclining nearly to blackish, and head above rather more brownish. On nape of neck three pale ochraceous blotches of warm buff conspicuous, one median superiorly and each of others lateral. Several pale obscure specks on head above. A pair of median obscure dusky lines, rather well 26 402 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. separated, down middle of back. Along sides, just above gastrosteges, a dusky line extending back, though becoming obsolete on posterior half of body, and marked above and below by a series of small buffy spots along its entire length. Lower surface of head grayish with a few dusky specks along side. Lower surface of trunk and tail deep brick-red. Length five inches. Taken at Stafford’s Forge, in Ocean county, on June 12th, 1908, by Mr. J. W. Holman. Storeria dekayi (Holbrook). De Kay’s Brown Snake. Mr. Miller says it is apparently not common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county. Genus VirGInia Baird and Girard. The Virginia Snakes. Virginia valeriz Baird and Girard. Blaney’s Snake. Scales smooth, about fifteen in transverse dorsal series. Gastro- steges one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty. Anal plate divided. Color grayish, in life, with minute black dots, often in two rows. Below yellowish. Length twelve inches. Known from our limits only by Mr. W. D. W. Miller’s observations. He says he has found several specimens, all under boards or stones, in woods on the trap ridges immediately north of Plainfield. South of this region the species is apparently not found. Though I have never seen any specimens, Mr. Miller informs me that he has one adult specimen preserved. This is the first occurrence of the species in New Jersey so far as I am aware, and its distribution is usually given as no further north than Maryland and Delaware. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 403 Diadophis punctatus (Linnzus). Ring Necked Snake. Mr. Miller says it is locally common about Plainfield, chiefly in the trap ridges. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge. Coluber constrictor Linnzus. Black Snake. According to Mr. Miller it is common about Plainfield. One taken near the head of Millville Lake, in Cumberland county, on May 9th, 1908, by Mr. Samuel Scovell. It was found in a tree along the edge of a swamp. Eyes appeared reddish, throat and chin whitish. Thamnophis sauritus (Linnzus). Ribbon Snake. Mz. C. J. Hunt secured two examples near Pensauken, in Camden county, on March 15th, 1908. The larger was about twenty inches in length. After keeping them in captivity some time they were killed. They would not take any food. They refused to eat ordinary garden slugs or snails. In disposition they were very gentle and mild, and did not resist when handled, though were easily frightened. Mr. Miller says it is a common species about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county, and Mount Holly, in Burlington county. Thamnophis sirtalis (Linnzus). Garter Snake. Mr. Miller says it is the most abundant snake about Plainfield. All apparently belong to one sub-species, having the dorsal stripe always present and usually very distinct. Mr. Seiss has it from Camden, Gloucester and Hunterdon county. 404 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Lampropeltis getulus (Linnzus). Chain Snake. Mr. W. P. Seal says he has observed it at Tomilson’s Mills. Lampropeltis doliatus triangulus (Boie). House Snake. Mr. Miller says it is common about Plainfield. He thinks the pre- vailing, if not the exclusive form, is triangulus, as his single pre- served specimen is this rather than clericus. I have not seen his material. Heterodon platyrinos (Latreille). Hog Nose Snake. Mr. C. J. Hunt found it at Brown’s Mills, in Burlington county, in 1906, and Belle Mountain, in Mercer county, on September of LOOT. Mr. Miller says it is apparently not very common about Plainfield. Large example taken at Beverly, in Burlington county, on April 2d, 1908. by Mr. Samuel Scovell. This specimen would very readily feign death when irritated or annoyed, by rolling over on its back, relaxing as if dead, and even allowing its tongue to hang out. One taken near the head of Millville Lake, in Cumberland county, on May 9th, 1908. It was found in a rather masts: sandy place. It also feigned death after being annoyed. Mr. W. P. Seal says he has seen it near Delair and Woodbury. Mr. Seiss has it from Bay Head, in Ocean county, and Atlantic City. Mr. C. H. Connor secured it at Union Mills, on October 11th, 1908. The example noted in Rep. N. J. State Mus., 1907 (1908), p. 198, was obtained at Stafford’s Forge, in Ocean county, by Mr. J. A. G. Rehn, on April 21st, 1907. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 405 Family CROTALIDZ. Agkistrodon contortrix (Linnzus). Copper Head Snake. Mr. ©. S. Williamson reports one killed near Newfoundland, in Morris county, in July of 1905, and another on a mountain near Green Pond, Morris county, in July of 1907. My. Miller says it is common in the trap ridges immediately Het of Plainfield, but absent south of these hills. Mr. Seiss has an example, which was seen swimming across a pond and killed when it landed, at High Bridge, in Hunterdon county. Crotalus horridus Linnzus. Rattle Snake. Mr. Williamson reports two killed near Milton, Morris county, in 1904, and also two at the same place in 1905. The example I reported several years ago, taken in 1900, in a swamp near Goshen, was reported to Mr. H. Walker Hand as having been nearly five feet long. Mr. Hand was, however, unfortunately unable to verify this statement as he did not see the specimen him- self. Two other individuals were also said to have been killed there at the same time. Family IGUANIDZ. Sceloporus undulatus (Latreille). Pine Tree Lizard. Mr. Seiss has it from Bay Head, in Ocean county. 5 406 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Family CHELONIDZ. Genus COLPOCHELYS Garman. The Bastard Turtles. Colpochelys kempi Garman. Hawksbill Turtle. Bastard Turtle. This species is very closely related to the loggerhead turtle, and seems to have first been definitely noticed from our shores by Dr. O. P. Hay. In an elaborate paper he points out the difference be- tween it and the loggerhead. He says that “it seems doubtful whether any of the external characters that have been mentioned by Garman and Coker as distinguishing this species from the loggerhead are applicable in all cases,” though it is very different osteologically. He records a stuffed and dried specimen taken at Atlantic City and now in the United States National Museum, and a skull found on the coast of New Jersey, now in the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Colpochelys kempit Hay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXXIV, 1908, pp. 183-198, Pls. 6-11. Family CHELYDRIDZ. Chelydra serpentina (Linnezus). Snapping Turtle. Mr. Miller found it common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county and Camden. Family KINOSTERNID. Kinosternon pensylvanicum (Gmelin). Mud Turtle. Mr. Seiss has it from Anglesea, in Cape May county. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 407 Sternothcerus odoratus (Latreille). Musk ‘Turtle. Mr. Miller reports it as common about Plainfield. Mr. Seal says it occurs at Delair. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge. Family EMYDIDA. Malaclemys centrata concentrica (Shaw). Diamond Back Terrapin. Mr. Seiss reports he saw one in the marshes at Atlantic City, about 1884. Pseudemys rubriventris (Le Conte). Red Bellied Terrapin. Mr. Seal says he has met with it at Tomilson’s Mills. Chrysemys picta (Schneider). Painted Terrapin. Mr. Miller says it is abundant about Plainfield. Mr. Seal met with it at Tomilson’s Mills and Delair. Mr. Seiss has it from Camden, and High Bridge, in Hunterdon county. Clemmys muhlenbergii (Schcepff). Muhlenberg’s Terrapin. Mr. Miller reports it common about Plainfield. 408 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. Clemmys insculpta (Le Conte). Wood Tortoise. Mr. Miller says it is rather common about Plainfield. Mr. Seiss has two half-grown examples from High Bridge. Clemmys guttata (Schneider). Spotted Terrapin. Mr. Miller says it is rather abundant about Plainfield. Mr. Seal reports having seen it at Brown’s Mills, in Burlingtor county. Mr. Seiss has it from High Bridge and Gloucester. Terrapene carolina (Linnzus). Box ‘Tortoise. Shell found in Crooked Creek, near Cape May Court House, Cape May county, on January 5th, 1908. Mr. Miller says it is rather abundant about Plainfield. One found near South Dennis, in Cape May county, on May 10th, 1908. It was rather dull yellowish with obscure dusky markings. Mr. Seiss has it from Hunterdon county, and Jamesburg, in Middlesex county. Messrs. Stone and McCadden found two examples at Beesley’s Point, on August 15th, 1908. One had crimson eyes. Part I PAGE MUCITAISSIONCES Of) SbAte NEUSCUI 2. /oeloje clove rele citer isles soe. e'e cheleiers Cs aiclers egies 5 PASH SHOM CHALE CN UShy a aier ct ctavasclskenspavescvepoletaVetevctatesetsl o/a aban avevels a si eiele, aie ave.edhace 5 MOTTO SERED OLG. cewce Meyovcdotarst svete love fosstecetsfatarslohelereletohatFatctets/ataldtortterelele) cin ste.e cis. fal Part II. PREM eB] O Uae pein voyaterte tei Fatvtetante tolre fore cite taits Yau tee ibe totetefaitotete totediuts toifele Wellate ets «ed ee ce ole 46 EVA ZOUK Gece areNometa teetel{c Tele itotte to eleye Coileys ‘orfoylctelevedet tore fstataleMe le evalster tiers evshers, ere 45 ANTIRS) 355 OWEREBG OL OO DOS BORO REL Oct eS ae ee 3 PACHA Pe NEO Pere RTs re TeMo re Tolfo te Pelr= fa rolfoife tellevtedfolls love 'e Ptttesta Moca tsltcvtatarlo,'s 4\'eJoleete cov S ete o.canave 120 ASST weer eueretsnee ie evlene te Attetfar'e ve: o)'e rc beviclote vav'e Seoy ates s Jonecetalte als, oilece crelomsualeleftely Slerolee 82 eileen Miyauehise hack oils, ie celeirapsieis vere Veet Gs Disites s llece eto Bismeles ave Gleveeerecereis/e oie lerd « 317 PESUMCEL MMU) SPAR epee ree cc RR ito) loxcps icy alte Pavel atte rav/aystleravay's7ove tara e sede sVeronaiel wergs vee erecta w suche lens 23 FSM TSI Asie COM) ILENE OTIS ot che tiare hota baie eicayehere otelo sie e torois tobe © slelasharels eV sites eh oes ea 99 IU SAIS Bete depose Peta tells fo totes “Pel octets ote syehate s foeiate sleteters vera e cter a mactateie take 100 MSA ES TELUS Ree pore ne Bey Cs Rie Fone eG Rector eile loreierToher’er ererrabray octane ra Petonabatete neha aleme ie tolsi raks, acer ate crak 98 Ppa (AE ITECD pO NT WV etre Gira tats ey area 'avrcs fe tala Macross cette ote otiovle fe folio Voters lotic stab avs ave statins ote wee 215 UEC = WAT ede aie y. 2). eco elerade otealatelels iki oS heh ete oroetre tone tare at one tetlor doula 210 FU US LV pec Metonsreterara clayey cuisia cute: avarerev one aus eceetnre eter ciat kel fin’ al svccao ehetenteas 215 MMellow-headedt certs hick he aici ioe eee siectele obnoeeee tens 210 [SAB GLE SIRES SR epee ce CRGte cic RGR nce CAC MEER CE RRC RCNRENL acc foe Maas ARR aA te a 130 LES KaVeLO WIL: Pests Shes eRe eat ancs Geeta hace ta Oho ies ahs Skee Rt as ene rt Ae ak EA 87 Taino he Sots aun & ote totes cana Otero. d Re APL tA a oe a 315 EG DOUALA ene sagen severe ee ee Wesel sree Pe eitaers Poker eneie ois oe he wns ore oS boat ttonehe bee 208 BES COSA VVALLLL Ge Clie) o,f0..6:'5 colts (0) CeaseeeSAPRS TR PaIS (aU ete Lens, sider Rubla we bee mUese a ceSGe Gb bi wane A bid sree eee 149 TEAR Saige cacear cadet Sette oiGiot cis CIOS coe Chica icici Rata Men Ln lh ee a 95 1S Eel ae ae Se chiG cic cnet ck BIC aCROICT CISA CRCHER CHET TCR cet ae Re tin gerne LP 96 Leseoyexc) ontlh o 5 ats Seay Unchsatcecta.cas:c4d oa cuGI IES CnCN RE IER tee ic ici aie RR RA Nr 87 Or eCEYs) eR SS iets noticed hd ch icy MC Ne Cc ach ROI i eat ae Ros Ps 87 ISSO; OF OTA hey GhOIGTEN ERD IER IGICE I) Gh iC ICRC RCC ROR Rice ie cae Ieee ee 126 BN EUGECGTTVEENG Dam Sire ents eke RAPIDE CLERC) O'S cL OREO RHODRI RR ir HORI ERR a 89 JE GIUIREENG I (54) G Gee chet chk iaitd edhe Se Rh cece Renee a aE Ae oi Sr 143 FS OrTeae o els GK= LALO ALCL is cic stelstesthe ares SO ayn 8 Grain S eodie oo erhielonaieisiansierele, citerels 246 La AE) SERA Aico icici Uk ie ARNG CRE RUE Reco ea Ce A ae 27. 59 Lee ARTES AALS Aig REISE hoes ncticic ur we RRR RC RHO TERT REESE AE Renee ER A EP SES 246 SUID Gene chek So Dem Ren acho IER IRC CPREISIEC ETO Rs 7 ( SHICHER DINER motes See ee cma Ns se Se Es in Ne Tare Sage olele lao a see 257 SIV ELGUL AU aeara Se rteas Saale MS Ae Bea e he aaa bole eS etuti chalalc, AS crale dhevcva aveelgiewie oueteld 89 410 INDEX. PAGE. (OEM Ntctoy i Vel epenre ht Ceara a Cr: ene den Se AE eA EE ATT obriiclie Bae Ree Sy Go 1d ccs ale 147 Canvas beh icsc) 8 Sic sscec ices cel ores cee sere el cic noo digs ical Teli vavtar sonia ia ts Wane te ltst ante otters 86 Cardin al sesso Se See elie ws cera he, Bes Wane wi eve ecole toyra es alae: giaiielerotansiel ovehol overenene eneiete 243 CRED Is eee Ss oie IM tas aia eee LISA aie sven RETO OR cele menstisietercionederters PRA tito 295 Cedarbird: 15 See Seek ee aioe reas adere eilolloge telcsiensinete fev euertar'e sileveieveyeiorene dels mete meters 256 Chat; -Yellow=-breastediic cc .c6 sateisie eis! eitaie sols oletey crave lciie laps velayshacelteus venevaetewapeienate 289 (Ol), atall ce enns 40m Se ynrer anus ae airs heen SrA IaorG OIG Oe ob 4.6 CGO oC 242 Chicadee.wBlack-capped fis fewer dina tosic Gis slevele cusiaue eiaveleile oleteleicleyele aretentohenenele 306 Carolina ies eee ele eae Ce a Toate BER ORCaU oLahe sin ae eee 306 OYa) oy als: 1/0 Lenina ca yal O ReMeCIy Sis CRS cre CHIC SICEcuECLE INES, Cueier CR MIP EERONGIeN bidudiara Giaiaio c 88 Woke EVO IT wae Hie eRe aide le af omenah at teh cua ece deirale baits suey GUS ete eta ete atthe ae 79 COO Gh eae esas sarees giear aren Sue Seales Subse tesig toy eile a leva eval arene ital nla vet whats ORS ROTA sete Lette eee 116 Woxrmorants| Common ye soe) e itis a) crsteve vor sole oar etch ice eueiovetote lalate eee (2 Double-crested. esses, ono is bis le bw Wisin oie Shorere SePadeteedslnte Luter ereienere 72 GOLMOTANUS eerie noe enee wooo ra oie oc eieleleys Wile to wie ele Sid wleteteis) eutteie rele OR eke eee 1@3 CWornt@ rake wares wc cincrers Sieve oletle leavers wloholensislouetetersietelens PES PCR On A At weleteere 114 COW UE he ys Fareitens haven ialauehe. ol ove aie lolee lie aut lahere coke eeia ia, c Catena paren ele vale Nos che aCe neds eaten 209 Oranes WHOOPS aise aie acoso sea fas cue ln aare ake ele alone Ricans lene lols oisiela ls @ Che TER Sienna 108 Creeper; Black-and=Wihite. 2.7. 6 is.0cste os ayes eet okere ale eceye) oie reuelloie Ingestion oie eame 266 BOWS eee oie a aie) Sr oels Rio's os SCRIS Sua eos Tena fava Pe calelial oa a reba tov ayo o.6/ etal enone te REN 302 ( Opoy ts) oy d | Bap) Secve ee eee eG en Ad ee eR A ANE on eet I yc oly Obi .o.4 anc 223 Wihite=-wineed: Ztcceee: a1. acre hey ey ibi'n ca bie ae tartamat’s avian al ie tet te) eT Sear 224 GeO Wes FAVE Aiicas te kes eel cee eel wa oun Sete ebvota opavoneraltaretere Pirsrele oie atolel renee 6 Caer ~ 205 IST ae sé Evers. istic vets erate be vatedece slctin tse oa eer otic) ohavanta tesa eleva: oy allows reiraal Nekane Ree neon 206 GEO WS) 55h ntei sine Seer iva letein he, Stop avele a ePaN ote ate tee eta ete 202 @wekoo; Blacks ellea) tas aysicieverepers de eve ta aes ate teeter or seer avddeneiolelete latalsberers toReteleee rene 177 Wellowebilled! oa psntele reteina tae vane tele i cians rans Gestalt) pat ape pa dare soba eye Renee 176 (Girt eg Fey A OFS Pecan yee ee ee eel Ae lee mt aE Os aie 142 EDU SOMTAN ev as wakes rete ellen ce arate oh sree ore elecea arches eel lieiaie ei teens ere 141 GEV iS RE AAV RAT OAR dS ent eae rea, SIR Cee Sem ES A Ps oy 141 THOMS=DUVLEM AG 5.4 oie Sieve wees aitasegis Mave siteuene, aieiebsi ch) hwlovalevenehe ce altel netoeet keene 140 SiCkle=billeds. vars corse ceye avers: Ce aleve © wie ewe al G Lo etl aie ote iia Tere ean een 140 WICK CISSED isn SE aes Se elevate he otal lies 6 rales os Gals ae val ebeariaclatcel GHiabie MaRS EONTS tole fetta See oan 246 Distribution OF MBirdsws vine Gevalecs oho ore wie eeenavoncie eine us alevencvelt eaneter oh ate eite 25 IDYoney Caroinel | job nce bdo de Sco dacoboond sano ebOaonoNgocOMDOooadMod boos 155 Mikes Loree ob poe Scan alooOUsnmooUDoU Db noo no med apbod Sou > 155 DMovekter cis tse hac PED eee eee eee ee eee e ee teen eee t eee eeeee 46 TD ONVAUCCH OTS fe ictretaue tabiensitantoy oy ahe hablo vey ereneilei eres wlio w irae eae ale ocean Okc ave le tensa nee aC sa aennean 126 WOM S=DIUNE sisters srsschossces torso rshees oon ve lel/eyereveuel overs deveterensuchetenetere Bae AS) Duck: Baldpate sree ject Biss Oates aie so RSI e. SIAR ee SRO E ee 82 Ba Oe eoie Sie es ere, seo se See eatin cw Fe va vauet a tale eae oltacelata teller Siete Rete ete ee keene 80 Beas henge fe ceteetaleer eis: ics ere eee one Renee te aia Gabe dao teleste hate MePACe nes ten eet Nene Rete 87 Broad bile Piece ieee ee imton centered ere cies uate la eial ele ete eee te Ae Pee 87 Buthehe ae 2s aicvcherorsns) oilots iahavere evans topelior a otate veneer eter ce ne ee EAPO eRe ero en ee 89 Butterbald iis yee Ae ee eis Shee eo ore ae bea te oieveheverelrehore aon Renee 89 Ganvasbaek® oi isesscso5m otepecevere Cie tayep airs eles a ielohie rau Me fekoke fot taeloi oreo eee eee 86 CBY0) ol a1-y:10 Eee ERNE trie aR ur metre Some IAT ce Ga.6.o.c 88 D070) caer ear I ean eA Reon Paonia eee ALCL ASMA Atte cr aa oi0. Gic 92 BHO), Aiea RIS i aS Enter ate Rinna RRR UPN: sain NERO Dek atalhisin DES OG a 116 1310 (ch eee ea ee PE eR Sy REN a OnE Sd BET Mranebithn as enc 91 TSR i CS GAS eo aan a osreb Srey Sua Le hana S Neue Clee iets aa he alotre kee aL ate taney ecteher et meer 78 INDEX. 411 PAGE DVM EME IN raveratansitaver ofalarate taliacevalichctel der aie ietieuntalsy'slaie Wrera@laiwisetaciaed abate 81 ENGNG Cr eRlanet ofa raseh or ctatrs ietcderten eleven sone) s nite al’icnete als res'etaCavelieta: ste lafala, sn ensiere averapste 90 ASTI MEL OLmenerarepueya iat cteyay/om Siete eial’eh oy ehiol’aticy’sl ey'ev'ey chtar’s\ a) site\lat e\'ehegevavellsisai'epsi sieve 91 GR IAC ODM archer ete shale AccioieVoretoie orev c evar a levees ehelerteie:stislei ofe;ej-erci'els: aiey sie anera tee 90 OTe teu lie Pe rcaeratevow ancl cron ste Teta araiera araa fel okeh che’ Mie ahess aya ot aves aie) ¥ anal ecaneh eres ore 89 Ue err date tates a cre avo ae eie es ene, sist anesssiecoliey sel hiestebeiana bo ey@esvey aneleflera aroreve) adie: ous 79 COTE SUUUTE Water cl cress tatave ci orakcietetsredevatel exch evove'a) oie aval ov svete afeleneversve Srblets ters rae ste 89 COTE ya bits me cn CR ORERE) UCC EOIN CCHS ECORI On ac leaves kskolaia v anarara Gl ehay ave 89 ET 7H Gea Limonene pel arereh arelaviay clave vonel tual atiel erionsvavsbev ele Veleboislata! alates’ eyaiaienstersieccha ona e% 84 CCH a laces irs crave che. ol rata a eae, oh Gtao oherlonesa’ onde slieieiaiey oie lela i'w) a) aja) le atelier dicichat’s 86 FERGIE SECS aka do teres tev ote ciett tay eccancteriay ah eb etarcratel ar ah eleyereler alti he ohia Lav aveter 80 DEGTTA = TLGCKy Wancrera never svcvai sal eiterici-el chiclistsshal ac eh chat oirsvay ster oi cp ev'ey /ob shia ab'sy o:'ayayopelea aver eee 88 VER HCl igaeesy cers tetas sr alconie) svexeiet alresionet cucdsy sucha cksae:e/er ere dveiis oo s/evcvelevavsuersvataraene vere 93 SS GaP neeoncve stcrevera ister Varo stay ave er cuevane. cvereilels Mae) eel sheferay spay avers: or epia ak eve ls oreteibelets 87 BS CO LOTS ev ct Seven claire ev atone oie 8 eS Suaite. oi Debeilet shy a cal esate Daaitbayrs teeaitoveia leave raters 92 WSNOVElLOT Ai canatepeceretarte te. cyee Gi a ayes e o'e,eO aweraye alae aoaveha ie lo, cereheboverenevatioba oes 84 SLE OD Veen etersacieaeeenS a racar sicia’ fusiavatelane: eld: otal cpoqiatararental attel-siayay wactavectecanudamatetn hs 93 WO UUM SOUL EL Vepetenes crs je.a) susiatiaro1c) 0) sonatebete acca oiere ang ope Byalaterahabe karsbeterd-e, axe o9 SyOLO EH ET Lae estaesa G Gas CaCI O CRC RCECICLESCICR CIC ECR DIC te EIRP nS Ee oR Rese 84 PSTLOOM Dll terete evar cbetenare lara’ s sxal'elauershss aus Sroueiel aves Gielepaleey eye rsa b sueiti siete Steet #4 STAY BASS b.0 SRS AIB OO COE IG Oro le ROE oo etinicg Ha Seer 85 WiOOG «ass waters ee. lisaylaltet ssiave len vatoleone cic austen snares stetorcheretares evar aba te tie aie 85. LDYEMELSS) ot laco BUSES ERRLGLO SRO Ste RRO RCI IC TOMEI a ae Onan aE Oo ee 7 MD ETHICAL OO Mercy Tc le vate (entree oe cle aeawsrevonekere e's eneie! ane ie\'ede, ahedele oie a ate aay ate vokertek eels to aire 99 LOB ING, TEST has ce ar ORtetGEo SIGN IDOI: ORCC RERATCRCICUCNC RENE ERCICE PORE RC TEACEIAn SIRT cl nacre ee eee 165 (COGS oy SSS concent ao) OSL Sie ny he Ba EE RA te eR SL ee Ae ane 164 IBGE Seley GOSS e SOR RCILCR TEE CRED OR REN CT tonne ewe ot a) ee ee 158 EI ROMOMTCM VAN ITOn OL ESTROUS rs ga acto isvabercrelicl cick ois oe orate ie Gm Letra Naa eaee Re anal nbehe ml PET er em CB CLE 1T ert netra cae efacea Co eet ch os BN SSE ae ey Te hg Sie ale rene (Ge do ave Sue OTe lala 18 LD EER EL ISNA fos SLeRER OST CLC OR NEE CRC ACRCURORCERE LONE Re Tac near NOLS Co Ca a 104 RUV TINTS Carey eves ee totals ctopels aisle tore parc or ae octal Gon ond ort Min te vob Ra Sucre nia pare 103 ELC CLP ETc Lepete noisy otc tevec ai cved os oes a aviolet elses Bhawolis setlauecy sisi eld ferrchal ccs folaree eb lacie aa eae 91 LOTS acy Stes ee ahs cal (CT ORIG CERT RCICUPOCTES Nae ACE SITS RO Ee eae 91 biG Liss GO] ipa acess sere eh ene oe en Snere che ei aun eck el eter eV Fone oe aoe pas ee oedieh eps a i 225 LOVETT SE eels ea 5 eet en ON ORACREECR ECE eC RRR DE CRAMP TPE Chet a Vt 240 1 ET aY EN rote te aes CR ciety RTL OI ARETE EULA Tey ae one os Dy 2 226 LEAT 0 RES leer co Ai SO Chole ORCI ORL ERO CaCI REN RPS eerste 13h.) HNNGHES, «. > ones oi ove sisrerstonsl oie areteiere Spe Nah ere akat aiou cutee sie lavsverel oie oiotavete le aioli remeehs 217 JNO RIS is Benaity PRO TEae Uibitr® OCG. OCICS ORT TOLD IIE AIEEE HRI TE Pirin Ane 184 HWIVCRUGHEr. AGA CGIANE etree tare Setetetetore sl os SOTA crore ae ere eae O's ee aie ia On eee 199 ATED srcpstenerey Nee rate Tove co skereia avai aera ar areiatere'e, ore vcd rotelatar simamayete 199 MOVE LAU ed espa epee tact lore sco suc eicie rs wrote elgg SR Wwe we Oe PES 194 Gireat-erestedprapereksrer ais cre. ctatel ere Ser ea a ehess eyarsiase. ceateiais eearehaeel ens 196 HESS Tia eysinchch A ome eta ee verso elena: ex aretel aa eis ig ala eh as eta Uaerahe wah ah aehatohe oie 200 GIT VGeSI Cede arsrauen teu chstelelsdora iene eles so eletanel seal olatedeucecuais an cbolarmtaa olehoeie 197 SLSR EOE TOM TS CSR eNS are nee ICES CRIS E IOC OIRO III CINTA Igaced Green Rone 194 WOGU DEW EON chatatareyey nln alstare crerdicrenerciseseneiete vee lo lelateue gtevo-e iolanere Skerians 198 WEI GO DelITG CL cram crevcteves ores dic’s ei chore arate teaishareseisye, oyeloisse oiieierce seers 198 HL CHL GHELS meter etatere reps beter aie de eve eh s/o bs. Sreieiel sce oeess bik Srangite euclsie covalenevevoatenaemees ote 193 Hive Meter GREE Kae taverctarcteieiare ake aoe cai dl soa e ole wei nic nial ate loses Gavan ha nhaktafeters. 3 106 RUDI Na el Toate foreirn ot seat ages cree, ever cfcic soi ale "evavele! 0,0 eseier netele atavee: fe elete ercherel eheldatenel sss 67 412 INDEX. PAGE. Gadwalll ssc. ee RAs SSAA s Se Des Si date treipetanedelee BUae Ge Mere ee eee 81 Gallimulé sAAlOriday ys s:f26 Gis cticeete eae. Sets ete cio eo brens ose ate ee a Ee arc ie Reeens 115 Parple: cha'stirataialoetave’s ele lalevelerellel so! onterses leteletatete calle 1s tae © ioe ee Ree 115 CETINTIG HH ic tavtas ts Moke. taesroshe Sete te Paste Cavin atte haar Scie oars ac aee atau tailane fe Dae te ec delay bk ony 71 GEESE ais is Soe Beer pee HERR Ria Ose aLS Oa were SIG raed leet ea anteTallecrele lig pilose ta talerte te meee 74 Glossaty ssa fs MSG sb Same eh 6 eed ee ee ee oiothae eee eee 347 Guatcatcher eB lie-eraiyyy ey oo Sr fate tetas Ricieneyapeneua ie tlede tate dott ee Venere aCe eee 309 (GOatSUCKERS THs eRe es SS ee eee Sk eee EE is 28 Sea Ne ee cerra ere lens cava 185 Godwit HHAaTdsontan «5 3 Shs. cc ohh bec iehe ld cha Side eieais ene ete nelaneretelenerapeiensyene ne eees 134 Marble dis a isceckgrd Sdiehe Soe Sas odie Naas oo ee aaa eleven avec aaalere Sree 133 Gol denseyier Crk latatetete tee elonatave le tn tolecateiatatatotens aeiadse a letetauS alienate, 4 tus lela fener ahetenenete 88 GOLGETICIE cic (cso role lote a fatetetetorclate tate tele lala aueteusyenel ctv erete alo aveiereiereie Jeers yareneneeeRee 225 GOOSes ABIUE “ihe s RAMS SESS oie SESS S See Sas ieee ae Cb Ghee IOs avails isles, SANTOR 94 Gana br ia Pe take fee eee totes ls Rte eheteols fee tolicvele’ ets totals teloieidustainlelcicteso ie reece 95 Greater SNOW so stecdioce sce scieteracierd sisters Crate where Gob Shore ake he anole ey ere CROnSa Ene 938 EV Ut CH 13S soe Get. Nisleraie Stale lake lelovas'o falls talialis leis cavaie aueneia ue nara yale leeks orem 95 SO Wi eke Bieta fata fe teetalo tole ke rolere tore etepellee oy cvdcoia ota mia areravorelis rece Clateneone ene 93 Wrihite-fronted! viets ssie acscue ote ove auewislonsio aide iste ete re le aceueanerero Te eee 94 Goshawile is ssiare SS Sisiccs Dik d Sede a Se See SON NaS Hd lea Sista auele stare nus Sie Mere enetene 162 Gracklets Boat=tanled™ 3 Fsqdccciorcca harcore aelere win etereee eee yo ere areuniere Wore e Oa 217 BT ON Zed Merch te Bieiele's totese tale eiSiete fe etts laweyeraiions Cuene alee sens Ge see Roo 216 - PUT Pel Us Heyes Aces acc oh katie a Siok elotalietis lkevteterouslightetione re cerehcug er shenewene ke uerahe pe nontan 215 Gray aches oo yetaia fiers aicia raat Koto catust lo ore a saneoente teal anelslisnenera cia teyelerskss Rotten renemene 127 Grebexloolboellist shincciacie 0c Sac aine se clare segetake ele tala Waiale oroiae ee tere ROR IONS 38 15 fayeie(:1s Bt eee En Ameri CRIS hry Ire eCLG Cer TIO O0.4.6.0 0 39 PAT veo IN I RE AAA RIAA A arr CR AUCOOS CITE SIO OS 6.5 c 39 (Ea) 01 eS A EO COO OC ome nh Oem OOP eee cIG A orics O06 o-0 ¢ 38 Grosheale WSUS eleveveroton sete tee ara avever elev cy etaleoiet eyo elreV aieusitcNelen-sdo react erent 245 Cardinale ios ai taccesdctevdid Post eke chelsea iitors ers eRe OCCT a RTOS 2438 AVETING Ws vaya aa cree cele cece ne Sido Sd cree aw Sto ana we Sees 220 esheets AE ter Mercato OCC 0 05 220 ROSE“ DLEASTEM! Voce chats eva actions oreva rellavaie ote a ierereucpehstonsvetete ronan ckonekene Cor eens 244 Grouse; WUC. Aye hiss icie sate ose leks eee here Wl eketolo nels tobe Mi ale ee eetene 150 Guillemots Blaele sha: 4.3 Sandee Ache did ced cedeeed Sanaa sausoaie Suthers te etehe ele Oe ree eetaae 44 Ger TSMI OS) Beet essere Sic ore aoa d's where aiwiw lor Ova oot oko le vaiiolte lotabisyesaeaye lel tysyerotere erences 43 Gull Black backed Acs see os eat ecotoe etek ets wloseve ele ne ote na lekahe vey suet aera th eenenene 52 IBlaeksheadede Gave nave hovvekrer nell kerevevevalet liches syetelicvoronercicks ct eveleccienetenenencmeiers 55 FROMAIPATLS Se + av wict cto es oy arsuevcie toteteel euebanelte wekelieriewelo orcvek dleucuciote islelio tek renee 56 (GRU COWS) La 6 oucndetars AA AHA ARS See Or chone ereeie Liane al epakenereys eRe ae 51 12 haat eee eee eRe ne ee ARR A tS Oooo Goo «6S WAU MIN EY «es tavele eve esos le Sere eee eis coete Me severoxeniancncronensiole tele rsiieketeto Rann 55 Jaye dee| sly Rea SS CAD OCS O SoM bOGa Oo AtoD Ao oMe OoUatoDbadqacoscde 54 CUMS a hey cate NOP os oa a wooo nicto oil voor el chat eohev evel onctetcleieotclcucnsot esis elxoitere kexetohcteieterens 49 GUT Oy Feverepacuevos teen orekolelololelel a ole otcvoio ney enevaltel ool cholo le velloRoneleceksteheketonetsneletenet-iei= 16 Hawk. Broad=waneedtsey se veloc rc chee rane il sha ol shel olcvctenevotar et tenc ke lefoneie anette nents 164 Gooperisi) scence ee Latah tech A Snr ial ibicicttatihel citsala Risioteteners elerauerelenesetenetens 161 DDUGCK- cavenexsretensrsharenetetevene BEE CMY at BRS Ak meus eiever otetekole nee oleae tect en ave toneuevene 166 ISIE Su aisianevcuancoretstereho eae ee ORI ROR IAAI Cie Clas SSI COO oc 168 WII Gos ooecdoud4550aK000C ahah Sidra eve eure leulernatiohslla altel uote alereleleuetonehenale 160 IPIGeGOnh i, .t6.6 60.6 avers nie ale ele ele ei Rite Yertde Sielisl clch hetullelteate ehoperetensietshsieloneteke tors 167 Red-shouldered macicacteucicie cre storia cicietevelisciekslcteyeteleleteto iene tei teete tenner 163 Red-tailed eta, cine actos iste ead sclera data crelorerere teers lateral egericle neta le 162 INDEX. 413 PAGE ANOUG a OCCU ces myet tet acide /aveie eiasieis. efeicycleierc: ohels auetaieiate telenates alate bwitut sua 164 SSSEA CLUSION ATI EL ECC Gar cemarc cieviey epategs tare kev eves erat ehesatspeme nel overs th a cketeyer eh need test beicire sia, ole 161 SSI EUIN OVUM tere ated enenen opel epnr ct ciao ob aiaustlosotetencneteie, a o.auasarera tk vcr loaieyey ciate anewe vate 167 eR UU CSM SSIR re yece tater egos co'cyotAi ars) oi ove: ehe-cjiovcl-« (o eiafer esuyaio’aies si sigoussicvoyejovatowats ckcavete tel’ 158 ierale ler eerrerecrerclictatereietarsralevelainve scucteton te ceciecet overs ceatanele Tore Ore reiele aie cio eels) clevens (lolahedsrern. be 406 Ma Ese livia lis Gl cesses Atte cae, ale tear cheroue atedodetete nie. Fane oiote efelct etches alels creivial silo ie meinstey Re syst 406 CHLOMIVELSR IST SCHOND I: 1 src) crass revelers avole da coe Soa. on) victale lavas aie serags leuateanene oie ioe 388 GUEST AMATI SUL Se eeoy. elev ai che veleytheranereatalslonel ote site, ofevcpeiate’s elelana ee ccfarahalesoiavenckatans 361 ENV REHIVS MIDI ChoUMete petty s cre ere evceerycgste sors eicuntcte int ane ieyert «sched dens iaiehay siete atari 407 HVA OSE SUCHONOMLUS materetas ce oheiche ote coatateug clcuer clare: ciate atenshaiats cyekstepaba: aio p ate ota tenant 383 ALU SVAN ee Ee ER LTO Ul cline tote ah ebaracctstst chone bovarie ewer ehereteve lone che inlet achat vy aulcneue costs feuauaite Penal n is 384 ASSIST 1 NINN eee Perey chee acces er aca, ca al op atlas opal ener fal, ate, soa a au ey esade ele ve teat Ste ovens ca oi 363 422 INDEX. PAGE Chub SUCKER oF EAs Save trolsra shatasele ole tel dled wets totale lobe feletoleletonete lomroke eee eee 367 Glama tac Ramay aye. c Aoisesrsvcudiovepsreio iowa rcvenere rete Wists SOR OOS Shee Ee Oe 400 Clemmys. 'Fubtata yas has oes cpdhe ete enavene aise ensisusnere are ara aero ree eee 408 ANSCUIP LAK 15,2, Sicnageie cseuaee aedne veh Sid LS hand Sudden aeatahowiane tatete SiCtO Tee 408 muhlenbereii (2.65 Nags Sd sis sis sede hoi sira deena ols heleraler meres Che eee 407 CLETIGUS 4g 3s saks nas sipclic ensue sender aed aioe ude coh Sea pais vo Mey cheoaL Nh levenee tee cere hele tones 404 Cluek=clwek vaiscvataisisea a ccrteoreioiy a chchevaldia abel are: a rohabaie a arareuaraianer a cieione SESE 399 QU SIM NT, sho skevdiohaeos ghanet daca atrana lava e lersiecveidoucies uceensranaraess Meaareke lane bare tantete Raa eee 355 COON ON sfajerdi dS ohs. lord ak eacudreishone Scirchanaiond She Wosiee idiendhare vcboratarsuenale IO sve ey are APOC aD Wolpochelliyss 4% a ots oelekove's loike fe, tevtorto-te = foils fe to tovlods foes dues ecancuet Src wewake ato soca neneen 406 KOMP: foyer kedie s Seape Leland Ska Oe Ae) aud Alene ehave Mia AS een een eS Stee eee 406 WGIUDEL CONSETICTOR Mita ors- cis Sie ar aroe cleo See ete SOS Se Ta oreo e eee Teeter 403. GONIDLIGR See cud fa std eudha tee rca rancid Tad Sidoanttete auate ts vate die senate: Shara chan nemo 401 CoOmMmMe;nsonnil: "CatOStOMUS jo fers dco Si eR eee Re pieieletetee ORs 367 COMMON! PAM PANG) 25.d9,) Hhreha tals le relae ee we ANS Soe Swe Dee a eee ete ee RIO ee rene 378 Speckled! skate@w.2 ec dc ddae fide a eee ello ters icin euetnk: eae faletehs tole cde eaer meen 352 SUNT TST 4. SUMS te etav's to fe foterse wie levtetasreticha ca elke eee cOnein Susana ay ere Ley a 380 (REC OAC ie pe =k ene ewes hele eee kine Pees oe ee 398 CONCENELICA, Mala Glam ys AGCOMERATAN . wiehele ve reic)=letnictrehe to toihe reelected ons telsyetisttch teen nea 407 Osis eat) Giere re ere Sen Om mrEo Soars smo See ote Samia de pei og.0.06 5 362 CONE: eptOoCepHalUs savciciacsiche ole whole loko & one wlolole eels eine fete f-telobetevetele teks tekereenenene 362 GONSEPICTOT:, (olwbers sis eletare slorelolorerevatatccisiaeraielele oie toleveueiere seoencite) akelotey ieee onerene 403 CONLOLEEEX WAC ISEFOGON Mere miele siobeve wieiers oie is iow te encvereiaicreereretcccnen ie erento 405 Wopper) head isnake sc a.s fee Secs Sid sone Qo deus nd eae daeicrd roe ae eee loess aE 405 COUPOTALIS. M©yPrins \cissc a ehevdic havcko ater atch ates a) yencke tia cies sespoeneleietcvohacuen Rel meres 363 (OG th SE oA OME Se OO OD Sen DSO ou woood odo S055 389 CracossepteMSPINOSUSHa acre cele cieiiebksieisicteletcweieisyei-ioteiete eit tt ttene 376. OKs SUCK ET ie 7s -teve oe ates oo rer orci ade etevomer site lansi stevens sore w veleene ceiierehsie even reas none eRe Ee Relea 367 crepitans, Acris gryllus ...... ACO OES tae oo OATS S29 2: 396 Gricketetoad ari Pest acsre aia cee a cos aide ciate di ci aiere tausigns is cnc reieiators fetes eter eve toicmenens 396 CROMISS OS OMIAS Me aierete eyeteleusts Helereis seieis one oxcioesnen chats kaietey shel suslehal tenet ener 385 ONG we. KN SMR SCCerote Uomo be oto b SEO b UA mou oS 405 Grotalushorridus ayo crete csevalete crs lola e lore pavovove tele lotetorests lolals tovecotoleeolioheucts Rev RehcRe Ronen 405 cryscleucas, Abramis: <2).8/s cus /-ie ck oss ncneln ss be eels elempshs cle eee mone CHigcip hy ital enc bo Hee eIO Ono web Oth blo Ob bins OG00 D055 5 < 375 GUSK= Sp SANG! ootoic ee otote ce elete one tovoneterere leloforste te onsveveusie ciate cvehoretereseteNetetotole ote tetakees 390 (Glnin Sits) lb Sesh SO Ghb no Oe OOOO Ae OM obo ots Ub OGOn C0.d0CC 317 Gynascionenebulosusmet rc see rorela estas here see honorees) oil siete eto ketone iets eteaenen 384 TOLALIS) Wich cid Ae Ao Aa AS ceca Stine others sete Oe fepotece tele fects ine oer 384 GijcminGhe Sancocdod aos atocdaAddAanoed codon bodnnuNOOOdaoomaACoodacoC 362 GyPLINUS "CALPIO sale cle sie cr sis Sucvekouey hades ote exretere eke lee ale mh Clete loko eel sie eeerey ane emel 367 GOLPOLALIS pocreva serie, scares eclelicl oie aievele Nokes ote) eto lclletaiet Nee] oistoyr tee Rene none nen 363 darters, Wessellla ted se caleisrcis ts cieieie te oleate ree foe o fot a lol letter oioie Ketel) tala WeRot- selene ee 381 DERN GURGES Goat ene Sono nOOoDUOD OO LODE oDooDnoobaddbHboomy oO DONbC OOD ces 353 Dasyatis: Centrounalr. scvate oles ciecycrscicie ie sista cs ahs olla) efellckel eopettons eV ofotelionsteyate= 353 Gekayis, StOreriae sicccidess cers 6 cpap ane otehe cavcerabaneekerNocoh cue e\ eevee [enone sy Natl Nel Mepeotate 402 IDE SEN AR loon Rey CSAS bh ddoddgessc0ds CN en siete cies ciclo. o 402 Delaware. Salmon’ o/s sss Snead wee beh eect oo ules Datel a oat eh oe eee Wesmognathus LUSCA Mees Se cise ccs nce te clots etch stelelle otal cteletone belslial sles) slededotenen ren 395 Diddophis PUNckacUsins cya cudereiats clelsrcieie whet sieistets anet-dae-) stekekel tool oleh hel Tse eee 403 Diamond backs Lerrapin ete cleteciers seectehe che oetsied ett onevensisn-Tateh= (leben toh Nene te Rates 407 diaphanus,. Bm dull as) elects ees olalotellotemevokeleletaitetods ledetol= tole te tlek- lose hale RelRelstede Sie ole 423 PAGE. Diodontide ........ ar yeteilereictaleiska iaclecd & Macao a eid a aela ano PA es eater ee 388 Diemictylus viridescems .............. yntfe is Gaehe Io. aval ote Grete ve vous chav sushala lows sinters 395 TECH UK Gi reieictsneieiereve rs ein Breve te cdvatons a matave lee We i tsda wikns ele iokeipr akaletaceiehe sie. atop leases 370 doliatus triangulus, Lampropeltis .......... scene: ke fo ierp io ancetener cdots euelovatsrantets 404 dolomieu, Micropterus ...... Wee Sorrel eres BUNcieie bie a cwlate eis bieie staal tens 381 IMRGS OM Gace DOO LATILIN sc ckenelats csyete isle 'e)s 10.x5 se 2m iw isus fo S Nelo eis imac ie yout te toils lw (sp. ba) ticle eh ve 360 Dorosomatidee ..... So Seater oh dar acvei wives cle ol eall ol aleteite te tele so ce toliaife cov sila talents op lav ektatcldtaye ters 360 CONANT ES Lal Clie aes eivtoee a 5 eiie Sie winless plsiets Sie steeYaans 377 GZ ZAT Gieroharcteetiars faite recsi = sayane eta eile soe taelice ier S wruptetsaaiataketalehelas (evens) ois ters 361 SIN yates Pereacte oaberese sus Rie: eve ta lane Diese eusteee A ROTOR cot 385 IMURIV Atenas ¢ Pere pate aerate s 6) 5 Sissel Paros ws Saat ole) &. 6 ereimvelie vapagurel blake oan ote WGN | Rh Se Re eee Rey 5 er amiss ae QU bogota cies 378 MITT CES TIM Fecharn cusieveleseleitcve te csus'evelaze o's BAC ENO OD SO RO ORD acheter erO 379 MOSS TEM Weve fate ee ye cs (o/s) ha ee Iw 0 asst Ya weieushore eho ge gels wo OS whew velere Pena ereleisyparokarare 391 ET OGM Te ote ore rene es oitiots wings Seb Cees bie hoe ale maine cine ion kate STA NAYS me meet aroks Ba fey ate cs Shim cscntin us sohse “a Laie Dm geo eA S Tales ailuad Snakes sieve mek olor eqs tee ielis SIT h WADE Uiadme pee vote wise ei tc io alee duane PR Oop pele oe bs Bp ieee SS re eae aeabaees oe 388 IME S 8 ag OS GORE OO RENO N nie Be A ERE, Ph ir on 386 ERT Ciekeae oa ees ot a'y « Ay ay el cbas af os Site nolbalie Mateel A ious pw aesahon OND e ellcl odoxee ma cevate iets 377 SDUTUITA eaehereveycl of ater ch ds vara: eh ay or ata of ah er'e, er avelermrots Wile) Sie a etmvistaovohaleys auateh cisree gee Shane 387 DOUG tl seep Be eRe oa ean) sis is ia A Saal ye bdo couse legs bers RACES eens seve ge RL a Wane, bi 384 ETH EMU YG eA Tish GER Tel hips seea lea fa do gata ae tele ee Peale oases vaunisse. hee (ap aah ay airuanl’s afl ShG> a St w'ce et where By ws NSS TU UTR) enw eee yee ie ache sellcrarerclo esis aia ie pho whe ie Gaioueuer ce deneae aol nb eT uo ehs eciale wleis Stl HUVESCENS HME CT Cater teat, spect afoter Srocers, clei cre a Gsustancuororatebale depayetetncal ake dlade ates te tnttecs 381 124 INDEX. PAGE ENP PET eke relives tess xeieiees HIS SOIC oO SH GO Af Oy Cia NOISE eA IA DAS OGG ce olo ote ole 358 flounder, Summer ........... ane eras (ators aaa Ssete) che sede lo sia verte aide te la alate leper ea eRe 889 Four spined stickleback ........ Aisiis sauiain elie ely areetatete rans lana vanstererciel oto siaeieteis 376 Coed salamanders Lie ei. syste win ae vies evveere ele levee LORI s eee seepage EEO: AES UD see ies berave te aotens) « Mekchcnevapetereveyaheteires HR HTH aH Hom cto od al 65.0 400 GLOOMY Sites sccisrare costo Serer etonekeie MOC ORGIES GOK A OA Otc co 400 COP ALG! 3) 5)'a\srsra isis siavecsieueie ve octets teens karen te teke doveke RSAC Ces ee 399 PICK Ere it crahateee ote erate ate hea oe Seater Wroberalaielialienele? svat ah oche aise nae ee ee 400 Sphalpntrm ye tsonheteere isles omreieesiee alavel lot sveKti scmtaverere wih a ehetatetaueh tek eters 399 AY AXON) em eRe Seo aT MM Pee eT Ch rs fot Pas Ge cit ena Oooo 0 400 FTG Wisi Tao MAUS ysis) cic retave relaveneheueiede ausve isnt leiece eeu ene ae Oleic heteroclitussmacrolepidotusy 44s serie oes nae eee 372 LIEN EDS ST ORCC RTI A MOISE nt Gin homeo od c'c BZ LUSGAs. DesmoOsnathusy sn ciatescesishs soles steve col siele) she e eco co ua tale patalone creiezane See Ree 395 PUSCUSH SY MM ALU SH is lerneus ier enelcotaersietstchal creiete/« So else oheleredatatsnereualatecene teen 377 GT ae yeiyer cts d dete hetatenede tert alate ice lece lens voit vars he vetsvoyelaues si sieve Sere eee a Ee Oe ere 391 Par GEST HORNA sls orale edcah a distur are aiatlete aletela lar al Socieiepe pel ate att ane See eM ae ee 373 (GAGEOT SWAG 42 poate ratenevee nO ge dolls Scie ve: B alaleyel & bisuelayer eal gtaveenede telah pete lene ke aan 403 GASTETOSTCIED So saicsecans he slere aig ale sie euee alee .alevereieleteles oe tenedetolenelele chelators ees 375 Gasterosteusracwledtuse ys cu csh ces oe eciuie-slemeensto ae acer lellate SU oua oases 375 Getuluss Wampropeltis’ ire’, eisnchsveleteveres eel oy ces eve tera) vateloy avencusvereca avec venclelene tenet 404 SIDDOStss, KMUpPOMOLIS ici Wie aie sve s,s oars ae Srasohehe fal abeloreveuecrel iter ele) aelole toate RARE Rate 3880 GAZZATA WTSI ai eehe Ne a Rea ad Si Wal ote ots Lee e ra abespat cide ect AR ea eo Oa 361 SIMA PR ae neds have tone revere love veve deere nce deve ious Geteycdeee devon be kovononcie eee eae eaee 360, 361 Globiocephala brachy plea: aiciaieccisinte ot cle enere lever eierereuelete tat chateroreielsacteasteneiete 376 FlOriosus/HNNeaACanthus ss) ss icve o seove aiohaisel 6/6 cyellelsis sllove ole aval eve.ouenevarevensteiensteretene 380 SUEINOSUSS let hod Ome. yolcsie siehaens ase oes eee She ole Leo ee le tetolel the eh eit rs eee 394 SOO C ape Mig yr DMM a cveve tess ose Gaustesersi inte ersiieve elslel ci eusis lott Motte race eee 385 GravelyswCker ismnecete sis cles cherevste a ctaie ia olerikctomner ere ole are blavelets one Save ORS 367 Greens HO Hi sede Ge ewca vee de ddde pale bore cade teat te ke ietes ain eevee el ev arated THIS NE OSIC A Ait ae ee 400 NTE ak aN ales ce dha e va Moe bng oi aualig real Sitese lene nst’oireivolle eet) es SuSMaLen et ct oieUTete cca Oh oye ee een Bile Srv llusErepitans, WACTIS! bjoreseversverawaleneheroreeKoieveve talese ieasvebeyoueiews seve pete okeuoes eee 396 Put tartiay{n CLEMIM PSs yevische taparsdere bensbele ance ssts ele: ale ates my she crokevegehele seysksvoe ue deustehehewep anene en 408 Temas eleven akon ok pabarlccatena eres slings te ka veheveusledonsnc tvenSTeMee te eke ee Reker ae eee 392 all favo @alesgs 8 ci SMe se aero vaies Gist eusuabe sa aie entic re laiel o, one e-euc. lone ievetelatepererateuereiarrete el ave 374 Ftammer (head SHarkivc.b:5 cess ec aieler sie el scans Ske, Hci eusha clove siahe\eretavarete None kate eek 352 la wiks pill ttle yess ee h aves lon ahercneteiaie ciers (obese atta iocne ol givveretancnle PE oho & 406 MEAS! BILTON lice e sestanc yale arehere te kanedere rahe Vesanehoke lieve ume tolete loiewses eiele eke ke eee eee 360 Hlemidaetylitaim tse tata tummy 05) 55:2 chsievacalel sletels: suave aiereidie vote n elecsie.enek snene Nee nene ica 393 Ja esomph gs baah ost: TNE AA NS ee eee TEL ae Perna IRE oi. A od aio'd dor 374 herring} (Black ellied soos. evs ois; ei Seete she iele: Suave eit behets eel sia ieleke aaalepetebeen a tem St3i7( Herr rn VE Cap L ye eleg iat Wat Sey e Nah ei arm uletea ater eva Go es eye kal ee ehh #2 WI VaR aloe ea 358 heterochitusmacrolepidotus.. (MUN dUlUs ile aterejeteieists elsieintersice ste laereiers aps TM oie Heterod onlay ios sis) As sie oiciacelereteusios eles lel eveheve che orsiesorene See ap cost ate 404 FLT CK OLY 1S WG se ee A UAE NG AUT SU oe I cae tron r rate en oy reat eae tomate 35D Hog noserismaike yay soya ae Saw sta Mn HET a GGL ee ee eta Panetta te Wenekad: eke igucleenemeneaen 404 HOrrIGUs; 6 Crotalus yy as Bay Ae seve laeay aves dake teas davek honehenaie Toke ce tenses ded owene be tei retreat 405 EV omseistalkces) eyaiates eevee Ca ae Ce NE TAN ie a sr atiine Muaab a tate atts Vstrsitel ele te ralLsteaentaae 404 hiwdsonius aMAacUsy ANOELOPIS | sis lel ssieisle eiela al cleisuet cl chelates sis relays aks t tere tease 365 Hybosnathus: ‘nuchalis iregius sais cemasicie icioleelele einen cries er eee 362 INDEX. 425 PAGE Eu: MELLON OTM Labrerre tate sealetes ia Sekcicjeiaid ah orcheusl olehofevot cheek ohare suseolsjallal ave eVetetel avaratece ys 397 AILCIC OY INT aR ene rarePer uy etc ech chrcnerav eiferfce sa toll oi’ oo0h) v's; vite es'ov'e fo ove. ive (evel ia) winelarcevrelater aie 396 ETSI COLO TH anata eerste exctal five dhaiede eueionaits tatcvede/euaaishancleveve Toks, eleva el 'sh ouowe Mate 'w auctor’ 398 ETeulTCl Amey pewter horas ot ov oko oye scleral oi s\Ov0s oad tia Wicl Gye crcloiets,-a/ie\'e! shonertenette: Stevale shgleraiave. sun's 396 EOLA MMU UNI AS CIA ULISK ehilexel cic crocs rol thea es hain) 0 dim eye atsletels. evoctherets, e 374 STUER IG awa tale fare ove tasorevelan evaitctote ints eo eis [nfsiaja scien sO ibis ie alaiaiial ats sietatejo cd ele Rica didtarel as 405 Hasta ta SCE MC LETINITNY; Since pais ava airleitescoiiel een eh (akesiaschavay'atat a wi as sis al atieiia) eal artsvevallsievclicns a} sane 408 kempi, Colpochelys ...... BEE Flaricon CORR CICTIOCe © mares Sich alehale ate eels 406 RAUUIITTS MNES TDC We ayapeleheadsWerencNeucvaberencveele ichellenot piel st'stislien eh cote, e/ etic whe (elie) euce\tar 0) ehter eb'enenaules ile PSTaT OTS leehege yepasreene to! a ive ecohis tairolewohstisllo epaneila:iexeNoue se-aieirerewtets is) ana hay teia (ehana ayant wale wlls 385 Ee ERT girs ORI Sie SE pO RA TN op ey RR ON 406 PIGS CCEN ON Ww DENS VI VAM ICIIING by, ols oreceras'eleie ase vire/aic,e cisioe avenaka dvetorelaues.c feist oie te aus 406 ETA SeO aoa is sits ecto: onelia'e stone ate aiaiatalejorsieronaistehancns: aoieeebenanahe alta ereketeoatals fevaCel eve 386 RP ELO EE V Si CIICQUC TOI Mc eNelele! cyevorehera chet oro). c oiclin eticisieversi'o) orm atte%a sua olan ois, kslouetsetsts a 387 ACIS AUIS Heel ASO CRU ALUS watialeierel sis o eteler'setd eel siete « «ells fe.cy elect elisishe, atelenelsiabeuet eters 388 Peeve S PEWS Bi bee cee arckeiic ereteteveva)ieinle!c.isi'ere)/aNls (efoncas ioeietaene: eielsueradchansveitttes atoieette c sie JOOS MAPA GCOU HAUS 1ce VIP ALES avers viii cic ee ioNovekeltercyelis io on eile palfellewciishohestoneu suche xilenenclinie tevtot alee 388 ILineulem Haein smi 456 B55 oD ous 5 Oe Be O DOC GIO ICIDIEICIC CAC IDO RCE Ioieio b CiciBe 383 Her ATURE PMMA TSIOE- Vetta eteWel eve temensheifeiieeMer cher Siro Sorieetie! otfal sai aitelfe eho fei aiacdl sim oleretebiaiolaye aval. ove 351 BIRD ee are trce ark oe Che eat he Bs oct is elie Ad wk Ot MANNER CRI AN oe 351 NTPRATA TOL CVA Pace te avec are ie islets se seiie ke coburraioter erekre aie frit fos.c latvorioue io ial volav/ane (ouslierseiaheveris/is Gite) rel ak ake 351 MAM COVELUISTGOlATUSH ELAN SUNS! 2lorcrohe revel oiieievcilojeheyeleledeielsi(elelexeqsileienescusilone olereie 404 SCLIN Sartore Ge huevo bois ieireie Gielen veleneNe Netiohe sehajlsysrisiel oiatehsiel@uvararaselalecste 404 HEIN ERNS SLT) CHitm Pan et chlesctiellesfasis/atie ara soe-ovte/ wie rela) Suiaviev'ajlovte talteKehauel lb erouenicbiewentena neve ncl'eho 3 panchior ake fouets = 390 LGV D AGU AIEEE ie Gir O ORS CIOOE Se IC CIO CTLICICICIOIO I OICLCIOD A Bin ChUD BOIeCo URI IG 4.0 Gea 0 cis 401 Weberis, Regina 2 oc. cect ede ies dv enc cesscsesinmswecciasceccenscacsenees 401 PET OSUORIUIST praicce Pirate oder leicte level velsvevadraliehs) sitstiel al atvarea tol ston mieherel ais) we Sua) apey aha, st eels 302 KANG MUGUS) dose, ceeiereveicuse a Glee eee Sie aie oe cia stl Sicierd wesc: = are eleUomeeiel sate 385 AGO) ERLE ODP ie fay sees oe, si isa erie ect yo Slo trcdsveuate rehetonsre(sras cicslaiiesells) alis er al oiefts ehetahommyahs 399 MUSTER IS ee ULE ULULS we eis retevove ferete teke) ore kare Gos leslie waite toy oie (oka gereuede ees cr ok iol ora) atonal ol lekerotoNa 380 Mr Ty E NO Wn 2h 1d ad ak or eral oro ee ah'e cto lar ola of alia) eleva elves. oi ereieneyal sie carlo ot Sila vaeP oa cat sited dW awelene 362 ee PCOCE PHANIS = CON POTD ia otras wire oie ao 0.00 a) ener «distal dateiisuaielene nieve levee, slob /ohayeteleaoete 362 ESV SATA SUL Soom Mert d GED ULE Ul Soc ieee re pesfonls We he donne laikctlovere jetted tioted otaacus fovoiloua'yetsar’ suchiokehateveueseieneat els 377 Leucosomus rhotheus ............. ee a ins orMa an oR ret oe oid as 363 PT So TNR W101 LO Wide circa tahe eda rode Mer ent olla vce vale Nowe na. folrabalvohshioke isu syclinyjatioch oi Weriare atailaual a Cyareveus 389 MUTT CAT Saph LROCCUIS Tg Sas coeteaeee teen este etre pein elie re cele Teivaute eiabous javelersi ss oes ar eb divi vis slela needs 382 AVENE SD le Sense AEGIS GLAS Naame pened tote tel eie fo iabedeueieiokescelensde le tetiehs nals sie ielielce vada eeatet ehel oie a ke 352 EAT VM EALTT GY ROO iaicler act shat maine he a aLaaLo wlnicbortaviel ote fa fay Sue eheue wiiw abel’ volley aiehe ayeierehern 405 HAO e CAVEOE SUD AISI sepnteeroncetelelelete sha oro osfolia leis lovers: opese, sey rouse sale eels al Oloieae ays pues 380 ESTER SALAMANGEST qayes wre i choverenckt yaks «(a eve. ia, aye ac verei'e ana, a valleiellohe lave ouejreverevers aye 394 LON SICHUA A: SPETICEDESs = syorereiorel chore evans Vere eilereie ta. ot love’ exe: Biogayaicteleus¥enaue ousted) oncpa¥orsie 394 SMEAST SENT Cl Seats eres, Bas Boao Nee hey olde a esos anit aes oe ee 372 MEALOCLIS!H POM OLOD US) syne cys eietoneroteccreteney eee vai rere create Relate ee rer eee CL ee 355 Menidiamenidia, «mote tary: sys. Satenskesaie sa. ereus, 8S) e 2 ats © siete oi ee 374 MENU GIA IPN OLA tals VLOG Aareks teuetcrese fafolexckoteseiol- toi cuette eae Reusire lemetenciole aa heen aero eee 374 Menticirrhus: saxatilig hts ajavacrercieccporostesssicddne a doles oe Aasio mine Oe ee 385 IME RI WCC ITE be ae eava de reste cae ceiaaereuevons Shek ear'e ss coued oe FeO eae eee 392 Merluccitis@bilinearis; i avieias scion, das overt ado teckel Oh elas he eee 392. MIGrOsAdUStOMCOM Ys clerte sei ee ale ee RAE Ok OO ete le ae ee 391 IMFCLOP TELUS GL OLOMUIE UL ye igo saie ices ts vareusvev eves seeuetevenes chavein)ieusiie 1s dle Faenetens ecdetoie ieee 381 LédUDAW OOH gue BY ANKE C3 ele) OA Ne Nery Aton een Eee EEN Ol IEA Ce ENCES Sto a OG cid 6 366 Bridledig 3 ees A es a pale bre ciate rare ion Mayadas nousutiedde tie eee Ea ee 365 IVE WG agave icijoseusirens te easpavels deine da Gouste esbedhareueasteuse Seve dl been =e RE Oe eee 371 SSUTVS TY 7. fa pias ite ante wale ehaladcidiodediero nye oad avatedves 387 ROE CarsLicsTemil ss [te poy chapels) afsyey ch si ayer eves ayes oy «a5 fae ota a Weicunie ah dl ol SD es bv o'er sla si OH ada ePaolete 391 PRSeAHICCGes CLM LGC SAIE TDS ere es Ret ge oo osha 467 a0 oy © as a] st sl oy 21 6) lon oH2s sy wi hot & o1'or acy Shek of HOME Evdlgteh chs have 407 Rae RE ES GEIS SECON] Siar orey cusp onal sev ekereneverstavehetoseher a1 sy sl vavavers oleien eral sl abel ieioherersieicl sareveis ch cic 400 ASeUL Ey Aida ome © OYMITIONIN tate cctisis yetsvionicuckesete ober oy oo Gp iel mictovele Tac’ ares a heehee ee heerlen 378 RSAUMSAULTGLUELY Sm CL OMUCACUSEPcersore exe shauel er Aletakesenetel eyo avaitreho oie: ovat al al olor svetictian Ricloneestin aay 389 AaeRELS Vole CU es ING OS LOE Olas oveveucvalle\oialovel ole wlscaveishele avai erckeserew atale eaatobeletere ateha 406 AENCAMIL VES CONSME Eee tehe otra ions cacate ciel snore cay a hevataneie leteisin Wacteleharsheisvataialls hughes opetvar oe! > 381 SESH CLINE Comet Tate ste sete An sets es je selchsnel orehevene into e otmip iat y) piasd-ele bye Ns GIS BE OE IRS 382 AFegU Teen LOuumics Reven eee ce toi rove eoixelio ce evs io Ree hoyrolicte tw te si Tens fol oda Veh tect ohiol fellett bie’ ort wiser 379 PSU Naaman omer ek ofiet sree el oe Ver es evay'ol ahi ey'el Siig ales ei's) By Sie ob arel Gi alchwlape Saraslal BH anes 384 Ail Cera syetecnens Nes sicveve eta teucuevslsvelc siete tenstous olctetend weeces puro bi alotebletirtis amie 382 Bay Pee en a os elec atatitieieels occa oh Sep o nis oy Pal da ma abde 381 REST CIMSE Meee aN SE Tey eT tokyo tec te iets vous tele) oie yapeiel Siai'es at Mecara aa aressl sree oo dee a whe 381 IGE OMUy ZONE) 555.0000 0 0 00s Sfaldette toe io tere pave este tie Dis \asalra tal ove Poipuetaie: arte) taro ey oe 351 EUR OTIA ACTIN AIT UTS earay ay rey oy sy ey A crSEA cs Oi cheese ons os eis eal Aare eiatareie eral sieeclvias Piette & 351 PEMIVG LSE COU I SMeehees mya saree atsiehats ioe obo aioe OSs Le Ee Se a eRe oe 392 eine CLE E OY ci n5\ cis iaig oie te loves Gp iele bts BG Saees sipiptesous isis leche Str Vele te eine ee ce ee aoe 370 TUR OS NSS OC DO GOCE DICK IO ODEO DCO CCRT Oe Ot OOO EE omic 400 Pickering’s tree toad ...... Sinica ate vemaSexcesee patois ste ace te Giants A ootora eves FiO EES 396 fonetid,- CHIR VTE CARS BR ane ODO DODO EE DES DODO CORE CaO r neers Lic 407 HPL MULE CIM rae tens is: ovsselenays tata le siotdiesg ayers lee teue Bree Oa Ce ete aete atm 370 HEATH MELS TEM REA ofc fete GY svehs is\cvei’e BiinG i g's te aleve lowe Sia bile oS Bw ais wes ieee oll EAM CMELCCHMIZAT Uae stele tous te ci ttonees stolen erarai as erseoley oe ovo OS DATS hee On 405 sire MOV LL Os Data vones Pre niente ccebe lees “ors\ous, wvavseeVete Oe Reese s Sie BIE Fibs Bele lod eile 361 SHEERS LUM ra tate catence cpeaei ci cPolin ate eee PG ore. ese p eoye)' es 0x2) 2h 55) ay Wav sho, S11, Sethe Sees 377 AUMILETUS BME CLT) Digs let eeteMel caster ausiatalafetete o duelelecelee’s Wie oats MOE eae bE her eh RiciemObrewe 399 PAID AUC ST GLCH eet yor aoe hc peteWencsal aeetoye reer o's ve, ch ol ove™ aia avis Big) woud iolOwle s «or aecuistesi Obl aen 379 FASCALOMUS SUODMIUS Hey piers. s, Shia cisic slave eins oioasthd elebeaters . ua eine aS ee ISSR ROSES OCOD DD DD an ein cnc cmt ne nmaen 352 SLIR CEG paid OP OODEC DO ODD ERED OOD Oo poo doc pCO Cor Con Odo opnire 383 RSURLUNVGL ECS Ney See ol ay cr alice es aie. or's) caer evevfol aioe "aun iereaeysusllckalele.c olcuclsieiersvcrsslalelerekeray’sackers 368 Sika Gti! Gp Sec cen peop t eB On DEC OD OO DCE OOD OD CODD OL Orkne. racic 377 Tata Aes RCO BEES CRI RORO UGA TCE NCICTT OROE RENE ICRCYCORCIC Dy CoE ae eC Dea eer ieacae 366 TYSIHE Nh A MoO DOO CRO OOO DO OCC DOO ODDO OOnGn OO On Orica oceente 384 Upstate ac cdatees Sea ttavarictctic ache a efainhe wi eho eta sie) dake atarata ay elaine & tagetepetnlets 369 SHIMON s oS Us oan SSO COO DOOR ROBO Aco o OE CDOT anen read 374 PSL eTeVanTTNUTINLO Wisk soci caret charae: oval ores ei e¥s shear er'a- 4) af a)sie) ole, ay a)ranel aye ehal'ei bier susialereieyeie! Ss 362 SIC COMM EIN DUEL X up ttelelal ofa) al/ asia) a sia, 6) s\n} e/a atoley si's\4 che ©) sie) sliel nol efeunivlola ei nheiet die. u t K e i hag ne ah 4g av bate APR rien iid ¢ a3 ‘UULT Snziune snqukjod “3g3a49 GANYOH “TOqnpNYy WOT v T ALV Id en ey AAT ie — ; ‘ wig Res 5) e : dave: yews Mex 7 es Rites ‘Cuury) sdaoipod snydeqAyoet “Q9G35YHD GANIIG-agald ‘UOQupny Wolo] 6 HALV Id From specimen in State Museum. LOON. Gavia immer (Briinn.). Epes Ww wt if i PAL) la Jaa ida US: De Mee oe ~ =u, iy ; uy , Tp ‘ > % ow Wo ip? t yy a“ . ‘ Dt eRe oka bh Sa seen a 6 ?« f .. ¢ . ‘\uog snzeyuebue snueq “77ND ONIMHYAH ‘2 ‘(pao) elydjapeyud snaeq “77119 S.ALYWdVNOG ‘1 c y HLV Id From Audubon. COMMON TERN. Sterna hirundo Linn. et) ti ie a a + 7 >| ‘ - . ‘CTITSTA) BOysoonsa| BPWoupoukes9QO “TAY LAd S.\HOVAT ‘“oquphy Woy 9 ALVWId State Museum. rom specimens 10 P Pelecanus occidentalis (Linn.). BROWN PELICAN. ‘UISSVD SNuedivawe snhisil "HASNVOYAW “UOquphy WOT ‘8 HULW Id PLATE: 9. From Audubon. WOOD DUCK. Aix sponsa (Linn.). ‘(UOSTIM) Bldousi]eA ee “MOVWE-SVANVO “mOqnpny UWO.TyT NMR, Whew» ‘Ol GALV Id + 5 Sey ymca ee fens ata, ‘Cuuly) Sisuapeued eyueug "ASOOD VAVNVO ‘TUMOSNIY 38IS UL uowoeds wWoAy TL GLW Id PLATE 12. From specimens in State Museum. GREAT BLUE HERON. Ardea herodias Linn. PLATE 18. From photograph furnished by Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. EGRET. Herodias egretta (Gmel.). “(ppog) sniaseu xeyooljoXku xes0ol}9KN *"NOHYSH LHOSIN GSNMOHO-MOVI1E “COqUpny WOT yy FL ULV Id ‘pny suebaja snjyjey “TIVWY ONIM “moquphy WOAyT ‘ST ULV Id “(uury) Buljoues ePuezi0d “WHOS ‘HO(npny WoO.1sy v ‘OT MLW Id PLATE 17. From Audubon. 1. FLORIDA GALLINULE. Gallinula galeata (Licht.). 2. COOT. Fulica americana (Gmel.). Xa 9 a ’ aa . ; » a he . Z mal a) > * 2 - a a te ne a8 f , J A “CTOULD) Jour Bjsyoliud “MOOOGOOM “HOGCnpny UO oT ‘ST ULV Id ~ Se + eka he ‘Cuury) SnueluiB4uiA snujjod "ALIHMaO" ‘Zz ‘CplO) ezyeoijap OBeurjey “AdINS S.NOSTIM ‘1 *UOSTEAL UWLO.y] ‘6T HALWId ‘uuly Ssnynueo eBul4t “LON ‘TO(NpLYy UWOALT es f Jove ota ee Pee. ben ‘06 MHLW Id it t a a , i . Fi f mr das ; gee : ‘ \ ; f fe ed Shel ayo ‘Cuury) snyisnd sazaunesy "YadIdGNVS GALVIN IAVdINAS “UOqUpLYy WOAyT T6é GLW Id PLATE 22. From drawing by Fuertes, Nat. Asso, Aud. Soc. UPLAND PLOVER. Eartramia longicauda (Bechst.). thn vale. “Cuury) Bleynoew siji}j9Y "YAdIdGNVS GALLOdS ‘TOCnpny WOT 66 MLW Id p . A ’ ‘ 4 : Dolls nae Ps I > > ! * Pt it lines PLATE 24. From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. KILLDEER. Oxyechus vociferus (Linn.). ‘Cp1O) Bpojaw siyyeway "YaAO 1d ONIdid “HOG(UpHYy WOT G6 GLV Id cert antie ah be ie ‘Cp1O) Bpojaw siyyeiay "YaAO1d ONIdid ““OCUPHY UWO.tyT Oi EPR ‘SC ULV’ Id : ix i Oo ew ar ” Pore i 7 . ; ym ne ae ae ema es ge een ae meee Sk ti ‘MUA, Snyeijed sndoyewxeH "YyaHOLVWO-HALSAO ‘HOGUpny UWOAsT a's Leg PO ire 9¢ ULW Id v Tofasey SH GEL 4 Seles : ee From Wilson. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). ee Ay avi . a ¥ weve yr. ‘Cuury) Stujsadje siu09030 “MYV1 GANHOH TOSTIAA TOAST ‘9F HALV Id PLATE 47, From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soe. BLUE JAY. Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.). ‘uyatg Soyoukyukyoeuq SNAWOD “MOHD “UOS[E MA WOT ‘8h ALV Id as rt) a & _ we aye oa : a : - ie AT ee From Wilson. BOB-O-LINK. Dolichonyx oryzivorus (inn) PLATE 49. PLATE 50. Brivee tlonsf a. — From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soe. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Agelaius phoeniceus (Linn.). nie net aan ae eaten ore 4 ee } ate if ie Pyy 2 PLATE 51. From drawing by Fuertes, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. MEADOW-LARK. Sturnella magna (Linn.). 52. PLATE Soc. Asso. Aud. Nat. Horsfall, From drawing by (Linn.). Icterus galbula BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 4 Ro a PLATE 53. Irom Wilson. Quiscalus quiscula (Linn.). PURPLE GRACKLE. ei a 4 From drawing by Horsfall, CROSSBILL. Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). PLATE 54. PLATE 55. From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. GOLDFINCH. Astragalinus tristis (Linn.). PLATE 56. From Wilson. 1. FOX SPARROW. Passerella iliaca (Merr.). 2. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel.). From Wilson. 1. FIELD SPARROW. Spizella pusilla (Wils.). 2. CHIPPING SPARROW. Spizella passerina (Bechst.). PLATE or ee be ee ay axl st nym Ty ay : PLATE 58. From Wilson. 1. JUNCO. Junco hyemalis (Linn.). 2. SWAMP SPARROW. Melospiza georgiana (Lath.). i) pe: Mi Ant ee ag h tt PAL if P * : 1 i . i Pre ees iyi eri , CPA Paty wre P be 2 y 'iiiphse oh aD vi ere, ‘ ‘ AN gy r ort. 4ee art fob Del, Fe bie, PLATE 59. From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soe. SONG SPARROW. Melospiza melodia (Wils.). 60). + oy) PLATT Wilson. rom Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.). TOWHEE. PLATE 61. From Wilson. CARDINAL. Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). Lops + r PLATE 62. From Wilson. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linn.). PLATE 68. From Wilson. INDIGO-BIRD. Passerina cyanea (Linn.). PLATE! 64. From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soe. SCARLET TANAGER. Piranga erythromelas Vieill. PLATE 65. ees From Wilson. 1. BANK SWALLOW. Riparia riparia (Linn.). 2. PURPLE MARTIN. Progne subis (Linn.). PLATE 66. From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. BARN SWALLOW. Hirundo erythrogastra Bodd. PLATE 67. moe 4 avian Arras Mt), 6) * ~& g From drawing by Horsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soe, TREE SWALLOW. Iridoprocne bicolor (Vieiil.). ‘TIOLA Wndoupas eyioXhqwog “ONIMXVM HVvaao “UOS|L AA WLOA GT ‘ 89 ULV Id TIOTA SI]Besoq sniuvey “"3yYIYHS NYSHLYON LVAYD IEMA ULOA GT 69 HLV Id PLATE 70. From Wilson. 1. WHITE-EYED VIREO. Vireo griseus (Bodd.). 2. RED-EYED VIREO. Vireosylva olivacea (Linn.). “CITPSIA) 4OjO9SIP B9lospusq “YATGHYVM JAIYIVHYd ‘Zz “Cjeuy) PBAse Bo}oupueq "HYATGHYVM MONIJA ‘1 “UOSTI AL WO. ST TL GULVW Id PLATE 72. From Wilson. 1. HOODED WARBLER. Wilsonia citrina (Bodd.). 2. MYRTLE WARBLER. Dendroica coronata (Linn.). PLATE 73. p7oRETO 4G Sos ORY From Wilson. 1. WATER THRUSH. Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmel.). 2. OVEN-BIRD. Seiurus aurocapillus (Linn.). ‘Cuuyy) seyouy siddjyq02 = *-LYOUHL-MOTISA GNVIAYYN ‘Z “CUUPT) SUdJIA B14939] "LYHO GALSVWAYE-MO7NINFA ‘1 IM WoOdgy FL ALV Id " ou ~ r+ ae y _ ay f PLATE 75. From Audubon. REDSTART. Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.). ‘Cuury) Sisuauljores eyjajzauWNq ‘“qHUIgLy9O MOSITA\ U1O.1y] ‘91 ULV Id PLATE = ee ed eee From Wilson. BROWN THRASHER. Toxostoma rutum (Linn.). PLATE 78. From Wilson. 1. CAROLINA WREN. Thrycthorus ludovicianus (Lath.). 2. WINTER WREN. Nannus hiemalis (Vieill.). 3. HOUSE WREN. Troglodytes zdon Vieill. “We'T Sisuauijosed &IS "HOLVHIAN G3ALSVaYNE-aLIHM ‘1 HOS|IAA WOT ST ‘61 MLV Id r BS i = PLATE 80. From Wilson. 1. TUFTED TITMOUSE. Bezolophus bicolor (Linn.). 2. CHICKADEE. Penthestes atricapillus (Linn.). gk ' 0 Se oe eg Meo 7 anew PLATE 81. Irom drawing by Hlorsfall, Nat. Asso. Aud. Soc. 1. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Regulus satrapa Licht. 2. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. Regulus calendula (Linn.). fy nS ba