m,

FOR THE PEOPLE

FOP. EDVCATION

FOR SCIENCE

LIBRARY

OF

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

OF

NATURAL HISTORY

The Birds of
New Jersey.

C

COMPILED BY

CHARLES A. SHRINER,

STATE EISH AND CAME PROTECTOR.

BY AUTHORITY OF THE

FISH AND CAME COMMISSION

OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

PRINTED FOR THE COMMISSION.

1896.

COPYRIGHT, 1896,

BY

CHARLES A. SHRINER.

THE COMMISSION :

GEORGE PFEIFFER, Jr., President.

HOWARD P. FROTHIXGHAM, Secretary and Treasurer.

PARKER W. PAGE.

INTRODUCTION.

The object of this work is the famiUarizing of the every-
day citizen unused to scientific terms, with the habits
and economic imi)ortance of the birds of the State of New
Jersey. The study of Ornithology as suggested in books
treating on the subject is one attended with difficulties
sufficient to dampen the ardor of even the more than
willing student. The long and high-sounding names used
in the scientific nomenclature — which even Latinizes com-
mon English words — the many divisions into families and
species, and the disputes of authors as to what particular
family a certain bird belongs to have undoubtedly in the
past deterred many from following a study in itself so
interesting and so useful. In the present treatise the
author has avoided all scientific terms and designations
and has endeavored to foster a better acquaintance between
the human family and its feathered friends without neces-
sitating the medium of protracted study on the part of
those who would like to know more about the birds
around us. For the advanced student this book will be of
no value, for in it will be found no learned disquisitions
pertaining to the higher phases of (3rnithology; it simply
purports to tell in plain language sufficient about the
habits of biixls to indicate their value to mankind and by
plain descriptions to facilitate identification. The bobo-
link, with its variable plumage and merry song, is an ob-
ject of interest, but that interest will be minimized to a
great many when they are told tliat the first thing of im-
portance to know about the bobolink is that he is a
doUchonyx oryzvorus of the family of icteridae. Scienti-
fic classification has its manifold uses, but there is some-
thing so deterrent about it to the average reader that
it has been wholly eschewed in the present publication.

6 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

A knowledge of the value of birds can be obtained with-
out it.

The number of birds in New Jersey, which either re-
main here all the year or whose visits are more or less
prolonged during certain seasons, is very large and a com-
prehensive treatise on all of them would make a ponder-
ous volume. The endeavor of the author in the present
work has been to deal with them in accordance with their
importance; the transient visitor who merely straggles in-
to tlie state from adjoining territory or who remains only
long enough to secure rest and food to suj^ply strength
for further travel, has not been considered worthy of the
attention to be devoted to him who remains with us at all
seasons or whose sojourn is long enough to awaken in us
either an interest in his habits or a desire for his return.

Few facts hitherto unpublished will be found in this
volume. The study of American Ornithology dates back
to almost the date of the discovery of this continent and
ever since that time have admirers of nature studied the
habits of our birds. The foundation was laid by Alexander
Wilson and he has been followed by hundreds, each of
whom has contributed his quota, either large or small, un-
til the structure of American Ornithology was brought to
its present state of almost completion. The work of Wil-
son has been used as the foundation for the present treat-
ise, supplemented by the works of Witmer Stone,
Frank M. Chapman, D. Gr. Elliott and others. The
main facts in relation to the breeding location and range
have been taken from Mr. Witmer Stone's "Birds of
Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey." The author is
also indebted to Mr. Stone for a painstaking revision of
this work before it went to press.

The Delaware A^alle}^ Ornithological Club is an organiz-
ation the members of which have devoted a great deal of
time and study to the birds of New Jersey as well as of
Pennsylvania. This club meets in the building of the
Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and the

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 7

members are ever ready to assist the seeker after knowl-
edge by identifying specimens or replying to queries.
Letters may be addressed to Mr. Witraer Stone, care of
the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia,

PatersoD, N. J., December 1, 1896.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

BIRD DAY IN THE SCHOOLS.

The following is a copy of a circular issued in July last
by the Division of Biological Survey of the United States
Department of Agriculture:

The observance of Arbor Day by the schools has been so
successful that it has been suggested that a Bird Day, to
be devoted to instructing the children in the value of our
native birds and the best means of protecting them, might
with propriety be added to the school calendar. The idea
of setting apart one day in the year for the planting of
trees was first suggested nearly twenty-five years ago by
the Hon. J, Sterling Morton, now Secretary of Agricul-
ture. More than a million trees were planted on the first
Arbor Day, and the importance of the day has gradually
increased until it has come to be observed in nearly every
State and Territory in the Union. One of the greatest
benefits of Arbor Day is the sentiment and interest
aroused in the subject of trees and in the broader study of
nature. It is believed that the observance of a Bird Day
would appeal to our people — particularly our youth — even
more strongly.

HISTORY OF BIRD DAY.

Bird Day is more than a suggestion. It has been already
adopted in at least two cities with marked success, but as
yet it is still an experiment. Apparently the idea origi-
nated with Prof. C. A. Babcock, superintendent of schools
in Oil City, Pa., who wrote to the Department of Agricul-
ture in 1894 urging the establishment of such a day, and
stating that May 4 would be observed as Bird Day in Oil
City. In reply, the Secretary of Agricultui*e sent the fol-
lowing letter :

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 9

Washingtox, D. C, April 23, 1894.

Mr. C. a. Babcock,

Superintendent of Schools, Oil City, Pa.

Dear Sir: Your proposition to establish a "Bird Day"
on the same general plan as "Arbor Day " has my cordial
approval.

Such a movement can hardly fail to promote the de-
velopment of a healthy public sentiment toward our na-
tive birds, favoring their preservation and increase. If
directed toward this end, and not to the encouragement of
the importation of foreign species, it is sure to meet the
approval of the American people.

It is a melancholy fact that among the enemies of our
birds two of the most destructive and relentless are our
women and our boys. The love of feather ornamentation
so heartlessly persisted in by thousands of women, and
the mania for collecting eggs and killing birds so deeply
rooted in our boys, are legacies of barbarism inherited
from our savage ancestry. The number of beautiful and
useful birds annually slaughtered for bonnet trinnnings
runs up into the hundreds of thousands and threatens, if
it has not already accomplished, the extermination of
some of the rarer species. The insidious egg-hunting and
pea-shooting proclivities of the small boy are hardly less
widespread and destructive. It matters little which of
the two agencies is the more fatal since neither is productive
of any good. One looks to the gratification of a shallow
vanity, the other to the gratification of a cruel instinct
and an expenditure of boyish energy that might be prof-
itably diverted into other channels. The evil is one
against which legislation can be only palliative and of
local efficiency. Public sentiment, on the other hand, if
properly fostered in the schools, would gain force with
the growth and development of our boys and girls and
would become a hundredfold more potent than any law
enacted by the State or Congress. I believe such a senti-
ment can be dev(4oped, so strong and so universal, that a
respectable woman will be asliamed to be seen with the
wing of a wild bird on her bonnet, and an honest boy
will be ashamed to own that he ever robbed a nest or
wantonly took the life of a bird.

Birds are of inestimable value to mankind. With-
out their unremitting services our gardens and fields would

10 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

be laid waste by insect pests. But we owe them a great-
er debt even than this, for the study of birds tends to de-
velop some of the best attributes and impulses of our
natures. Among them we find examples of generosity,
unselfish devotion of the love of mother for offspring
and other estimable qualities. Their industry, patience, and
ingenuity excite our admiration; their songs inspire us with
a love of music and poetry; their beautiful plumages
and graceful manners appeal to our esthetic sense; their
long migrations to distant lands stimulate our imagina-
tions and tempt us to inquire into the causes of these
periodic movements, and finally, the endless modifications
of form and habits by which they are enabled to live
under most diverse conditions of food and climate — on
land and at sea — invite the student of nature into inex-
haustible fields of pleasurable research.

The cause of bird protection is one that appeals to the
best side of our natures. Let us yield to the appeal.
Let us have a Bird Day — a day set apart from all the
other days of the year to tell the children about the birds.
But we must not stop here. We should strive continu-
ally to develop and intensify the sentiment of bird protec-
tion, not alone for the sake of preserving the birds, but also
for the sake of replacing as far as possible the barbaric im-
pulses inherent in child nature by the nobler impulses and
aspirations that should characterize advanced civilization.
EespectfuUy, J. Sterling Morton,

Secretary of Agriculture.

Of the success of this first experiment there can be no
question. "The day was observed in the Oil City schools
with a degree of enthusiasm which was good to see.
The amount of information about birds that was collected
by the children was simply amazing. Original composi-
tions were read, informal discussions were held, talks by
teachers were given, and the birds in literature were not
forgotten or overlooked. * * * The idea simply needs
to be known to meet with a warm welcome akin to that
with which we greet our first robin or song sparrow in the
spring." — (Journal of Education, May 24, 1894.)

Bird Day was observed in 1S05 and again on May 8,
1896, with such success that it bids fair to become a regular

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 11

feature of the schools in Oil City at least. In speaking of
the third anniversary, Superintendent Babcock says :

The exercises this year (1806), as upon previous ones,
varied somewhat in the different grades. They consisted
of original compositions by the pupils, containing the re-
sults of their observations of birds, of talks by pupils and
teachers, comparing observations, giving localities of bird
haunts, and general exchange of bird lore; of recitations
from eminent prose writers on birds, and from the poets;
finally many of our schools closed their exercises by a trip to
the woods to Hsten to the vesper concert of our feathered
brothers. "'^ * " We begin the study of birds on Jan-
uary 1 and continue till June, studying those that stay all
winter and trying to keep account of the new comers as
they arrive. We devote two periods of twenty minutes
each per week to this study. Bird Day is a summary or
focusing of the work of the year. * * * The results
of bird study and of Bird Day are interesting. Our
children generally know most of our bird residents, they
also love them, and feel like protecting them. There has
been a complete change in relations existing between the
small boy and the birds.

Other suggestions regarding the study of birds and the
observance of the day will be found in two interesting
articles on Bird Day, one by Superintendent Babcock, in
the Journal of Education for April -i, 1S95; the other by
A. E. Winship, in the Outlook for April 6, 1895, p. 560.

Last spring (1896) the movement was started in Iowa
by Prof. C. H. Morrill, superintendent of schools at Fort
Madison, who was apparently unaware of the experiment
in Pennsylvania. He set apart May 29, 1896, as Bird
Day in the schools under his jurisdiction, and describes
the result as follows:

I never saw children more enthusiastic in preparation
or happier in rendering. They brought their pet birds,
they decorated the rooms with Mowers and green branches,
they ornamented the boards witli drawings of birds,
birds' nests, flowers, etc. * * * The buildings rang
with bird nuisic all day, the children were happier than
ever before and visitors came until standing space in

12 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

many rooms was at a premium. * - * It is safe to
say that we shall celebrate the day next year. I hope it
may come to be a national day.

The Department has also received inquiries concerning
Bird Day from Connecticut, and the matter is attracting
attention in Nebraska. Professor Lawrence Bruner in
his "Notes on the Birds of Nebraska, " published in May,

1896, says:

It might be well to suggest that the subject (of Orni-
thology) is of sufficient importance to call for its being
taught in our public schools, to a limited extent at least.
We should have a "Bird Day" just as we have an "Arbor
Day" and a "Flag Day," when suitable exercises should
be held commemorative of the occasion.

OBJECT OF BIRD DAY.

From all sides come reports of a decrease in native
birds due to the clearing of the forests, draining of the
swamps and cultivation of land, but especially to the in-
creasing slaughter of the birds for game, the demand for
feathers to supply the millinery trade, and the breaking
up of nests to gratify the egg-collecting proclivities of
small boys. An attempt has been made to restrict these
latter causes by legislation. Nearly every State and Ter-
ritory has passed game laws, and several States have
statutes protecting insectivorous birds. Such laws are
frequently changed and cannot be expected to accomplish
much unless supported by popular sentiment in favor of
bird protection. This object can only be attained by
demonstrating to the people the value of birds, and how
can it be accomplished better than through the medium
of the schools '?

Briefly stated, the object of Bird Day is to diffuse
knowledge concerning our native birds and to arouse a
more general interest in bird protection. As such it
should appeal not only to ornithologists, sportsmen and
farmers, who have a practical interest in the preservation

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 13

of birds, but also to the general public, who would soon
appreciate the loss if the common songsters were exter-
minated.

It is time to give more intelligent attention to the birds
and appreciate their value. Many schools already have
courses in natural history or nature study and such a
day would add zest to the regular studies, encourage the
pupils to observe carefully, and give them something to
look forward to and work for. In the words of the or-
iginator of the day, "the general ol)servance of a Bird
Day in our schools would probably do more to open thou-
sands of young minds to the reception of bird lore than
anything else that can de devised." The first thing is to
interest the scholars in birds in general and particularly
in those of their own locality. Good lists of birds have
been prepared for several of the States, and popular books
and articles on ornithology are within the reach of every
one. But the instruction should not be limited to books;
the children should be encouraged to observe the birds in
the field, to study their habits and migrations, their nests
and food, and should be taught to respect the laws pro-
tecting game and song birds.

VALUE OF BIRD DAY.

When the question of introducing Arbor Day into the
schools was brought before the National Educational As-
sociation in February, 1S84, the objection was made that
the subject was out of place in the schools. The value of
the innovation could not be appreciated by those who did
not see the j^ractical bearing of the subject on an ordinary
school course. But at the next meeting of the Associa-
tion the question was again brought up and unanimously
adopted — to the mutual benefit of the schools and of prac-
tical forestry. With the advent of more progressive ideas
concerning education there is a demand for instruction in
subjects which a few years ago would have been con-

14 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

sidered out of place, or of no special value. If the main
object of our educational system is to prepare boys and
girls for the intelligent performance of the duties and la-
bors of life, why should not some attention be given to
the study of nature, particularly in rural schools where
the farmers of the next generation are now being edu-
cated ?

The study of birds may be taken up in several ways
and for different purposes; it may be made to furnish
simply a course in mental training or to assist the pupil
in acquiring habits of accurate observation; it may be
taken up alone or combined with composition, drawing,
geography or literature. But it has also an economic
side which may appeal to those who demand purel}^ prac-
tical studies in schools. Economic ornithology has been
defined as the "study of birds from the standpoint of dol-
lars and cents.'' It treats of the direct relations of birds
to man, showing which species are beneficial and which
injurious, teaching the agriculturist how to protect his
feathered friends and guard against the attacks of his foes.
This is a subject in which we are only just beginning to
acquire exact knowledge, but it is none the less deserving
of a place in our educational system on this account. Its
practical value is recognized both by individual States and
by the national government, which aj^propriate consider-
able sums of money for investigations of value to agricul-
ture. Much good work has been done by some of the ex-
periment stations and State boards of agriculture, partic-
ularly in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Neb-
raska and Pennsylvania. In the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, the Division of Biological Survey
(formerly the Division of Ornithology) devotes much at-
tention to the collection of data respecting the geograpliic
distribution, migration, and food of birds, and to the
pubhcation and diffusion of information concerning
species which are beneficial or injurious to agriculture.
Some of the results of these investigations are of general

THE BIRDS OF NETT JERSEY. 15

interest, and could be used in courses of instruction in
even the lower schools. Such facts would thus reach a
larger number of persons than is now possible, and would
be made more generally available to those interested in
them.

If illustrations of the practical value of a knowl-
edge of zoology are necessary they can easily be given.
It has been estimated recently that the forests and
streams of Maine are worth more than its agricultural re-
sources. If this is so, is it not equally as important to
teach the best means of preserving the timber, the game
and the fish, as it is to teach students how to develop the
agricultaral wealth of the State? In 1SS5 Pennsylvania
passed its famous "scalp act," and in less than two years
expended between $75,000 and $100,000 in an attempt to
rid the State of animals and birds supposed to be injuri-
ous. A large part of the money was spent for killing
hawks and owls, most of which belonged to species which
were afterwards shown to be actually beneficial. Not
only was money thrown away in a useless war against
noxious animals, but the State actually paid for the de-
struction of birds of inestimable value to its farmers.
During the last five or six years two States have been en-
gaged in an unsuccessful attempt to exterminate English
sparrows by paying bounties for tlieir heads. Michigan
and Illinois have each spent more than $50,000, but, al-
though millions of spaiTows have been killed, the decrease
in numbers is hardly peix-eptible. A more general knowl-
edge of the habits of the EngHsb spairow at the time the
bird was first introduced into the United States would not
only have saved tbis outlay of over $100,000, but would
also have saved many other States fiom loss due to depre-
dations by sparrows.

Is it not worth wliile to do something to protect the
birds and prevent their destruction before it is too late?
A powerful inthienee for good can be exerted by the
schools if the teachers will onlv interest themselves in the

16 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

movement, and the benefit that will result to the pupils
could hardly be attained in any other way at so small an
expenditure of time. If it is deemed unwise to establish
another holiday, or it may seem too much to devote one
day in the year to the study of birds, the exercises of Bird
Day might be combined with those of Arbor Day.

It is believed that Bird Day can be adopted with profit
by schools of all grades, and the subject is recommended
to the thoughtful attention of teacliers and school super-
intendents throughout the country, in the hope that they
will co-operate with other agencies now at work to pre-
vent the destruction of our native birds.

T. S. Palmer,

Approved: Acting Chief of Division.

Chas. W. Dabney, Jr.,

Washington, D. C, July 2, 189G.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

The illustrations in this publication were made from
specimens mounted for that i)urpose by Mr. Andrew
Booth, of Paterson, with the exception of those represent-
ing Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cuckoo, Chip-
ping Sparrow and Song Sparrow, Chewink, Wood Thrush,
Catbird, Meadowlark, Barn Sw^allows, Kingbird, Cardinal
Bird, Screech Owl, Barred Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, Wood-
peckers and Kingfishers, which w^ere made from speci-
mens in the American Museum of Natural History in
New York city.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. lY

MIGRATION OF BIRDS.

[From Mr. Witmer Stone's "Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey."]

The spring migration in the vicinity of Philadelphia
begins early in February with the arrival from farther
south of scattered bunches of Eobins, Bluebirds, Puiple
Grackles, and a few other species which often occur in
small numbers during the winter.

About the middle of the month, on the first clear,
spring-like day when the temperature rises to 60 or 70
degrees F., a well marked wave takes place. Purple
Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Robins, Bluebirds and
a few Flickers are the principal species, the Grackles
being the most numerous. The greater part of these
early migrants seem to pass farther north.

From the time of occurrence of the first well marked
wave, the species above mentioned continue to pass in
increasing numbers during favorable weather, but there
is usually no other decided wave until about the middle of
March.

During this month, in addition to the species already
mentioned, the principal migrants are the Meadowlark,
Pewee, Field Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Cowbird, Dove,
Canada Goose and Killdeer Plover, together with a
few Yellow -l)ellied Sapsuckers, Savanna Sparrows, Vesper
Sparrows, Myrtle Warblers and Rusty Grackles. None
of these birds, however, arrive — at least in abundance —
before the middle of the month.

Up to April 1 no migrants have been recorded in the
records that we have examined which do not occur occa-
sionally in winter, either at Philadelphia or a little far-
ther south in New Jersey, except the Canada Goose and
Chipping Sparrow, which latter species has been once or
twice noticed during the last week of March.

18 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

After the first of April, however, the strictly summer
species and transients begin to arrive. There are general-
ly several well marked waves during the month, their
most characteristic species being the Hermit Thrush,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chipping Sparrow. Chimney
Swift, Barn Swallow, Bank Swallow, Myrtle Warbler,
House Wren, Thrasher, Chewiuk, Black and AVhite Warb-
ler, Maryland Yellow-throat and Solitary Yireo.

A number of other species sometimes arrive during the
last week in April, when there often occurs a wave which
seems to be a forerunner of the great "Thrush and
Warbler waves" of May, which brings the first stragglers
of many species which are really characteristic of the
latter month.

The following list includes such species as have been
noted — generally in smaller numbers — from April 20 to
30 in the vicinity of Philadelphia, but which do not arrive
in force until May:

Kingbird, Black- throated Green Warbler,

Crested Flycatcher, Parula Warbler,

Orchard Oriole, Water Thrush,

Scarlet Tanager, Catbird,

Red-eyed Yireo, Wilson's Thrush,

Yellow Warbler, Wood Thrush.

About the first of May the species just mentioned, to-
gether with many Warblers, etc., arrive in abundance
and form the first great "Warbler wave." Thousands of
Thrushes, Warblers and Yireos pass through at this time
and the woods seem fairly alive with birds. Several other
waves occur during May, which are mainly characterized
by Warblers, and, indeed, for the first three weeks of the
month these birds seem to be passing almost continuous-
ly. By the 20th of the month, however, the migration
begins to wane, and although stragglprs of many species
are seen until the 80th, and some Blackpoll Warblers
linger as late as June 6, there are rarely any migratory
waves after May 20.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 19

As regards the departure of the winter birds, the
records of the club show that the Herring Gulls leave the
Delaware river about April 4, and they seem to desert the
meadows at Atlantic City, N. J. , about the same time.

Winter Wrens, Fox Sparrows and the bulk of the
Snowbirds generally leave Philadelphia by April 15, while
the Brown Creepers and Golden -crowned Kinglets stay a
few days later.

Most of the White-throated Sparrows have departed by
May 1, but a few occur regularly as late as the 16th of
the month, and one was seen in 1888 on May 27. The
straggling Snowbirds have usually left by May 1, but
occasionally one is seen a few days later; May 10 being
the latest date recorded.

The fu'st evidence of the fall migration in the vicinity
of Philadelphia is seen during the last week in Jub^, or,
perhaps, earlier, when the old birds of several species
leave their breeding grounds and aj)parently pass slowly
southward. By the middle of August most of the Swal-
lows, Kingbirds and Orioles have disappeared from the
interior, and begin to congregate along the river valleys,
coast lines and other avenues of migration, whence they
pass southward gradually as they are joined by flocks
from farther north.

Immense congregations of Kingbirds and several species
of Swallows are familiar sights at this time along the
New Jersey coast.

Grackles, Red- winged Blackbirds, Robins and Bluebirds
collect in flocks by August 1, or earlier, but they do not
apparently journey southward till later in the season.
The pioneer migrants from the north reach Pliiladelphia
during the first week of August, the Water Thrush and
Redstart being the earliest to arrive. During the latter
part of the month — August 20-31 — many other species
arrive, such as the Canadian, Black-throated Blue, Chest-
nut-sided, Bay-breasted, Black])ui-nian, Magnoha, and
Wilson's Warblers, and the M'ilson's Thrush. None of

20 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

these birds, however, are abundant at this time, and
seem to pass through quickly. The majority of these
August warblers that have been collected seem to be old
birds, while the large majority of those which pass
through later are, as is generally known, birds of the
year.

The bulk of the Warblers, Vireos, Tanagers and the
Thrushes, whicli characterize the May migration in the
spring, pass through in the fall from September 10 to
October 1, and by the end of the first week of the latter
month nearly all the stragglers have disappeared.

The October birds correspond in general to those of the
April migration, occurring, of course, in. inverse or-
der, and by November 1 only a few Hermit Thrushes,
Fox Sparrows, Field Sparrows and Myrtle Warblers are
left of the migrating birds, while all the winter visitants
have arrived in force.

The Snowbirds begin to arrive as early as September 27,
though the}^ are not common before the middle of Octo-
ber. The first White-throated Sparrows are seen about
September 20, while on the coast the Herring Gulls arrive
at Atlantic City about October 1.

Such is a brief outline of the spring and fall migrations
in the vicinity of Philadelphia.

Birds may be arranged in two groups, according to
their manner of migration, viz., day migrants and night
migrants. The former include the Doves, Hawks, Hum-
mingbirds, Chimney Swift, Nighthawk, Horned Lark,
Crows, Jays, Grackles, Blackbirds, Swallows, Cedarbird,
Titlark, Bluebird and Robin, and perhaps a few others.

The night migrants include the Woodpeckers, Cuckoos,
Flycatchers (except the Kingbird), Meadowlark, Orioles,
most of the Finches, the Vireos, Tanagers, Warblers,
Wrens, Creepers, Nuthatches, Titmice and most of the
Thrushes.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 21

Among the water birds the Bittern, Woodcock, Wil-
son's Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper and the Rails migrate ex-
clusively by night, while the other species seem to move
by day or night, according to circumstances, most diving
birds migrating along the coasts by day but making their
overland journeys by night.

From an examination of the foregoing lists it will be
seen that the moie timid, shelter-loving birds migrate at
night, and the bolder species, which are strong of flight
or which associate in flocks, migrate by day. The reasons
for this can easily be seen in the following quotation from
Mr. Brewster's f)aper on Bird Migration: '"Timid, seden-
tary, or feeble- winged birds migrate by night because they
are either afraid to venture on long, exposed journeys by
daylight, or unable to continue these journeys day after
day without losing much time in stopping to search for
food. By taking the nights for travelling they can de-
vote the days entirely to feeding and resting in their
favorite haunts. Good examples are Thrushes (except
the Robin), Wrens, Warblers and Vireos. Bold, restless,
strong-winged birds migrate chiefly, or very freely, by
day because, being accustomed to seek their food in open
situations, they are indifl'erent to concealment, and being
further able to accomplish long distances rapidly and with
slight fatigue, they can ordinarily spare sufficient time by
the way for brief stops in places where food is al)undant
and easily obtained. * "" * Excellent examples are
the Robin, Horned Lark and most Icteridae. Birds of
easy, tireless wing, which habitually feed in the air or
over very extensive areas, migrate exclusively by day,
because being able either to (jbtain their usual supply of
food as they fly or to accomplish the longest journeys so
rapidly that they (\o not require to feed on the way, they
are under no necessity of changing their usual liabits.
The best examples are Swallows, Swifts and Hawks.
Nocturnal and crepuscular hirds, at least migratory
species, are all strong- winged and accustomed to seek

22 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

their food over wide areas. Hence, like Swallows, Swifts
and Hawks, they migrate during the hours of their habit-
ual activity."

Day migrants perform their journeys either as scatter-
ed individuals, or in compact flocks, there being compar-
atively little mixture of species. As regards night mi-
grants, however, the case is different. All the species
which are migrating on any particular night, being
attracted by each others' notes, become more or less
mingled together in an immense column, not forming a
compact flock, but composed of individuals and small
bunches flying sufficiently near to one another to be guid-
ed by the chirping of those just ahead. Observations
made from lighthouses seem clearly to show this to be the
nature of the night migrations, and it is really most nat-
ural, being merely a. continuation of the actions of these
same birds while feeding in the woodland during the day,
when they go shiftiug from tree to tree, the various
species intermingled and all slowly following the lead of
those just ahead of them. The leaders of these migra-
tory flights are probably old birds which have had the
experience of previous migrations and have thoroughly
/earned the route of travel. The experience of most of
the leading ornithologists of this country, however, seems
to show that the old birds of most if not all species mi-
grate southward befoi^e their young, leaving the nesting-
ground soon after the moult is completed and entrusting
their young to the guidance of later migrants, often be-
longing to quite different species.

Migrating birds seem to follow the same course year
after year, so that it is possible to map out pretty exactly
their principal lines of flight. These lines of flight fol-
low the courses of rivers, valleys, mountain chains, or
coast lines, which to the eyes of the migrants, flying high
in the air, are distinctly outlined for many miles, pro-
vided the night be clear, and thus form easily recogniz-
able landmarks.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 23

FOOD FOR BIRDS.

The injury that birds do to crops and fniit is trivial
compared to the vast benefits derived from their almost
continual warfare against insects and larvae, but even this
injury may be obviated in a great measure. As a rule
birds prefer wild fruit and seeds to cultivated fruit and
grain, and consequently those who desire to derive the
greatest benefit from birds will do well to plant some
wild fruit which will liear during the weeks the birds
usually feed on the garden or orchard crops. In this con-
nection Mr. Forbush says:

"I wish particularly to note the fact that the mulberry
trees, which ripen their berries in June, proved to be a
protection to the cultivated cherries, as the fruit-eating
birds seem to prefer them to the cultivated cherries, per-
haps because they ripen somewhat earlier;" and he adds,
"I believe it would be wise for the farmer to plant rows
of these trees near his orchard, and it is possible that the
early Juneberry or shadberry might also be useful in this
respect."

Prof. Beal suggests planting berry bushes along the
roads and fences and between grain fields.

To protect strawberries and cherries (May and June),
plant Russian mulberry and Juneberry or shadberry.

To protect raspberries and blackberries (July and Au-
gust), plant mulberry, buckthorn, elder and choke cherry.

To protect apples, peaches, grapes (September and Octo-
ber), plant choke cherries, elder, wild black cherry and
Virginia creeper.

To protect winter fi-uits, plant Virginia creeper, dog-
wood, mountain ash, bittersweet, viburnum, hackbeny,
bayberry and pokeberry.

24 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Birds that eat mulberries are the Flycatchers, Warblers,
Vireos, Cuckoos, Blackbirds, Orioles, Finches, Sparrows,
Tanagers, Waxwings, Catbirds, Bluebirds and Thrushes.

Birds that eat the potato beetle are the Eose-breasted
Grosbeak, Cuckoo and Quail.

Birds that eat the tent caterpillar (which does most harm
to the apple and cherry trees) are the Crows, Chickadee,
Oriole, Red- eyed Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-
billed Cuckoo, Chipping Sparrow and Yellow Warbler.

Birds that eat the cut worm (which eats off corn, etc.,
before it is fairl}^ . started in the spring, and is very de-
structive to grass) are the Robin, Crow, Catbird, Logger-
head Shrike, House Wren, Meadowlark, Cowbird, Balti-
more Oriole, Brown Thrasher and Red- winged Blackbird.

Ants (which spread plant-lice, destroy timber and in-
fest houses) are the favorite food of the Catbird, Thrash-
er, House Wren and Woodpeckers; are eaten by almost
all land birds except birds of prey.

Scale insects (which are a fruit tree pest, injure oranges,
olives, etc.) are eaten by the Bush Tit, Woodpeckers and
Cedarbird.

The May beetle (which ravages forest trees, also injures
grain and grass lands) is eaten by the Hermit Thrush,
Wood Thrush, Robin, Meadowlark, Brown Thrasher,
Bluebird, Catbird, Bluejay, Crow Blackbird, Crow, Logger-
head Shrike, Mockingbird and Gray-cheeked Thrush.

Weevils (which injure grain, forage and market gar-
dens) are eaten by the Crow Blackbird, Red-winged Black-
bird, Baltimore Oriole, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House
Wren, Meadow Lark, Cowbird, Bluebird, Robin, Swallows,
Flycatchers, Mockingbird, Woodpeckers, Wood Thrush,
and Scarlet Tanager.

The chinch bug (which eats grain and wheat) is eaten
by the Brown Thrasher, Meadowlark, Catbird, Red- eyed
Vireo, Robin and Bob White.

The wire worm (which causes heavy losses in the corn-
field) is eaten by the Red-winged Blackbird, Crow Black-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 2o

bird, Crow, Woodpeckers, Brown Thrasher, Scarlet Tana-
ger, Eobin, Catbird, Baltimore Oriole, Meadow Lark and
Cowbird.

Crane flies (which eat grass roots in the hay fields) are
eaten by the Robin, Catbird, Wood Thrush, Gray-cheeked
Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush, Crow, Crow Blackbird and
Eed-winged Blackbird.

The soldier bug is eaten by the Robin, Bluebird, Crow
Blackbird, Crow, Catbird, House Wren, Red- winged Black-
bird, Baltimore Oriole and Meadowlark.

Birds that eat the cotton worm are the Bluebird, Blue-
jay, Red-winged Blackbird, Thrush, Quail, Killdeer, Bobo-
link, Mockingbird, Cai'dinal and Cuckoo.

Gypsy Moth. — Mr. Forbush, ornithologist of the Massa-
chusetts State Board of Agriculture, gives the following
list of birds seen to feed on the gypsy moth: Yellow-billed
Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy
Woodpecker, Pigeon Woodpecker, Kingbird, Great
Crested Flycatcher, Phoebe, Wood Pewee, Least Fly-
catcher, Bluejay, Crow, Baltimore Oriole, Purple Grackle
or Crow Blackbird, Chippiug Sparrow, Chewiuk, Rose-
breasted Grosbeak, Indigobird, Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed
Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black-
and-white Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided
Warbler, Black- throated Green AVarbler, Ovenbird, Mary-
land Yellow- throated Warbler, American Redstart, Cat-
bird, Brown Trasher, House Wren, White-breasted Nut-
hatch, Chickadee, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Blue-
bird and English Sparrow.

Birds that eat grasshoppers and crickets are the Mock-
ingbird, Thrasher, Bluebiid, Wrens, Shore Lark, Gold-
finch, Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
Junco, Lark Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo
Bunting, Cardinal. Chewink, Bobolink, Cow Bird, Red-
winged Blackbird, Meadowlark, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard
Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Crow, Bluejay, Kingbird, Crow
Blackbird, Whip-poor-will, Night Hawk, Swift, Cuckoo,

26 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Ked-headed Woodpecker, Flicker, Barn Owl, Great-horned
Owl, Marsh Hawk, Sparrow Hawk, Gulls, Swainson's
Hawk, Quail, Shrikes, Swallows, Vireos, Robin and Cat-
hird.

In the Massachusetts Crop Report for July, 1S96, Mr.
William R. Sessions gives a list of the bh'ds he has seen
feeding on the army worm during the present summer:
Kingbird, Phoebe, Bobolink, Cowbird, Red-winged Black-
bird, Baltimore Oriole, Crow Blackbird, Chipping Spar-
row, Robin.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 27

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Note. — In the classification of birds an attempt has
been made to give them under their conmion names, by
which they are best known in New Jersey, exceptions be-
ing made in cases where the birds belong to some species
represented by a number of others.

Jiuk^ Mjittle^ IPorekie^ or Sea IPote, — Length, eight
to nine inches; extent, fourteen inches; bill, half an inch;
head, white and black; back, black; breast, upper brown,
lower white; belly, white; sides, white; tail, black and
white; upper wing, sooty black; undei' wing, black and
white; legs, black; feet, black. It lays one or two eggs,
of a bluish white color, one and four-fifths by one and
one-fourth inches in size, on ledges and in crevices of
rocks. It is a regular winter visitant to the New Jersey
coast, coming down from the North Atlantic and Atlantic
and Arctic oceans. It feeds on crabs and small fish.

mMuk.^ Rfizor-hiUefl or Tinker. — I^ength, sixteen and
a half inches; bill, one and a (luarter inches, head, black;
back, black; breast, white; belly, white; sides, black;
tail, black; wings, black; legs, black; feet, black. In
winter the front of the neck and the sides are white. It
lays one or two eggs, pale blue, spotted with brown,
three by two inches in size, in crevices and fissures in
rocks. It is a regular winter visitant to the New Jersey
coast, breeding in Maine and nortliward. Its cry re-
sembles a grunt or groan. It feeds on crabs and small fish.

Batffpafe. See Widgeon.

Bee Jflartin. See Kingbird.

28 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Beetle-heafl, See Black-bellied Plover.

Bittern^ tllavsh MMcn^ or Stake Briver, — Length,
twenty-seven inches; extent, three feet, fonr inches; bill,
three inches; head, slate, black and brownish yellow;
back, brown and brownish yellow; breast, brown; belly,
yellowish brown; sides, yellowish gray; tail, brown;
upper wing, brown; under wing, white; legs, yellow; feet,
yellow. Lays from three to five eggs, of a pale buff
color, two inches by one and a quarter in size. The nest
is built of grasses on the ground in marshes. It breeds
in temperate and tropical North America, as far south
as Guatemala, but seldom south of Virginia. It is
a regular visitant to New Jersey, being here from
April to October, but spends the winter mostly south of
the Middle States. The noise made by the bird, Brad-
ford Torrey says, sounds like the working of an old-fash-
ioned pump, a series of "hiccoughs" preceding the
"boom." In New Jersey it is occasionally called the
" Dunkadoo" f roni the sound it makes. When disturb-
ed it rises with a kwa. Although it seems to spend most
of its time during the day in standing still it is not alto-
gether a nocturnal feeder. It feeds principally on frogs,
lizards and snakes.

Bittern^ Z^e ft sf. —'Length, from twelve to thirteen
inches; extent, sixteen inches; bill, one and three-quarter
inches; head, black; back, greenish black; breast and belly,
white; sides, pale yellow; tail, brown and yellow; upper
wing, brown and slate; under wing, yellowish; legs,
greenish and yellow; feet, yellow. Its lays from three to
six eggs — usually four — of a pale blue, one and one-fifth
by one inch in size. The nest is built of grasses and
plant stems among the rushes in the marshes. It breeds
intemperate and tropical America, northward to Maine,
and is a common summer resident along the New Jersey
coast, going to the Southern States and further south for

MARYLAND YELLOWTHROAT AND BLVKRIRD.

THE BIRDS OF X^W JERSEY. 29

the winter. When disturbed it arises with a kica\ its
note during the breeding season is a soft coo-coo-coo-coo,
somewhat resembling the cooing of a dove. It feeds on
small fish, lizards, frogs and other aquatic food.

Blackhirtl^ f'roir. See Bronzed Grackle and also
Purple Grackle.

Blnckbh'ff^ Rt'tt-trin^ed. — Length of the male, nine
inches ; of the female, seven and a quarter ; extent, of the
male, fourteen inches ; of the female, twelve inches ; bill,
nine-tenths of an inch. The general color is a rich blue
black, with the exception of the shoulder of the wings in
the male, which are a bright scarlet, and the legs, which
are brownish black. The female has no scarlet and pre-
sents a rather mottled appearance, the belly being-
streaked with white and the general plumage being
speckled with bay, brown and white. The young birds
at first resemble the female, but the males assume the
black and red plumage in September when both young
and old have a complete moult.

The nest is pocket-like, sunk in a tussock of grass or
hung between the branches of low bushes, reeds and al-
ders. It is built about the middle of April, of coarse
grasses and weedstalks, lined with finer grass. The eggs
are from three to five, one inch by three-fourths in size, of
a pale blue, fancifully streaked, spotted and scrawled
with dark lilac or black, i>iincipally at the greater end.

The birds breed all througli tenqjerate North America
and pass the winter mainly south of the Middle States.
They arrive in New Jersey in February and leave about
the first of November, a fcnv wintering in the southern
part of the state.

Its alarm note is chee-e-e-e-e, its songa rich oi/h-ht-ree-e.

Its food consists piincipally of weevils, with other in-
sects, grasshoppers, grub worms, army worms and cater-
pillars; its vegetable diet consists of wild rice and corn;

30 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

when feeding on the latter it also takes the worm under
the husk. When wintering here it feeds on the seeds of
ragweed and birdweed.

mackbirfl^ Rusty ^or Thrush Bltiekhird. — Length,
nine to nine and a half inches; extent, thirteen to four-
teen inches; bill, four-fifths of an inch. The coloring of
this bird, when breeding, is a glossy blue black, but in the
fall and winter the plumage is bordered with rusty mark-
ings which give it a decided brownish tint; the female,
while breeding, is of a slate color, but in fall and winter
is veiled in rusty like the male. The nest is a bulky af-
fair, built in trees or on the ground, of twigs and coarse
grasses, lined with finer grasses. There are from four to
seven eggs, gray green in color, with brown or purple
spots, one inch by three- fourths in size. The birds breed
north of the northeastern boundary of the United States
and winter south of the Middle States. They are seen in
New Jersey, principally in the river marshes, in March
and October; occasionally one is found to winter, when
the season is mild. They arrive in pairs and are very shy
and retiring. Their song, very seldom heard, is a confus-
ion of harsh whistles; the call note a cluck.

Blackhead. See Greater Scaup.

Blarkhead^ Ltitlle, See Lesser Scaup.

ISlarkhreast. See Eed-backed Sandpiper.

Bluebill, See Greater Scaup.

Bluehill., ILitlle. See Lesser Scaup.

Bluebird. Lengh, six and a half inches; extent,
eleven inches; bill half an inch; the head, tail and the
wings are of a bright sky-blue with purple reflections;
breast, brown; belly, white; legs, black; soles of feet, yel-

Bl^UiiJAV.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 31

low. In the fall the plumage is tipped with brown. The
female is of a duller cast than the male.

The nest is composed of a few twigs and grasses in a
hollow tree, decayed knothole, abandoned woodpecker hole,
or a bird house. Mating begins in March and the male is
one of the most jealous and attentive of lovers; when he
finds a particularly juicy insect or other delicious morsel he
almost invariably carries it to his mistress and he resents
the approach of another male in the most warlike man-
ner. The eggs are from foui- to six in number, of abluisli
and rarely of a clear white color, four-fifths by three-fifths
of an inch in size. There are generally two or three broods
in a season.

The birds inhabit the whole of the eastern part of the
United States, being the first to arrive in the spring and
apparently leaving their summer homes with regret, for
they postpone their southward flight until the trees and
bushes are bare. Some remain regularly throughout the
winter. During the past few years the Bluebird has
rapidly decreased in number throughout its range and un-
less it again increases may soon be ranked as a rare l)ird.

Their call note is tur-icee, tur wee. The song is a plain-
tive and oft- repeated warble, likened by Burroughs to
purity, imrity, and by Mabel Osgood Wright to Dear,
dear, think of it ! Think of it !

Their food consists principally of large beetles and of such
insects as they gather out of dead and decaying treees.

Bluejay. — Length, eleven anil three-quarter inches;
bill, one inch; head, crested, light blue or purple; back,
lead blue; breast, bluish white with black crescent; belly,
white; sides, dirty white, stained with ])urple; tail, blue,
with black bars and white tii)s; ui)per wing, blue; under
wing, barred with black and tipi)ed with white; legs and
feet, black.

The nest is very lai'ge and is built of very closely woven
roots; it is located in a tree crotch, generally between fif-

32 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

teen and twenty feet from the ground. The eggs are
from four to six in number, of an ashy green with brown
spots, and one and one-fifth by four-fifths of an inch in
size.

The birds breed throughout the eastern part of the
United States. They gather in large flocks in August,
September and October, and at the approach of cold
weather the majority go south, although considerable
numbers remain here, especially in the southern part of
the state.

The cry of the bird is Jay, jay, jay.

This bird has been frequently charged with being very
destructive to other birds and to grain, but a government
examination of 280 stomachs, collected at all times of the
year, showed that in only three were there birds' eggs
and in only two birds; seventeen per cent, of the food
was corn and twenty-two per cent, insects — grasshoppers
and caterpillars predominating in the latter. Observa-
tion has shown that the bird prefers acorns, chestnuts,
hazelnuts and beechnuts to corn, and that it does not
take the latter unless impelled to do so by a scarcity of
other food. It is an inveterate enemy of large beetles and
makes existence miserable for the owls.

Blue Peter. See Coot.

Bobolink^ Reed Birff^ Hire MSirtf^ or Bice Bunt-
hig. — Length, seven and a half inches; bill, half an inch;
extent, eleven and a half inches. In the spring the color-
ing of the male is as follows: Head, black and cream;
back, black, seamed with brownish yellow, the lower part
grayish white; breast, belly and sides, black; tail, black;
wings, black; legs, brownish flesh; feet, black. In the
month of August this plumage is entirely moulted and a
new dress donned, which is buff, like that of the female,
with the back streaked with brownish black; whole lower
parts, duU yellow. The black dress is acquired by an-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 33

other moult in spring and is at first broadly margined with
buff, but this gradually wears off. The young males re-
tain the dress of the female until the early part of the
succeeding spring; the plumage of the female undergoes
no material change of color.

The nest is built on the ground in meadows or hayfields
and is a rude contrivance of grasses and is not easily seen.
The eggs are from four to seven in number, four-fifths by
three-fifths of an inch in size, of clear gray with brown
and blackish clouds and spots.

The birds come from south of the iVmazon early in the
spring and spread themselves over the whole of the north-
eastern United States and Canada, arriving here about the
first of May. The males frequently precede the females
by several days. Some few remain in northern New Jer-
sey to breed, but large numbers go farther north. These
return in the latter part of August, but we have large
numbers with us until the latter part of September, when
most have passed southward, although frequently consid-
erable numbers remain until late in October. The migra-
tion southward begins in August and continues right
along.

Their song is delightful, but incoherent; it begins
when the birds reach Florida in their northward spring
migration and continues until after the young have been
hatched, when it changes to a simple call, resembling a me-
tallic chink. Wilson says of their song : ' 'Some idea may
be formed of this song by striking the high keys of a piano-
forte at random, singly and quickly, making as many sud-
den contrasts of high and low notes as possible. Many of
the tones are in themselves charming, but they succeed
each other so rapidly that the ear can hardly separate
them." Burroughs compares the song to Ha! ha! ha!
I must have my fun, Miss Silverthimhle, if I break every
heart in the meadow! See, see, see. Thoreau says:
"It is as if he touched his harp with a vase of liquid
melody and when he hfted it out notes fell Uke bubbles

34 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

from the strings. * * * Away he launches and the
meadow is all bespattered with melody."

The food of the birds consists of insects, young corn,
wild oats and reeds. It is the latter which brings the
birds in large flocks to the meadows along the Hacken-
sack and Delaware. Coming north the birds do a great
deal of damage to the oats and wheat in A^irginia and go-
ing south they eat a great deal of rice in the Carolinas.
It is stated, on no very reliable authority, that these birds
did not migrate north until after rice cultivation had been
begun in the Carolinas; it is, however, pretty certain that
the rice fields materially increased the number of these
birds.

Bob 1%'hite^ or Quail.— hength, nine inches; extent,
fourteen inches; bill, one-third of an inch; head, black
and brown; back, red brown, sprinkled with ash and
black; breast, upper part reddish brown, lower part yel-
lowish white; belly, pale yellow white; tail, ash, sprinkled
with reddish brown; wings, plain dusky; legs, pale ash.
The female has the chin and sides of the head a yellowish
brown, whereas in the male the chin is pure white, bound-
ed by a band of black.

The nest is usually built about the first of May on the
ground in grassy fields, usually at the bottom of a thick
tuft of grass; it is made of leaves and fine dry grasses,
partly covered above and with an opening on one side.
The eggs are from ten to twenty, pure white in color and
one and one-fifth by one inch in size.

The birds inhabit the whole of the eastern United States,
as far west as Kansas and as far south as Georgia, but
have become quite scarce in thickly settled districts.

The cry of the bird is Bob White.

Its food consists of grain, seeds, insects and berries; it
is very fond of buckwheat and also of potato bugs.

Brant. — Length, tw^enty-six inches; extent, three and

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 35

a half feet; the female is somewhat smaller. Head, black;
back, brown gray, grayish brown at the edges; breast,
the upper part black and the lower part ashy gray; belly,
white and sides darker; tail, black with a great deal of
white; upper wing, black and white; under wing, brown-
ish gray, with some white; legs and feet, black.

The nest is built on the ground, of grasses and mosses,
lined with down. The eggs are four in number, of a
creamy white color, two and three -fourths by one and
three-fourths inches in size.

The birds breed somewhere up in the Arctic circle and
arrive in New Jersey on the fall flight about the first of
October, A few winter along the New Jersey coast, but
most of them go farther south, many wintering in Vir-
ginia.

The principal food of the Brant is eel-grass.

The Black Brant, which very much resembles the
above, but being much darker on the lower breast and
upper belly, is an exceedingly rare winter visitant, strag-
gling in from the west.

Brantbirii. See Turnstone.

Broadbill, See Greater Scaup.

Brotulhill^ Creek, See Lesser Scaup.

Broivn JfMarlin, See Marbled Godwit.

Brown Thrasher or Brotrn Thrush, — Length,
eleven and a half inches ; extent, fourteen inches ; bill
one inch ; head and back, reddish brown ; breast, yellow-
ish white with spots of black ; belly, yellowish white ;
sides and tail, reddish brown, the former with spots of
black ; upper wing, reddish brown ; under wing, dusky ;
legs, dusky clay. The female may be distinguished from
the male by the white on the wing being nmch narrower
and the spots on the breast less.

36 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

The nest is built in old brush piles, or, if these are not
convenient, in brambles. On the outside it is composed
of coarse roots ; then follows a layer of leaves and the in-
side is lined with liue fibrous roots. The eggs are from
three to six in number, bluish or greenish white, finely
speckled with brown, one and one-fifth by four-fifths
inches in size. There are two broods a year.

The birds breed from the Middle and Eastern States to
Florida and winter in the southern part of the United
States. They arrive in New Jersey towards the latter part
of April and leave shortly after the middle of October.
They are very seldom seen here in winter.

The alarm note of the bird is wheeu and the song is of
the bravura style. Thoreau says that while the farmer
is planting his corn the Brown Thrasher sings, Drop it,
drop it, cover it up, cover it up, cover it up, pull it up,
pull it up, pull it up; another lover of birds likens it to
Looh up. Look up. Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to
God, Hallelujah, Amen, videlicet.

Government analyses of 121 stomachs show that the
contents consisted of 63 per cent, insect and animal mat-
ter and 35 per cent, vegetable matter, the rest being sand.
Of the animal matter one-half was composed of beetles;
11 per cent, was matter from cultivated crops, of which 8
were fruit and the rest grain. The food of the bird
changes with the supply, being seven parts insects and
one part vegetable in May.

Bttn-hfit. See Night Hawk.

Bmtlitt^^ Bay-H'ingcd. See Vesper Sparrow.

BuHtins!^^ Wmligo. See Indigo Bird.
Bunt ins ^ Snoiv. See Snowflake.

Butcher Birth See Northern Shrike.

CARDINAL

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 37

Bnttcr-bfiU. See Buffle-headed Duck.
Calieobfick. See Turnstone.
Caiiari/^ If'Ufl. See Goldfinch.
Canvasbaek. See Canvasback Duck.

t'arilhtftl^ Citvilhtal fwrosbeak^ or Virginia
JYight inhale, — Length, eight and a quarter inches; bill,
three fifths of an inch; extent, eleven inches; head, con-
spicuously crested, of a bright vermillion, tipped with
grayish; the bill red, and black about the base. The
color of the bird is a uniform rosy red, the legs being
light clay and the feet darker to brown. The female
is brownish gray, lighter beneath and tinted with dull
red. The birds of both sexes are excellent providers for
their young and the male is a devoted husband.

The nest is a bulky affair, built in bushes, of twigs,
roots and bark, lined with fine grass. The eggs are three
or four in number, one inch by seven-tenths in size,
white with spots of red and brown.

The birds breed in the eastern United States east of
Iowa and are residents all through New Jersey, being
numerous in the southern part. A large number winter
here, some, however, going further south. Tlie bird has
been introduced into France and England as a cage bird
and in the latter country has been named the Virginia
Nightingale.

Its call note is tsip and its song a clear whistle re-
sembling the word Peace, peace, with the ea long drawn
out.

Its food consists princi])ally of worms, gi-ubs and in-
sects.

fkitbird. — Length, nine inches; extent, thirteen
inches, bill, three-fifths of an inch. The bird is of a
deep slate color, the tail being black and the under part

38 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

of the tail chestnut. The legs and feet are black.

The location of the nest depends altogether on the
treatment the bird receives; if treated kindly the nest
will be found in the hlac bush, on the piazza or in some
bush near the house; if it is driven away the nest will be
found in the thickest brush of the woods. Its nest is
built of twigs, grasses, leaves and small roots. It gener-
ally has two broods a year. The eggs are from three to
five in number, of a rich green blue, one inch by seven-
tenths of an inch in size.

The birds breed throughout the United States, coming to
New Jersey about the first of May and returning south-
ward about the middle of October; a few stragglers some-
times pass the winter here.

It would be almost impossible to describe the song of
the bird, as it is generally composed of the notes of other
birds and consequently varies with locality. Its call is a
rasping feline note, like the mewing of a cat. Its note of
alarm sounds something like zeay, zeay.

Government reports of the examination of 213 stom-
achs indicate that one-thirds of its food is insects, one-
third wild fruits and one-third cultivated fruits. Among
insects it prefers beetles, ants, caterpillars, crickets and
grasshoppers in the order named.

Cat Owl. See Long- eared Owl.

Cedarbirff^ Cetlar W^axwing^ or Clierry Bird,

— Length, seven inches ; extent, eleven inches ; bill, one-
fourth of an inch ; head dark fawn, crested ; back, dark
fawn ; breast, light blue ; belly, yellowish ; sides and tail,
bluish gray ; wing, a deep slate with a little fawn and
white, tipped with small red appendages like sealing wax
on the ends of several of the quills ; legs and feet, black.
The red tips are independent of sex and age ; some birds
have them, some do not.

The nest is from five to twenty feet from the ground in

CATBIRD.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 39

fruit or shade trees ; it is a bulky contrivance, made of
roots, twigs, grass, moss and sometimes mud. The eggs
are from three to five in number, nine-tenths by three-
fifths of an inch in size, of a dingy blue white, thick at
one end and tapering suddenly.

The birds breed throughout temperate North America,
spreading south, wintering from the northern United
States to Central America ; in New Jersey they are scarce
in winter and occur in great flocks early in summer.

Their call is referred to by Thoreau as a "beady note,"
tivee-tivee-zee.

Government analyses of 125 stomachs show that only
seventeen per cent, of the total food consists of insects,
the rest being made up of the pulp, skin and seeds of
fruits and sometimes seeds and other parts of flowers ;
they consume the most insects when fruit is most abun-
dant and feed their young to a great extent on insects ; in
winter they subsist to a large extent on cedar berries.

Chat^ Wllow-hreaHtetl. — Length, seven and a half
inches; extent, ten inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch; the
back, tail and upper wings are of a rich olive green with
a brownish glaze; breast, bright yellow; lower belly, white;
sides, bright yellow; under wing, bright yellow; legs and
feet, light lead.

The nest is built about the middle of May in a crotch of
a bush near the ground; it is a bulky contrivance of coarse
grasses, roots and bark compactly interwoven and lined
with fine grasses and plant fibre. The eggs are from three
to five in number, white in color with brown spots and
nine-tenths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern part of the United
States, comparatively few being found in the northern
part of New Jersey. They are here from May to Sep-
tember and spend the winter in Mexico and further south.

Their alarm note is a chut, chut, chut, and their song
a mixture of caws and whistles, varied and frequently

40 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

mocking in tone.

They feed principally on insects and berries, preferring
large black beetles and whortleberries.

Chebec. See Least Flycatcher.
Cherry-bird, See Cedarbird.

Cheivink, Towhee^ Joree, Ground Robin^ or
Swamp Robin. — Length, from seven to nine inches; ex-
tent, from ten to twelve inches; bill, half an inch; head,
back and breast, black; belly, white; sides, bright bay;
tail, black, tipped with white; wings, black, with one or
two white spots; legs and feet, dirty flesh. The female
has the upper part and breast grayish brown.

The nest is a large and substantial structure, built on
the ground and sometimes half way into it, and well-hid-
den under brush; it is frequently found in a thicket of
briars. It is built of leaves and bark and lined with fine
grasses. The eggs are four or five in number, white in color
with fine brown spots, and one inch by seven-tenths of an
inch in size. There are generally two broods a year.

The birds breed from the Southern States northward to
British America and spend the winter in the south from
Virginia to Florida. They frequent principally the dry
uplands and pine barrens. They arrive in New Jersey
about the middle of April and leave about the middle of
October.

Their call cry is Cliewink or Tohee, and Ernest Thomp-
son has hkened their song to Chuclc-hurr-piU-a-ivill-a-
will-a.

The birds are very industrious in hunting insects, worms
and larvae, and in the fall feed on berries and hard seeds.

Chickadee^ Blfich-cappcd^ or Titmouse. — Length,
five and a half inches; extent, six and a half inches;
bill, two-fifths of an inch; head, black; back, lead-
colored; breast, belly and sides, grayish white; tail and

C1I]-;\\1.N'KS.

THE BIRDS OF XEW JERSEY. 41

wings, lead-colored with white margin; legs, light blue.

The birds nest in an old stump or hole in a tree, fifteen
feet or less from the ground; the nest is made of moss,
grass, feathers, hair, fur and plant down. The eggs are
from five to eight in number, three-fifths by one-half
inch in size, white with brown spots principally near the
larger end. There are two broods in one year.

The birds are regular winter visitants in New Jersey,
and breed in the northern counties.

Their song in the summer is Chick-a-dee-clee-dee, in win-
ter Ch ick-a- day -day -day.

Their food consists principally of insects with very
little fruit. In an article on ' ' Birds as Protectors of Or-
chards," Mr. E. H. Forbush, of the Massachusetts Board
of Agriculture, says of the Chickadees: "There is no bird
that can compare with it in destroying the female canker-
worm moths and their eggs." He calculated that one
Chickadee in one day would destroy 5,550 eggs, and in the
twenty-five days in which the canker-worm moths run
or crawl up the trees 138,750 eggs. Mr. Forbush attract-
ed Chickadees to one orchard by feeding them in winter,
and he says that in the following summer "it was noticed
that while trees in neighboring orchards w^ere seriously in-
fested with canker-worms and to a less degree with tent-
caterpillars, those in the orchards which had been fre-
quented by the Chickadees during the winter and spring
were not seriously infested and that comparatively few
of the worms and caterpillars were to be found there."
His conclusion is that birds that eat eggs of insects are
of the greatest value to the farmer, as they feed almost
entirely on injurious insects and their eggs, and are pre-
sent all winter, when other birds are absent. In south-
ern New Jersey this species is replaced by the following,
except in winter, when both occur.

Chickadee^ f'nrolitta. — Length, four inches; extent,
six inches ; bill, one- third of an inch. This bird is scarce-

42 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

ly distinguishable from the preceding, but is somewhat
smaller and has less white margins to the wings and tail.

They nest in holes in trees, frequently in cavities dug
by themselves, the nest being built of grass, bark,
feathers and hair. The eggs are from five to eight in
number, one- half by two-fifths of an inch in size, white,
spotted with brown at the larger end.

They breed in the south eastern United States, being
plentiful in southern New Jersey and extremely scarce in
the northern part of the state. They remain here all the
year.

The song is a tremulous My luatcher key, changing to a
plaintive tetvee-dee, tewee-dee.

Their food consists principally of insects, with very
little fruit, being frequently occupied in looking for
insects and larvae in acorns, nuts and rotten parts of
bark.

Chippy. See Chipping Sparrow.

Chippy^ Winter. See Tree Sparrow.

Clape, See Flicker.

Coot^ Cfoir-dnck., or Blue Peter. — Lejigth, fifteen
or sixteen inches; extent, twenty-eight inches; bill, four-
fifths of an inch. It is of a slate color with a black head
and an ivory-white bill, an inch and a half long; the
wings and tail are tipped with white and the legs and
feet are greenish. It builds its nest of reeds and grasses,
in fresh water marshes, the number of the eggs being
eight to fifteen, the color pale yellowish white, thickly
speckled with brown, and the size one and four-fifths by
one and one-fourth inches. It breeds from the northern
United States northward and spends the winter in the
southern United States and Central America, It arrives
in New Jersey in April, but is more plentiful in the fall
migration towards the end of September or first of Octo-

ClIICKAUKES.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 43

ber. It is generally found in large rivers and bays. Its
food consists of aquatic plants and grasses.

Coot^ Blfick. See American Scoter.

Coot^ Scfi. See Surf Scoter.

Coot^ lT*liit€-tving;cfl. See White- winged Scoter.

Corniorfiut^ or Shag.^-'l^h\& bird is a rare visitor to
New Jersey, breeding from New England to Greenland
and in the winter months coming south occasionally as
far as New Jersey. It is thirty- six inches in length, the
bill being three inches, and the general color a glossy
black ; the upper wing is black and brown and the head
is sprinkled with white ; the back is a light brown. It
breeds on rocky cliffs, surfaces of rocky islands and some-
times in trees, the nest being conical and made of sticks
and seaweed. The eggs are from four to six in number,
of a pale bluish white, two and a half by one and a half
inches in size. Its food is fish.

Cornioratil^ nouhle-e rested. — This bird is very sim-
ilar to the foregoing, the principal difference being that it
is six inches shorter, the bill two-thirds of an inch shorter,
and that the belly is a glossy black, the upper part being
grayish brown. The eggs are from two to four in num-
ber, somewhat smaller than those of the preceding but
similar in color. It breeds from the Bay of Fundy north-
ward and in the winter goes south as far as Maryland.
It is very common in New Jersey during migrations and
in fact aU winter. Its food is fish.

Cow Bird. — Leiigth, seven inches; extent, eleven
inches; bill, two- thirds of an inch; head, a silky drab.
The rest of the plumage is black with a gloss of green or
purple when viewed in certain lights. The female is uni-
formly gray.

44 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

This bird is about as disreputable as a bird well can be
and this fact seems to be accepted by others of the bird
kind. Although occasionally seen in company with a
Red-winged Blackbird it had no companions until the in-
troduction of the English Sparrow, when it found a con-
genial companion. It builds no nest under any circum-
stances, but drops its eggs — which are white, evenly
speckled with brown and different shades of gray, and
nine- tenths by seven- tenths of an inch in size — into the
nests of other birds, invariably selecting those of birds
smaller than itself and those of a mild and affectionate
disposition. It is a well known fact that birds do not lay
their eggs for a day or two after the completion of a nest;
should the Cow Bird drop an egg into a nest in this interim
the chances are that it will be thrown out or that the
rightful owner of the nest abandons it. But if an egg
or two has been laid in a nest by its builder the chances
are that the addition of an egg by a Cow Bird will pass un-
noticed and that the bird will rear the offspring thus
foisted upon it. As soon as large enough to fly the young
birds join those of their kind.

The bird spends its winter in the southern United States
and Mexico and comes north about the first of April, re-
turning south in October; large numbers go farther north
in the spring. Some winter in the southern part of New
Jersey.

Its cry is about as unmusical as it can possibly be,
somewhat resembling cluck-see.

About the only redeeming trait of the bird is its almost
constant chase after insects and worms; it generally fol-
lows the cattle, picking up seeds and insects from the
droppings and from hoofs. It also frequently destroys
grasshoppers.

fVrrwr, Blue. See Great Blue Heron.

Creek^ Brofiflbiih See Lesser Scaup.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 45

Creeper^ Black and IV'hite. See Black and White
Warbler.

Creeper^ Brown, — Length, five inches; extent, seven
inches; bill, two-thirds of an inch; head, brow^nish black;
back, brown with yellow and white streaks; breast, gray-
ish white; belly, white; tail, pale grayish brown; upper
wing, brownish black, with wiiitish brown bars; under
wing, dusky white and black; legs and feet, a dirty clay
color.

The nest of this bird is located behind the loose bark of
a tree and made of twigs, bark and moss very closely re
sembling the color of the place it is built on. The eggs
are from five to eight in number, three-fifths by one-half
inch in size, white, with brown spots; sometimes with a
pink tinge.

It breeds from the northern border of the United States
northward and also further south on the higher moun-
tains, and in winter is distributed throughout the eastern
United States. In New Jersey it is a common winter
resident, arriving about the middle of September and re-
maining until al)Out the middle of April.

Although in the north it is said to render exquisite
song, in New Jersey it is confined to a few squeaky notes.
In fact, the bird does not seem to have time to sing, his
whole existence apparently being taken up looking for in-
sects and larvae in trees. It ascends the tree, beginning
at the very root and encircling it as it goes up; when it
reaches tlie top it drops down to the root of anotlier tree
and thus keei)S up a continual pilgrimage, ever alert for
food.

Cross/till^ •Mint'riran^ or MleU Vrosshill. — Length,
five and thr(,'e-([uait('r indies; extent, nine inches; bill,
two-thirds of an inch. This hird is a very irregular vis-
itoi- in New Jersey, occasionally occuiiing in winter in
small flocks, but generally confining itself to mountain-

46 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

ous ranges farther inland. Its plumage is of a dull red,
brighter on the rump and darker on the back; the wings
and tail are of dark slate, the tail being edged with
red. The female is a little smaller and of a greenish
color; the wings and tail brownish black, edged with
green. The bills of both are crossed at the end, this ap-
parent malformation being made good use of in securing
the seeds from the cones of the pine trees, the j^rincipal
food of the bird. Its nest is made of twigs and grasses,
lined with small roots and plant fibre. The eggs are three
or four in number, of a pale green with brown spots,
three-fourths by four-fifths of an inch in size.

Crow. — Length, eighteen and one-half inches ; extent,
three feet and two inches ; bill, two inches. The general
color is a shining, glossy, blue black with purplish reflec-
tions ; the throat and lower parts are less glossy ;
the bill is two and a quarter inches long, very strong,
and covered at the base with thick tufts of re-
cumbent feathers. The female differs very slight-
ly from the male, being more dull colored and rather de-
ficient in the glossy and purplish tints and reflections.

The nests are found in trees about thirty feet from the
ground, evergreen trees being preferred. The nests are
bulky structures of sticks, lined with strips of bark, moss
or hair. Mating begins in March and extends through
April and May. The eggs are from four to six in number,
one and three-fifths by one and one-fifth inches in size.
The color is a blue green, mottled w4th shades of brown.

The Crows breed and are distributed over the whole of
North America. In -winter they desert New England,
their migrations as a rule, however, being very limited
and generally only for the purpose of securing a better
supply of food.

The call note of the bird is a caw, in the spring a
quavering kar-r-er.

Whether the crow is a harmful bird or whether its

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 47

good traits more than counterbalance the mischief it does
is a question which has given rise to a great deal of dis-
cussion. The government has made very exhaustive in-
quiries into the feeding habits of the bird, the results of
which have been published in book form. The results of
these investigations, the contents of the stomachs of nine
hundred and nine crows taken at all times of the year
having been analyzed, have been summarized by Dr. C.
Hart Merriam, Chief of the Division of Ornithology and
Mammology, as follows:

"The most important charges brought against the Crow
are: (1) That it pulls sprouting corn; (2) That it injures
corn in the milk; (3) That it destroys cultivated fruit;
and (-i) That it feeds on the eggs and young of poultry
and wild birds. All of these charges are sustained by the
stomach examinations, so far as the simple fact that
Crows feed upon the substances named. But the extent
of the injury is a very different matter. In order to as-
certain whether the sum of the harm done outweighs the
sum of the good, or the contrary, the different kinds of
food found in the stomachs have been reduced to quant-
itative percentages and contrasted. The total quantity of
corn eaten during the entire year amounts to 25 per cent,
of the food of adult Crows, and only 9.3 per cent, of the
food of young Crows. Leaving the young out of consid-
eration, it may be said that in agricultural districts about
one-fourth of the food of Crows consists of corn. But
less than 14 per cent, of this corn, and only 3 per cent, of
the total food of the Crow, consists of sprouting corn
and corn in milk; the remaining 8(5 per cent, of the corn,
or 97 per cent, of the total food, is chiefly waste grain
picked up here and there, maiidy iu winter, and of no
economic value. In the case of cultivated fruits the loss
is trivial. The same is true of the eggs and young of
poultry and wild birds, the total for the year amounting
to only one per cent, of the food. As an offset to liis bad
habits, the Crow is to be credited with the good done in

48 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

destroying noxious insects and other injurious animals.
Insects form 26 per cent, of the entire food, and the great
majority of these are grasshoppers, May-beetles, cut-
worms, and other injurious kinds. It is shown by Mr.
Schwarz that during the May-beetle season, in May and
Jane, these beetles form the principal insect food of the
Crow. Only a few stomachs do not contain them, and
stomachs are often filled with them. The fact that the
May-beetle season coincides with the breeding season of
the Crow is of special importance, the principal insect
food of nestling Crows consisting of these beetles. Mr.
Schwarz also finds that grasshoppers occur in the stom-
achs throughout the year; that during the May -beetle
season they occur in the vast majority of stomachs, but
usually in moderate numbers; that with the disappearance
of May -beetles towards the end of June they increase in
number until in August and throughout the fall they
constitute by far the greater part of the insect food, often
occurring in astonishing numbers, and often forming the
only insect food. To the same side of the scale must be
added the destruction of mice, rabbits, and other injurious
rodents by the Crow. In summing up the benefits and
losses resulting from the food habits of this bird, it is
clear that the good exceeds the bad and that the Crow is
a friend rather than an enemy of the farmer."

Crow Milackhird. See Purple Grackle.

Crow Blarkhird. See Bronzed Grackle.

Crow^ Ourk. See Coot.

Crow^ Fish. — Length, sixteen inches; extent, thirty-
three inches; bill, one and a half inches. The general
color is a jet black, with blue and purplish reflections and
somewhat greenish on the upper part. It is very similar
to the common Crow, both in appearance and nesting.
The eggs are four to six in number, one and a half by

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 49

one inch in size. It frequents the Gulf and Atlantic
coasts as far north as Connecticut and some remain here
all winter, although the vast majority go further south at
the approach of cold weather. Its cry is the same as
that of the common Crow, hut hoarser and more gutteral
and with a nasal twang. Although it obtains most of
its food along the seashore it is also frequently seen along
inland rivers, invariably resorting to woods for roosting
and nesting. Its food is confined to fish, shell-fish and
lizards, and garbage and offal found floating on the sur-
face of the water.

€Va«r, Rain, See Cuckoo.

Cuckoo. — Length, thirteen inches; extent, sixteen in-
ches; bill, three-fourths of an inch. There are two kinds
of Cuckoos, very nearly allied, the black-billed and
the yeUow-billed , the latter being the most numerous.
In the Yellow-billed Cuckoo the whole upper parts are of
a glossy drab, with greenish silk reflections; from this
must be excepted the inner webs of the wing feathers,
which are a bright reddish cinnamon; the two middle
tail feathers are like the back, the others black,
largely tipped with white ; the whole lower parts
are pure white; the legs and feet are light blue. The
general color of the Black-billed Cuckoo is nearly that of
the yellow-billed, but the tail feathers are all colored
like the back, the outer ones with very sliglit tips of
black and white ; the wings also want the bright cinna-
mon, while the bare eyelids are of a deep red color ; as
indicated by the name the lower mandible in one species
is yellow and in the other black. The upper mandible is
black in both. The females differ little in appearance
from the males.

Unlike the European Cuckoo the American bird builds
its own nest, although it is not a very pretentious affair,
being composed of small sticks and grasses; that of the

50 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

black-billed is more compact. It is very flat and is built
iu the early part of May in a low tree or bush, from five
to ten feet from the ground. The eggs are from three to
four in number, of a pale greenish blue, in the black-
billed the greenish hue being deeper. '\ he eggs are about
one and a fourth by nine-tenths of an inch in size, those
of the black-billed being a trifle smaller, or about one and
one-tenth by four-flfths of an inch.

The birds arrive in New Jersey from the West Indies
and Mexico about the middle of April and remain until
September. They are distributed throughout the eastern
and middle portions of the United States.

Their cry is kuk-kuk-kuk, harsh and grating; their song
is composed ot tiit-tut-tut, cluck -cluck -cluck, kowe-kowe-
koive. The flrst notes are repeated rapidly at first,
getting gradually slower, and the last somewhat drawn
out.

The food of the Cuckoo consists principally of caterpil-
lars, the bird evincing a particular liking for those that
infest apple-trees ; fifty or sixty are found at a time in its
stomach and the interior of the latter presents the appear-
ance of a felt hat from the deposit of the hairs of the
caterpillars. It also at times feeds on the larvae of insects
and a few berries. The black-billed confines itself almost
exclusively to small shell-fish, snails and larvae such as
are found near or in streams, and is consequently not so
valuable a bird.

Curleiv^ or Jack Curleu\ — Length, seventeen inches;
extent, thirty-two inches ; bill, three and three-fourths
inches. The upper parts are a dull brown mottled
with buff, the belly being whitish or a light buff,
streaked with dusky on neck and breast, tail barred with
dusky. Their breeding location is iu the far north ; the
number of eggs is three or four, of a pale brown color and
two and a quarter by one and a half inches in size. The
birds are common along the coast of New Jersey in May

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 51

and again from the middle of July to the middle of Sep-
tember. Their food consists of worms, crickets, beetles,
snails and small shell-fish.

Ifab Chick. See Pied-billed Grebe.
mi'tUippcr. See Pied-billed Grebe.
Mfiver^ Great ,^'orthern. See Loon.

Mfove. — Length, twelve inches; extent, nineteen inches;
bill, half an inch. The general appearance of the bird is a
bluish fawn color. Above it is an olive brown, varying
to a bluish gray, with a few black spots on the back and
inner wing feathers ; the sides of the neck have metallic
tints; the belly is of a vinaceous cinnamon, changing to
a buff and lead color on the sides ; the bill is black and
the feet red. The tail feathers are gray with large ter-
minal spots of white or gray, light gray preceded by a
black band; central pair, uniform brown. In the female
the colors are somewhat duller.

The nest is frequently nothing but a deserted robin's
nest, flattened out and a few sticks placed upon it; when
the bird builds its own nest, generally in the lower
branches of a tree or in a garden, it is a rudely constructed
affair composed of small twigs. Mating begins in April.
The eggs are two in number, of a white color, one inch by
four-fifths of an inch in size.

The bird breeds over the whole of North America as far
north as Canada. It arrives in New Jersey in April from
the southern part of the United States and returns in
November, although a few winter in the southern part of
the state.

Their cry is a soft, plaintive Coo-o-o, ah-coo-o-o — coo-o
— coo-o-o.

The food of this bird consists of grain and corn, but the
latter is very seldom taken from the ear; it very rarely
feeds on insects.

52 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Mfove^ Sea. See Little Auk.
Ifovekie. See Little Auk.

Ifowiteher^ or Red-breasted Snipe. — Length, ten
and a half inches ; extent, eighteen inches ; bill, two and
a quarter inches. This bird has a mottled appearance on
account of its being spotted with black ; the back is black,
barred with light buff, the under parts reddish buff, spotted
with round black dots; the long wing feathers are black,
tail barred with black and white. In winter it is much
grayer above and white beneath, streaked with dusky on
the neck. It breeds in the far north and spends the
winter in Florida, Mexico and South America. It ar-
rives in New Jersey during the latter part of May and
again during the latter part of July. Its eggs are four in
number, of a light brown, spotted with deep brown, and
one and three-fifths inches by one and one-tenth in size.
In winter the plumage changes to a brownish gray.

The Long-billed or Western Dowitcher is occasionally
seen in small numbers in company with the foregoing ; it
has a longer bill and its plumage is considerably darker.
It is very similar to the Dowitcher but very much rarer.

Ifuck^ Blarh'^ or Mfasky tfitek. — Length, twenty-
two inches; extent, thirty-three inches; bill, two and one-
fifth inches. The general coloration above is a deep dusky,
slightly tipped with buff. The bill is greenish yellow;
below the body is streaked witli dusty brown and cinna-
mon; the tail sooty brown, the ui)per wing sooty
brown and the legs and feet yellowish red. In the
female there is more brown. The nest is a mat of
marsh grass built on the ground, the eggs being
from eight to twelve in number, of a light greenish
or bluish yellow, two and a half by one and three-
fourths inches in size. It breeds in the Middle States
as far north as Hudson's Bay; it arrives in New Jersey
during the latter part of October and remains un-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 53

til about the middle of March. Its winter distribution
extends to the South Atlantic states. Its food is com-
posed principally of shell-fish and its flesh has a dehcate
flavor. When molested it frequently passes a day at sea.
A few probably breed in this state.

Mfuck^ Broaft-hiU. — See Scaup.

IPuek^ Bntne-lientl^ ButterbaU or Spirit MPiick.

— Length, thirteen to fifteen inches; extent, twenty-two
to twenty-five inches; the head is puffy and over the back
of the head from eye to eye runs a broad white band; the
rest of the head and neck is a purple green and blue
gloss; the bill is only an inch long, being very short;
back, black; wings, black and white; breast, belly, and
sides, white; the tail ashy gray and pointed. The female
is somewhat smaller; whole upper parts sooty brown,
with a white patch on each side of the head; breast and
belly, dull white; tail, bi-own. The young males resemble
the females. The nest is built in a hollow tree or stump,
the eggs being, from six to twelve in number, of a light
yellow color, two inches by one and a half in size. Its
breeding location is far northward and it spends the win-
ter in New Jersey and as far south as Cuba and Mexico.
It remains in New Jersey from about the first of Novem-
ber to the middle of April aud is most numerous along
the seacoast and in large rivers. It is a great diver and a
very swift flyer. The food consists of small fish, shell-
fish and shrimp, aud it it considered a fair table bird.

nurk^ nNitcr-hftlf. See Buffle head Duck.

nuck^ €i§nvasback.--hiingth, twenty-one to twenty-
four inches ; extent, three feet. The bill is black, two
and a half inches lon^ ; the nec;k is a reddish brown and
the chin aud crown dusky; the upper back is black,
the lower white with fine wavy black lines; breast,
black; belly, white, the lower part with fine black wavy

54 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

lines; sides, white; tail, brown, short and pointed;
wings, gray, with specks of black; legs and feet, pale
ash. The female has the neck and upper breast
brown ; the back is a grayish brown with many wavy
white lines and the white on the belly is duller than in
the male. It nests only in the interior, on the ground, in
marshes near the water ; the number of eggs is from six
to ten, blue white in color, two and two -fifths by one and
three-fourths inches in size. Its breeding location is
northward of the northwestern part of the United States
and in winter it spreads itself from the Chesapeake to
Mexico, being rare in New Jersey. Its food consists of
frogs, lizards, tadpoles, fish, grasses and the roots thereof ;
it is considered a great table delicacy, especially after it
has been feeding on eel-grass, or wild celery, for some
time, although by some it is considered inferior to the
Redhead Duck.

jDifcfc, IPusky. See Black Duck.

Ifuck^ Crolden-eye, See Golden -eye.

Mfuck^ Crrny^ or Gadivall. — Length, nineteen and a
half inches; extent, thirty-one inches; bill, one and three-
fourths inches; head, brown, black on top, and sides of
head buff, spotted with black; breast, black, pencilled
with white, giving it the appearance of scales; belly
white, dull white or gray; tail, tapering, of a pale brown
edged with white; wings, black and brown; legs and feet,
orange red or yellow; in the female the breast and sides
are yellowish, the belly is white and there is more white
on the wings. The eggs number from eight to twelve, of
a pale yellow, two inches by one and a half in size. Its
breeding location is in the northern interior and in the
winter it spreads itself over the South Atlantic states and
southward, being rare in New Jersey, one being occasion-
ally shot on the coast. It is accorded a good table bird.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 55

Dwck^ Ijong'Tttil. See Old Squaw Duck.

Mfuck^ •llalUivd. — Leogth, twenty-three inches; ex-
tent, three feet ; bill, two and a quarter inches. The bill is a
greenish yellow; head and neck, glossy greenish and bluisli
black, with a white collar around the neck; upper part of
the back, a dark grayish brown, growing darker near the
tail; breast, brown; belly, grayish white, with wavy black
lines; sides, pale gray, waved witli darker; tail, mostly
white, with some gray, brown and black; wings, above,
grayish white, waved with black, patch of bright glossy blue
feathers with white band around the middle; legs and feet,
orange red. In the female the whole plumage above
and below is mottled with brown and light buff, lighter
beneath. It nests on the ground near water, the nest
being composed of grass, weeds and feathers. The
eggs are from six to ten in number, of a pale yellow-
ish or bluish white, two and a half by one and three-
quarter inches in size. Its breeding location is the
northern hemisphere and in winter it is distributed
throughout the temperate region; in New Jersey it
is more frequently found on the rivers than along the
coast. Its quack cannot be distinguished from that of
the domestic duck. Its food is principally vegetable
and its flesh is considered excellent.

nnek^ ,liergfniser. See Merganser.

nttrk^ Old Squatt'^ Old Wife, Ijong-I ail or South

Sontherl If. —Length, about twenty-three inches, depend-
ing a great deal on the length of the tail, which varies;
extent, from thirty to thirty- four inches; bill, one inch.
The female is somewhat smaller, being sixteen inches in
length and twenty-eight in extent. The front and sides
of the head are gray, the back of the head yellowisli white;
the back, black and gray; breast, belly and sides, white;
the tail is long and pointed, black; wings, black; legs and

56 THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY.

feet, dusky slate. The male in summer has the breast
and upper belly black, and upper surface black and white
with no gray tints; female duller than male. The nest is
built on the ground, near water, under low bushes or in
tall grass; it is made of grass and lined with down. The
eggs are from six to twelve in number, of a bluish
white with dark slate spots and two by one and
one-half inches in size. It breeds in the far north
and during the winter goes as far south as Chesa-
peake bay; it arrives in New Jersey late in Octo-
ber and remains until the middle of April, being
abundant along the coast and occasionally found in the
rivers. It is a very noisy duck, having a sonorous musical
voice, its cry resembling "South Southerly," from which
one of its names is derived. It is not particular as to its
food, frequents the salt water and is seldom found far
from the sea, (3n account of its devouring so many fish
its flesh has a fishy taste.

JDuck^ Pintail^ or Sprlgtail. — Length, about thirty
inches, somewhat depending on the length of the tail,
which varies; extent, three feet; bill, two inches; head,
brown; also the back of the neck, except two white lines
which run up to the back of the head; breast, white;
back, belly and sides, white, with fine wavy lines of black;
tail, long, very much pointed, black and gray; wings,
gray, inner feathers long and pointed, black with buff
edges, spot on wing glossy green ; legs and feet, lead.
The female presents a somewhat more mottled appearance,
the breast being yellowish, the back dark slate, the tail
shorter and dark brown with white spots. The nest is
built on the ground, near water, of grasses and weeds.
The eggs are from six to twelve in number, of a yellowish
or bluish white, two and one-fifth by one and one-half
inches in size. Its breeding location is the northern
United States and northward and in the winter it goes as
far south as Cuba and Panama. It is transient in New

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 57

Jersey, being seen along the coast from the latter part of
October to the middle of November, although occasionally
stray specimens are found later in the winter. Its cry is
confined to a very low quack heard only at night. It
feeds principally on mud flats and in shallow fresh water
marshes and its flesh is considered excellent for the table.

Mfuck^ Redhend, — Length, from nineteen to twenty-
three inches ; extent, two feet and six inches ; bill, one
and three-fourths inches. In all plumages resembles the
Canvasback, but is distinguished by the much darker
back, which is dark gray instead of nearly white. The
bill is also shorter than in the Canvasback and does not
run so far up on the forehead.

It builds its nest on the ground, in marshes near water.
The number of eggs is from six to twelve, of a dull white
color, two and two-fifths by one and three-fourths inches
in size. It breeds north of Maine and in winter migrates
as far south as Mexico. It is an occasional visitor to New
Jersey from the first of November to the first of March.
Its food is principally vegetable, being the stems of grass-
es in salt and brackish water. Its flesh is considered a
table delicacy.

M^Hck^ Rin§^-iierked.—Leugth, sixteen and a half
inches ; extent, twenty-eight inches : bill, one and four-
fifths inches. The head is black and there is a chestnut
collar around the neck. The back is l)lack; the breast
is black ; the belly is white, with fine black lines over
the lower part and sides. In the female brown takes
the place of black in the plumage. It builds its nest
on the ground, in marshes near water. The eggs are
from six to twelve in number, of a dull bluish white,
two and one-fourth by one and three-fifths inches in
size. It breeds north of the United States and in win-
ter goes as far south as Guatemala. It is scarce in
New Jersey, although a few are occasionally seen on the
rivers and bays between November and March.

58 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

I0U€k^ Ruddy. — Leogth, Elfteeu inches; extent,
twenty-two inches; bill, one and one-half inches; head,
top black, the cheek and chin white; back, a bright
mahogany, darker lower down; breast, mahogany; belly,
gray; tail, black, greatly tai)ering; wings, drab; legs and
feet, ash. The female has the upper parts grayish brown,
as has also the young bird. It builds a nest on the
ground near water. The eggs are from six to ten
in number, of a yellowish white, two and a half by
one and three-fourths inches in size. Its breeding lo-
cation is northward of the United States and in the
winter it goes further south. It is seen occasionally
along the coast of New Jersey, but is more plentiful in
the rivers. Its food is principally vegetable and its flesh is
considered excellent for the table.

Jfuek^ Scaup . See Scaup.

IMuck^ Scoter, See Scoter.

J9uck^ Spiriti See Buffle-head Duck.

Ifuck^ Sprigtail. See Pintail Duck.

Mfuck^ SufHtner. See Wood Duck,

nuck^ Teal. See Teal.

M9uck^ IM^hisller. See Golden-eye.

JDuck^ ll^idgeon. — See Widgeon.

M9uck, Wood., or Summer Duck. — Length, nine-
teen inches; extent, two feet and four inches; bill, one
and a third inches, red, margined with black; the front
crown and crest is a rich, glossy, bronze green, ending in
violet and with lines of white; sides of the upper neck and
cheeks, violet; chin, throat and collar around the neck,
pure white; breast, maroon brown, with minute tri-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 59

angular spots of white which increase as they spread in-
to the white of the belly; each side of the breast is
bounded by a crescent of white and that by a broader one
of deep black; sides of body buff, finely waved with black
lines ; the wings are glossy blue black, the outer feathers
edged with silvery white ; the tail is very tapering,
black glossed with green and dusky below; the legs
and feet are yellowish red. In the female the head is
slightly crested and the chin and throat are white; the
head and neck are a dark drab, upper surface of body
brown, under surface white, more or less mottled with
dusky.

The nest is generally built near the water in a hollow
tree, or if this is not convenient in the fork of a tree, fre-
quently at a considerable distance from the ground. The
nest is built of sticks and lined with down taken from
the breast of the parent bird. In New Jersey the duck
begins breeding about the last of April or the first of
May. The eggs are generally thirteen in number, being
two and an eighth inches by one and a half inches in size
and oval in shape. The color is generally slightly yellow-
ish, very fine-grained and of a high polish; at times the
eggs have a greenish tint, the difference in color being
supposed to be due to the age of the bird.

The breeding location is temperate North America and
Cuba and its distribution is about the same, although in
extreme cold weather in the north some frequently migrate
south; in addition to those which winter here migrants
arrive about the first of April and many of these remain
all winter.

The cry of the drake is 2)eef, peet, and when standing
sentinel while the female is busy with the nest, oe-eek, oe-
eek.

The food of these birds consists principally of acorns,
seeds of wild oats, weed seeds and insects.

£agic.—A few Bald Eagles still find their homes in

60 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

New Jersey, but they are becoming scarcer every year.
Occasionally a number are seen in migrations. The Gold-
en Eagle is merely an occasional straggler from the west
and is seen very rarely. The Bald Eagle is nearly three
feet in length and sometimes measures six or seven feet
from tip to tip of wings ; bill, two and a half inches. The
general color of the plumage is a dark slate, the head, neck
and tail being white and the bill yellow. The young
birds lack the white head and tail. It nests in trees, the
number of eggs being two or three, the color gray and the
size three inches by two and one-fourth. Its food is
principally fish, which it either picks up along the shores
or takes away from some industrious fish -hawk or king-
fisher ; also small animals and carrion. The Golden
Eagle is only a trifle smaller than the Bald Eagle ; the
general coloring of the plumage is a slate brown, with a
yellowish tint on the head and some white at the base of
the tail. Its nest is built on cliffs and rocky ledges ; the
eggs are two or three in number, gray with brow^n spots.
The Golden Eagle can ahvays be distinguished from the
Bald by having the legs feathered all the w^ay to the toes,
while the latter has the lower part of the legs bare,

Egret^ White^ or JlVtite or Snotvyi IferoH. — This

most beautiful and elegant bird is little more than a remem-
brance in New Jersey, the gun of the market hunter having
almost exterminated it. Its long, drooping featliers have
long been in demand for aigrettes. Formerly numbers of
them were seen in the southern part of the state and per-
haps a few breed there yet, but the demand for their
feathers for millinery has almost exterminated them, even
in the Southern Atlantic states, where they were former-
ly very numerous. This bird is about two feet in length,
its bill being three and a half inches long. Its plumage
is of a pure white; the legs are black and the feet yellow.
It builds a nest of sticks in bushes overhanging the water,
the number of the eggs being three to five, the color a

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 61

dark blue and the size one and four-fifths by one and one-
fifth inches. They formerly bred in large colonies in the
cedar swamps in the southern part of the state and occas-
ionally a few are seen there yet in August and September.
Their food consists of frogs, lizards, small fish and small
water snakes, insects and seeds of the splatterdocks.

Falfon. See Duck Hawk.

Finrh^ Gold. See Gold Finch.

Finch., Grass. See \^espe]' Sparrow.

Finch., Pine., or Pine Siskin. — This bird is five
inches long and nine in extent; l)il], two-fifths of an inch.
The head and back are light l)rown, streaked with black;
beneath, white, with a buff or sulphur tint and streaked
with black; tail, blackish, with the base sulphur yellow;
wings, dark blackish, with margin of yellow and with
base of quills yellow; legs and feet, brown.

It builds its nest in the upper branches of evergreen
trees; the nest is made of twigs and small roots, lined
with plant down and hair. The eggs are two-thirds of
an inch by half an inch in size, of a pale greenish blue
with brown spots; they are four in number.

Its breeding location is in the northern part of the
United States, extending southward along the tops of
the mountains. It is an irregular visitant in New Jersey,
from the middle of Octolnn' to the middle of March; it is
very erratic in its movements and at times ai)peais in
large fiocks and again in comi)auy with the (roldfinch.

Its song is similar to but less musical than that of the
Goldfinch and seldom heard here.

Its food is confined to seeds, prefei-ring those of the
black alder.

Finch., I»i#i7il«.— Length, six and one-fourth inches;
extent, nine inches; hill, half an inch, brown in color;

62 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

the general plumage of the male adult is a raspberry red;
back, duller; belly, grayish white; sides, gray, with dull
red streaks; tail and wings, dark slaty brown, with red on
the edges; legs, dark purplish flesh; feet, brown. The
plumage of the female is wholly unlike that of the male,
being of a dark grayish brown, with black streaks, the
belly being white, with brown streaks. The young males
resemble the female in plumage.

The nest of this bird, almost invariably built in ever-
green trees, is made of twigs and small roots and lined
with hair ; the eggs are four-fifths by half an inch in size,
of a light blue with slate spots, and from four to six in
number.

The birds breed in New England and the Alleghanies
and occur in New Jersey frequently in flocks from the
first of October to the first of May, some going further
south during severe winters.

The song, frequently heard especially in large river
valleys, is a very sweet warble.

The food of the bird is confined almost wholly to buds
and small berries ; they are esj^ecially fond of cherry
blossoms and in the spring frequent the elm trees along
with the Goldfinches, feeding on the soft buds.

Firebird. See Baltimore Oriole.

Flirker^ fmoUlen-wins^ed Jl'ooflperker^ "i'eUoir-
haninier^ Mish-hole or Clape, — Length, twelve inch-
es ; extent, twenty inches ; bill, one and one-third inches ;
back, brown, transversely barred with black ; head, gray,
with a light red crescent on the hind neck ; rump, w^hite ;
throat and neck, pinkish cinnamon ; breast, with a broad
crescent-like patch of black ; rest of under surface dull
white, tinged with cinnamon and thickly marked with
round black spots ; wings and tail beneath golden yellow ;
tail above black, shafts yellowy and feathers at its base
barred black and white ; feet, bluish. The male may be

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 63

distinguished from the female by the presence of black
stripes from the base of the bill.

The nest is a hole dug in the trunks of dead trees and
resembles that of the hairy woodpecker. Mating begins
in April or May. The eggs are from six to eight in num-
ber, of a pm'e white and one and one-tenth by four-fifths
of an inch in size.

Tlie bird breeds and is distributed over the whole east-
ern part of the United States as far west as the Rocky
Mountains. Some winter in New Jersey, but most of
them go south towards the end of October, returning to-
wards the end of March.

The song is termed by Audubon "a prolonged, jovial
laugh, a cuh-cuh-cuh, tvick-wick- tuick,'" rapidly repeated.
The call is a nasal kee-yee.

The food of this bird consists of beetles, bugs, caterpil-
lars, ants, grasshoppers, corn, buckwheat, berries, fruit,
poison ivy berries and sumac berries. Government analy-
ses of 230 stomachs showed that these contained fifty-
six per cent, of animal matter, bugs, etc., 39 per cent,
vegetable matter and five per cent, of sand and mineral
matter. Over forty per cent, of the food of these birds
consists of ants, as high as three thousand each being
found in several stomachs. Other stomachs contained
from eighteen to forty -eight grasshopi)ers.

Fh/efftrher^ ,tr€tflian. — Length, five and three-quar-
ter inches; extent, nine inches; bill, one-third of
an incli; above, uniform olive green; wings and tail,
brownish, the former edged with dull white; beneath,
white tinged with olive; sides, yellowish; feet, dusky; bill,
dusky above, yellow beneath. Sexes alike.

The nest is so shallow that the eggs can sometimes be
seen from underneath; it is built of plant stems and
grasses and frequently of blossoms of oak; it is generally
found in the fork of a slender branch about si.x or eight
feet from the groiiiul. The eggs are three or foui- in num-

64 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

ber, of a pinkish white, with a few brown spots near the
large end and three-fourths by one-half an inch in size.
The birds arrive from the south shortly after the first of
May and return about the middle of September; they are
scarce in northern New Jersey, but rather plentiful in the
southern part of the state. Their cry is a spee-peet and
at other times a heek-ijup. The birds are strictly insec-
tivorous, feeding on insects of all kinds.

Flycalrher^ Crested^ or firetit Crested Flycalcli^

er. — Length, eight and one-half inches ; extent, thirteen
inches ; bill, three-fifths of an inch ; above, olive, tinged
with brown on the head ; wings, dusky, edged with yel-
lowisli white, the longest feathers bordered with cinna-
mon ; tail, dusky brow^n, the inner webs of all but the
middle feathers tawny cinnamon ; throat and fore breast,
gray; rest of under surface bright sulphur yellow ; bill and
feet, horn color. Sexes alike. The feathei-s of the head
are elongated and can be erected into a crest, as is the
case with most of the Flycatchers.

The nest is built in the hollow of a tree or post and
sometimes in an abandoned woodpecker hole, seldom
higher than twenty feet from the ground ; it is made of
twigs, small roots, grasses, feathers, hairs, bristles and
almost invariably of a piece of cast snake's skin. The
eggs are from three to six in number, of a creamy white,
streaked lengthwise with brown and purple, nine-tenths
by seven-tenths of an inch in size. The birds come from
the south to the eastern part of the United States about
the first of May and leave about the first of September ;
they are far more common than the Acadian Flycatcher.
Their cry is a harsh call or squeak, something like the
Kingbird's. The birds feed almost exclusively on ground
beetles in May and during the rest of the season devour
large numbers of other insects; they also devour huckle-
berries and a little fruit.

riyeatrher^ Lie a si or Chehec— 'Length, five inches;

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 65

extent, nine inches; bill, half an inch; above, brownish
olive, darker on the head; wings and tail, dusky, the
former edged with dull white; l)elow, dull white, tinged
with olive brown; belly, pale sulphur yellow; bill and feet,
dusky. Sexes alike. This little bird is very similar to
the Acadian Flycatcher, but may be distinguished by its
smaller size and browner coloration.

The nest, generally in a vertical crotch, is made of bark,
fibres, small roots and hair, and lined with plant down.
The eggs are from three to five in number, white in color
and three-fifths by one-half inch in size. The birds ar-
rive in the eastern United States from the south about
the first of May and remain until the middle of Septem-
ber. They frequent gardens and orchards and are far
more numerous in the northern part of New Jersey than
in the southern. Their note is chebec, chebec. Their
food consists of insects, frequently caught on the wing,
and l)ees and berries, huckleberries being preferred.

Fly€€tl€het\ Tyrant. See Kingbird.

F ly eat Cher ^ Wlloie-helUed. — This bird is rare in
New Jersey, occurring occasionally in the southern part of
the state about the middle of May and again about the
first part of September. Size about the same as the
Least. Above, bright olive green; wings, dusky, bordered
with yellowish; tail, dusky; whole lower surface, bright
sulphur yellow, breast with a darker olive tint. May be
distinguished from either the Least or Acadian Flycatchers
by the yellow and olive colors of the fore breast, which is
nearly white in both these species.

They breed in the north and spend the winter in the
south, merely remaining in New Jersey long enough to
rest and feed.

imaiUeall. See Gray Duck.

0matli»inle^ M'torifta. — This bird passes over New

Q6 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Jersey in its spring and fall migrations; it is a regular
but rare visitant, occuring in New Jersey about the first
of May and again in September and the first part of Oc-
tober. It is thirteen and a half inches in length and the
general color of its plumage is of a dark slate, with a suf-
fusion of brown. Its bill is four-fifths of an inch in length
and red in color. It has a bare bright red plate on the
top of the head, extending half an inch between the eyes;
belly, light gray; tail, slate on the upper surface and
white underneath; legs, green. Its loud chuck is occa-
sionally heard, but only on large rivers, which it fre-
quents for food, this consisting of small animals, seeds
and vegetable growths. Its flesh is considered excellent
for the table.

Gamin. See English Sparrow.

Gannet. — This bird is extremely scarce in New Jersey,
one being occasionally taken along the coast. They breed
north of New Jersey and spend the winter in the south.
The Gannet is about thirty-five inches in length and its
plumage is white, with a suffusion of straw yellow,
especially on the head; the larger wing feathers are of a
dark slate. The birds generally appear in small straggling
flocks, flying over the ocean in search of fish, which they
take from the water.

Gnfitcfttrher, Blue'Gray. — This birdis verj^ rai-e in
New Jersey and has been found only in the southern part,
where it breeds occasionally. It nest is a beautiful lichen
covered structure, closely resembling that of the Hum-
mingbird, but larger. It frequents the highest branches
of trees and is very shy. It is about four and a half
inches in length; above, blue gray, with a jet black band
across the nostrils, and a white edging to the innermost wing
feathers. The under parts are a gray-white and the tail
is blackand white. Tlie female lacks the black band over
the nostrils.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 67

Croilivit^ HudsoniftH. — This bird is a rare transient
visitor along the coast of New Jersey, a few being occas-
ionally seen late in September. Length, fifteen inches;
bill, three inches; back, dull brown, somewhat mottled
with white; head, whitish, with dusky streaks; below,
dull white or buffy. In sunmier the head, neck and
under surface of body change to chestnut color.

Gotlwit^ •llfirhlcd^ or Broivn mJflarUn, — This bird
is a rare visitor along the coast of New Jersey, a few be-
ing occasionally seen in May and then again in August
and September. Length, seventeen to twenty inches;
bill, three and one-half to five inches; above blackish
brown, mottled with pale cinnamon or ochreous in spots
and bars; long wing feathers brown on outer web, inner
webs ochreous, finely speckled with brown; tail and under
parts all transversely barred with pale cinnamon and dark
brown; young birds are nearly uniform pale cinnamon
below.

Golden-eye^ or W*histier. — Length, twenty inches;
bill, one and three-quarter inches; head, all around glossy
greenish black, large white spot on each side at the base
of the bill; neck and entire under surface of the body,
pure white; back, greenish black, wings, black; middle
feathers white and stripe from shoulders white; tail, gray-
ish black; female has the head brown, whole back gray,
slightly mottled; male in winter similar to female.

Its nest is built in a stump or hollow tree ; the eggs are
from six to ten in number, of a pale blue color and two
and one-third by one and three-fourths inches in size.
It breeds in Maine and northward, and in the winter
goes as far south as Cuba and Mexico. In New
Jersey it is found, principally on the coast and on large
rivers, from the first of ( )ct()ber to the first of April, It
feeds princii)ally on small fisli and shell-fish and its flesh
is of a poor quality for the table.

68 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

GoUmtich, Ik'eUoivhird, Thistle Bird or Wild
Canary . — LeDgth, live inches ; extent, eight inches;
bill, two-fifths of an inch; l)ody above and below bright
canary yellow: top of the head, wings and tail black, the
latter with the inner wel)S of the feathers white; bill, red-
dish brown ; wings and shoulders in early summer banded
with white. Female similar but duller in color: never
bright yellow. In winter the body plumage is entirely
changed. The bird is then brown above and dull white
below, with more or less yellow tints on the head and
throat of the male and prominent white edgings to wing
and tail. During the spring moult, when the change of
plumage occurs, the birds are curiously speckled.

The nest is built from five to thirty feet from the
ground in the crotch of a tree or bush: it is a neat con-
trivance, made of fine grasses, bark and moss, lined with
thistle-down. Mating begins in June. The eggs are
from three to six in number, of a pale blue white, and
three-fifths l)y one-half an inch in size.

The bird is distributed all over the United States, but is
scarcer in winter in the northern parts. It is very plen-
tiful in Xew Jersey.

Its song lasts until August and is very much like the
canary, the call note being ker-cJuc-chic-chic-a-tuee-wee-
tcee.

The food of the bird consists of the seeds of trees and
bushes or almost any seed-bearing plant; it is particularly
fond of sunflowers and clematis and in the spring of the
year is frequently seen in large numbers feeding on the
young pods of the elm trees.

Goosfttider. See American Merganser.

Goose ^ fan a da ^ or Common Jl'Ufl Goose. — Length,
thirty-five to forty inches; biU, two inches; head and
neck, black, with a large wiiite band across the throat,
reaching from ear to ear; back and upper side of wings,
slate gray; feathers with lighter edges; below, pale gray-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 69

ish white, slightly mottled on the sides; loug wiug feath-
ers and tail dusky. Sexes alike.

Its breeding location is iu the north; it appears in New
Jersey shortly after the first of October; large numbers
continue on their flight further south, generally passing
over the interior \mrt of the state; considerable numbers,
however, remain all winter, not leaving until the latter
part of April. Their food while here is composed princi-
pally of sea cabbage and the roots of sedge,

Goose^ Gvettler Snoiv, — Size the same as the Canada
Goose; plumage everywhere pure w^hite; except the long
wing feathers, which are black; bill and feet, red. Young
birds are more or less mottled with gray, especially on the
upper parts. There is often a rusty stain on the feathers
of the head. It is very seldom seen in New Jersey, pass-
ing over the state at tijues in the annual migration from
Greenland to the south and return.

tireenback. See Golden Plover.

GraeMc^ Bromcft^ or Crow ntarkhird.— This bird
is seen in New Jersey only in migrations, and is very
closely related to the following, in the description of
which the distinguishing points are given.

GrackU'^ PitripU'^ or Croir Mglackhirtt.—hength,
twelve inches; extent, eighteen inches; bill, one and one-
fifth inches. When seen at a distance this bird appears
plain black, but at reasonably close range its plumage is
at once seen to be resplendent with metallic hues of green,
blue and purple. There is great individual variation in
color and one style grades gradually into another.

The head, neck and breast are generally uniform, either
metallic, green, blue or red-purple, while the back and
lower breast are generally mottled with all three tints;
the rump is bronze and the wings and tail purplish. The
Bronzed Grackle, a very closely related bird, has the

YO THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

entire body plumage metallic bronze except the head,
neck and fore breast, which are blue or purple. The fe-
male Clrackle is much duller than the male. The young
during their first summer have scarcely a trace of metallic
coloring, being uniform dull black.

The nest is built about thirty feet up a tree, although
also sometimes found in a bush or in a hole in a tree. It
is bulky but very compactly built of coarse grasses, lined
with finer grasses. The eggs are from three to six in
number, one and one-fifth by four- fifths of an inch in
size, very variable, but generally a pale blue or a blue
green, with brown and black scrawls; different sets in the
same colony are frequently very unlike.

The birds breed on the Atlantic slope, generally in col-
onies, from Georgia to Massachusetts. The winter is
spent in the south, very few remaining here after the
first of November; they arrive here early in March.

Their cry is a wheezy squeak and their call a rasping
chirp.

These birds do a great deal of mischief in cornfields, but
partly make up for the injury they do by destroying rose
bugs, curculio. May beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and
locusts.

Grebe^ MMolboelVs. — This is the largest of the Grebes
and is very seldom seen in New Jersey, occurring occa-
sionally during migrations. It is nineteen inches in
length; bill, two inches; the upper parts are of a dull
black and the under of a silvery white, generally with
more or less rusty red on the neck, except in young birds.
Grebes nest among the rushes and reeds, and the nest,
composed of a mass of decayed vegetation, is frequently
seen floating in the water.

Hrehe^ Homed. — Length, thirteen inches; bill, three-
quarters of an inch; above, glossy black, tinged with gray;
head with tufts of feathers which project on each side

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 71

like a hood, glossy, greenish black, a stripe on each side
of the head passing through the eye, reddish buff; under
parts silky white; neck, breast and sides of body, reddish
chestnut; young birds are plain, dull black above and
silky white below. It is somewhat more numerous in
New Jersey than the preceding, especially during migra-
tions, occurring from November until May.

Grcbe^ Pieil-hilUtl^ Dabrhick^ Diefinpper^ Hell-
IPiver or Jf Vtter ll*#7r/j.— This is the most common
of the Grebes; remaining in New Jersey for fully nine
months in the year; from its appearance at a distance
and its habits it is frequently mistaken for a duck and in
fact in a few places it is referred to as the Hen-bill Duck.
It is a little over thirteen inches in length. It obtains
one of its names from the fact that the bill, about nine-
tenths of an inch in length, is shaped like that of a
chicken; it is dull white in color, crossed with a black
band. Its throat is black: back, glossy black; under
parts, silky white, mottled with brown and black; fore
breast, rusty brown and black; wings, brown, slightly
tipped with white. Tail represented by a few soft,
downy feathers, scarcely perceptible.

The nest is built hke that of Holboell's Grebe; the float-
ing mass is held together l)y mud and moss and the eggs
are frequently concealed by a thin layer of similar nmck.
The eggs are from four to eight in number, of a dirty
white, one and three-fourths by one and one-fifth inches
in size.

It breeds throughout the whole of North America, with
the exception of the extreme north and south, going as
far south as South America during the winter. Some re-
main in New Jersey throughout the whole year, but it is
not a common breeder.

Its food consists of frogs, insects, lizards and tlie seeds
of grasses.

Grosheftk^ ianlhuil. See Cardinal Bird.

Y2 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Crvoshcfik^ Rose-breasted. — Length, eight and one-
half inches; extent, thirteen inches. Above, jet black, ex-
cept the rump, which is white; wings, black barred and
tipped with white; tail, black; the three outer feathers
with the inner webs largely white; side of head and fore
neck, black; breast, brilliant rosy pink; rest of under sur-
face, white; underneath the wing a patch of rose pink
feathers. Younger birds have more or less dull brown
feathers in the wing and tail. In autumn the plumage is
quite different. The bird then appears brown above,
streaked with black; wings barred and tipped with white,
and dull white line over the eye; below, buff, speckled
with black, with throat and breast more or less suffused
with pink, and pink feathers under the wing. The fe-
male at all seasons resembles the autumn plumage just
described, but has less buff beneath and no pink; beneath
the wing the feathers are yellow. The bill is very thick
and nearly pure white in tlie spring male, more dusky in
the female; legs and feet, blue gray.

The nest is found in bushes or trees, from five to
twenty feet from the ground. It is a perfect circle, made
of fine twigs, weeds and roots, and lined with the same
but of a finer quality. The eggs are from four to five in
number, nine-tenths by seven-tenths of an inch in size,
and of a pale blue with olive-brown markings.

It breeds in the northern part of the United States and
in Canada, but is found during the summer only in the
northern portion of New Jersey; migrants arrive in the
state during the first part of May and those that go
further north return in September.

The song is frequently heard towards evening and is a
delightful warble, somewhat resembling the robin's, but
more exquisitely pure.

Its fondness for potato-bugs has earned for it in some
localities the name of Potato-bug Bird, but it also de-
stroys beetles, bugs and larvae. Its vegetable food con-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. T3

sists of the buds of the hickory, beech and birch, and also
fruit blossoms.

arouse, Rifffetf, PartrhJ^e or Pheasant. —Length,
eighteen inches; extent, twenty-three inches; bill, half an
inch, horn color. Plumage above, reddish brown, most of
the feathers with buff central stripes and finely mottled
with black and gray; neck with a tuft of broad ended
black feathers which project beyond the rest of the plum-
age and are erectile at will; upper surface of wings like
the back; the long outer feathers dull brown, with light
spots on their edges; tail, rusty brown, transversely
mottled with black, and with broad terminal black and
gray bands; under surface white, becoming buff on the
breast and throat, and transversely barred with brown,
except on the throat and center of the body; flanks with
broad black bars. Female similar, but with the neck
tufts rudimentary or wanting. In southern New Jersey
this bird is commonly called a pheasant, while the name
partridge prevails in the northern part of the state.

The nest is built in April of leaves and grass on the
ground, in underbrush or at the base of the stump of a tree
or the side of a log. The eggs are from eight to fourteen
in number, of a pale brownish yellow, one and a half by
one and one-tenth inches in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States as far
south as Georgia and remain all year.

The male is in the liabit of drumming on logs and fall-
en trees and the cry of the bird is a rtiprup-rup-ruprr-
r-r-r.

The food of the bird consists of beiiies and insects,
principally ants; in the fall, also seeds and chestnuts; in
the winter leaves, and in the spring buds.

#»«#//, Blark-iteatfed. — See Laughing Gull.

€rfffl, Mt/arh'iieatletf, or Sadtflehark.— Length,

twenty-nine inches; bill, two and a half inches; head and

74 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

neck white, somewhat streaked with dusky; back, dark
slate, darker than any of our other gulls; rump and tail,
pure white, as well as the entire under part; long wing
feathers black with white tips.

The nest is built on the ground, of grasses and seaweed;
the eggs are three by two and one-fourth inches m size,
of a dirty white with brown spots, and either two or
three in number. Its breeding location is the North Al-
lantic coast and it winters southward as far as New Jersey,
though the bulk do not come quite so far south.

6ri#W, Jionii parleys, — Length, fourteen inches; bill,
one and one-tenth inches, black; head, wiiite, tinged with
gray, with dark spots over the ear; back, pearl gray; three
outer wing feathers mostly white; the outermost black
externally, all the long wing feathers black on their term-
inal portion; rump and tail and under parts pure white.
In summer the heads become very dark gray while the
young birds have a terminal black band on the tail.

The nest is built on stumps or in bushes or trees; it is
made of sticks, lined with grass. The eggs are two
inches by one and two-fifths in size, of an olive color,
with greenish tint, and three or four in number. The
bird breeds in the far north and spends the winter in the
West Indies and Mexico and as far south as South
America; in New Jersey it is transient during migrations
but not very common. It adds to the usual marine food
gathered by gulls from the surface of the water, insects
and beetles.

6fifll, Herrins^ or IWlnter 4wuU, — Length, twenty-
four inches; bill, two inches and a quarter, yellow with a
bright red spot; head, white, sometimes streaked with
dusky; back, pearl gray; rump and tail and entire under
surface of the body wiiite; long wing feathers black for
their terminal portion, tipped with white. Young birds
have the wings and tail brownish, and the whole plum-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 75

age above and below mottled with brownish gray and
white.

It builds a nest in a hollow in the ground; it is made of
grass and seaweed. The eggs are three inches by two, of
a gray brown with dark brown spots, two or three in
number. It breeds on the Atlantic coast as far south as
New England and in the winter goes as far south as
the West Indies. It is abundant in New Jersey, on the
coast and in large rivers, from October to April. It acts
as a scavenger for both ocean and rivers, picking up offal
and dead fish from the surface of the water.

CrifW, Ijiiughing^or BUtek-heatled fwuU. — Length,
sixteen inches; extent, three feet six inches; bill, one and
a half inches; head, very dark slate, with a white spot
above and below the eye; neck, pure white, all around;
back and wings, lead gray; rump, tail and under parts
white, the latter with a delicate rose flush in the living
bird; long wing feathers black terminally; feet and bill,
deep carmine. In winter the head is white, while the
young birds have the head and neck mottled and a term-
inal black band on the tail.

It builds its nest on the ground in marshes, of grass
and seaweed. The eggs are two and one-tenth by one
and a half inches in size, a brown or dark olive in color,
with dark brown spots and splashes, and from three to
five in number. It breeds along the Atlantic (.;oast south-
ward from New England and goes as far south as the
West Indies and South America in winter. It is a resi-
dent in New Jersey, from May to October, but is becom-
ing rare. Its cry resembles a long peal of laughter, a
haw -ha- ha-ha-haw.

Gull^ Ritts;-biUeil. — Length, nineteen inches; bill, an
inch and a half, greenish yellow, with a distinct black
band near the tip; phiiuage almost as in the Herring Gull;
young as in the Herring Gull, mottled with brown, gray

76 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

and white, with the tail dusky, except at base; feet, pale
yellow.

Its nest, of seaweed and grasses, is built on the ground;
the eggs are two and one-fourth by one and three-fifths
inches in size, of a dirty white, with brown spots, and
either two or three in number. It breeds in the far
north and in winter goes as far south as Cuba. It is toler-
ably common along the Xew Jersey coast from October
to May.

Crifll, J%*htter. See Herring Gull.

Mtttgdou^ Black. See Sooty Shearwater.

Miiiii'hird, See Chipping Sparrow.

Mfitignest. See Baltimore Oriole.

Harrier. See Marsh Hawk.

Mawk. •Imeriean Rough-legged or Black tEawk.

— Length, twenty-two inches: back, black, slightly mottled
with buff and white; head, much more streaked Avith
white; wings, brown, basal portion of long feathers, white,
inner ones somewhat barred; tail, white, at base dusky,"
on the terminal portion forming indistinct bars; rump
and feathers covering the base of the tail, mottled; be-
neath, throat, neck and breast huffy white, longitudinally
streaked with brown; stripes broader on the breast; lower
abdomen uniform black or very dark brown; thighs buff,
mottled with brown. Some individuals have more black
in the plumage, occasionally reaching an almost uniform
black coloration. This Hawk can be distinguished from
all others by the feathering of the legs, which extends to
the base of the toes.

It nests on rocky ledges or in trees. The eggs are two
and one-fifth by one and three-fourths inches in size, of a
dirty white, sometimes spotted with brown and from two
to five in number.

THE BIKDS OF NEW JERSEY. T7

It breeds north of the United States and in winter goes
southward to the Middle States. It is a rather rare visi-
tant in New Jersey, being occasionally met with, princi-
pally in marshes near large streams, from November to
April.

Government examination of 40 stomachs showed that
40 contained mice, 5 other mammals, 1] lizard, 1 insects
and 4 were empty.

MMati'k^ Uroad-ivinsi'd. — Length; sixteen inches;
extent, thirty- four inches; back and upper surface of
wings, dark brown, slightly mottled with gray; feathers
on the back of the head with pure white bases and long
wing feathers white on their basal portion; tail, very dark
brown with two whitish bands and a narrow terminal
band; throat, white, streaked longitudinally with brown;
rest of under surface white, transversely banded with
brown, bands on the breast often joining and dividing
the white into roundish spots. Young birds are tinged
with buff below and are streaked longitudinally with
brown over the whole lower surface.

It nests in trees at a considerable distance from the
ground. The eggs are two and one-fifth by one and
three-fifths inches in size, yellowish with brown spots and
from two to four in number.

It breeds throughout the Eastern United States and in
winter goes south as far as South America. It is a not
very common resident in New Jersey.

Government examinations of <'»5 stomachs showed that
2 contained small birds, 15 mice, 13 other mammals, 11
reptiles, 1?> frogs and similar animals, :')() insects, 2
earthworms, 4 crawfish and 7 were empty.

Mtatrk^ ihicktu. See Red-tailed Hawk, Ked-Shoul-
dered Hawk and Cooper's Hawk.

Jiiiirk^ iooinr's^ or i lkirken llatrk. -Length, eigh-
teen inches; extent, thirty inches; above, slate color,

78 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

slightly mottled with white; long wing feathers barred
with dusky on the terminal portion, white at the base;
tail, grayish brown, with four dusky bands ; below, white,
transversely barred with rusty and all the feathers with
dusky shaft lines; flanks, rusty. The young bird is
brown above and white beneath, longitudinally streaked
with brown. It nests in April or May, in thick woods,
generally in evergreens or hickories, from twenty-five to
fifty feet from the ground; the nest is composed of sticks,
moss, leaves and grass. The eggs are from three to six
in number, two by one and a half inches in size, of a pale
bluish white, sometimes lightly spotted with red.

It breeds and is distributed over the whole of temi^erate
North America.

Cooper's Hawk is a very destructive bird, and the only
one of our Hawks which is not beneficial to the farmer.
All the others live mainly on mice and insects and but
rarely visit the poultry yard. Government examination
of CA stomachs showed that 15 contained poultry or game
birds, IT other birds, 1 mice, 1 frog, 1 lizard, 2 insects, 11
were empty. Government examination of 133 stomachs
showed that 31 contained poultry or game birds, 52 other
birds, 11 mammals, 1 frog, 3 lizards, 2 insects and 39
were empty.

MMawk^ IPuck^ or Faleon. — Length, sixteen to twen-
ty inches; extent, three feet; above, sooty back; feathers
more or less edged with rusty; back of neck lighter, gen-
erally bulf streaked with brown; wings, brownish black,
barred on the inner webs with bufi: or cinnamon; tail simi-
lar, with a whitish tip; under side of body dull w^hite or
buff, longitudinally streaked with brown; old birds have
the fore breast nearly or quite devoid of streaks.

It nests in hollow^ trees and on rocky cliffs. The eggs
are two inches by one and three-fourths inches in size,
of a dirty white to a light brown, with darker spots of
the same color, and either three or four in number.

COOPER'S HAWK.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 79

It breeds in North America southward as far as the
Middle States. In New Jersey it is more frequent in win-
ter, rather common along the coast, where it preys on
water birds, but rather scarce in the interior. A few
breed along the upper Delaware.

Government examination of 20 stomachs showed that
7 contained poultry or game birds, 1> other birds, 1 mice, 2
insects and 4 wei'e empty.

natrh\ Fish, See Osprey.

Mitiivk^ Mien. See Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-Tailed
Hawk and Cooper's Hawk.

Httivk,^ •jflftrsh^ or Harrier.— length, eighteen to
twenty inches; male, above light bluish gray, as is also
the whole head and fore part of the breast; rest of under
surface white, sometimes spotted with rusty; tail, gray,
barred with broad black bands, and a little rufous near
the base; inner webs of wing feathers white at base;
female, brown above, mottled with rusty edgings on the
head; under parts, rusty, shaded and striped with brown
on throat and breast; tail brown, with blackish bands;
inner webs of wing feathers barred brown and white;
young birds similar to female.

This bird at all times and in intermediate plumages
can be easily identified by the pure white rump.

The nest is built on the ground in a marsh, near water,
at the base of a bush or in the top of a tussock, composed
of dry grass and dead twigs with a spare lining of feathers.
In New Jersey mating begins in June. The eggs are
f iom four to six in ninnber, rarely as many as eight, of a
dull white, sometimes with brown blotdies, one and three
quarters by one and two-fifths inches in size.

The breeding location is the whole of North America to
Alaska. The birds are resident in New Jersey, but are
nmch more plentiful in winter.

The food of this bird consists principally of meadow

80 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY,

mice and ground squirrels, although it also takes young
squirrels, lizards, frogs, snakes, insects, birds and when
hungry partridges, plover and barnyard fowl. Dr. A. K.
Fisher, in the report of the Ornithologist and Mammalo-
gist of the United States for 1SS9, says of this bird: "Of
124 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry or game
birds, 34 other birds, 57 mice, 22 other mammals, 7 rep-
tiles, 3 frogs, 14 insects, 1 indeterminate matter and 8
were empty. Although this Hawk occasionally carries
off poultry and game birds its economic value as a des-
troyer of mammal pests is so great that its slight irregu-
larities should be pardoned. Unfortunately, however, the
farmer and sportsman shoot it down at sight, regardless
or ignorant of the fact that it preserves an immense
quantity of grain, thousands of fruit trees and innumer-
able nests of game birds by destroying the vermin which
eat the grain, girdle the trees and devour the eggs and
the young of birds. The Marsh Hawk is unquestionably
the most beneficial as it is one of our most abundant
hawks, and its presence and increase should be encouraged
in every way possible, not only by protecting it by law,
but by disseminating a knowledge of the benefits it con-
fers. It is probably the most active and determined foe
of meadow mice and ground squirrels, destroying greater
numbers of these pests than any other species, and this
fact alone should entitle it to protection, even if it des-
troyed no other injurious animals."

Mtaivk^ Pigeon. — Length, ten inches; above, bluish
slate color, each feather with a black shaft streak; tail,
black with three slate colored bands and narrowly tipped
with wiiite; long wing feathers black, transversely band-
ed with white (very noticeable from beneath); under side
of body white, tinged with buff, especially on the flanks,
and everywhere longitudinally streaked with black. Fe-
male differs in being brown above and buff beneath, with
the bars on wings and tail buff instead of white.

RKD-SHOULDF.RKU HAWK.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 81

The Pigeon Hawk is in appearance a miniature of the
Duck Hawk. It occurs in New Jersey during the mi-
grations and in winter, but breeds farther north. Though
not very generally distributed, it is sometimes quite com-
mon along the coast.

Haivk^ *\'i^ht^ ^\*ight-j€tr or Bull-b€U. — Length,
nine and a half inches; extent, twenty-three inches; the
female is a trifle smaller; the upper parts are of a very
deep blackish brown, thickly speckled or powdered on
the back and head with innumerable minute spots and
streaks of a pale cream color, interspersed with specks of
reddish; the tail is barred with the same for about two-
thirds of its length, the terminal third being black, with
a broad white band about three-quarters of an inch from
the tip, the two middle, however, lack the white bar
near the tips; a triangular spot of white marks the throat;
the bill is small, less than a fourth of an inch in length,
and of a black color; the mouth, however, is very large
and the gape reaches back below the eye; the legs are
very short, and of a purplish flesh color, seamed with
white; the claw of the middle toe is long and peculiarly
serrated ; the whole lower parts of the body are marked with
transverse lines of dusky and yellowish; the wings are
dark brown with a broad bar of white across the five
outer feathers; they are very long and slender and when
closed reach l)eyond the tip of the tail. The female dif-
fers in having no white band on the tail, while the tri-
angular spot of white on the throat is replaced by a dully
defined mark of a reddish cream color. During the day-
time these birds roost lengthwise on a limb, instead of
crosswise as most birds do. They are easily recognized
at sunset or at night by their erratic flight.

The Niglit Hawk builds no nest whatever, simply deposit-
ing, about the middle of May, its eggs on the bare ground
or on a rock in the open field, occasionally on the roof of
a house. The eggs are two in number, of a dirty bluish

82 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

white, with irregular specks and blotches of brownish
gray or grayish browD ; they are oblong, being equally
thick at both ends, and one and one-fifth by four-fifths of
an inch in size.

The birds spread themselves over the whole of Eastern
North America, arriving from the West Indies and
Mexico about the fiist of May and returning about the
middle of October.

Their cry is a squeak, peent, uttered either singly or in
rapid succession; as they swoop down, fiequently eighty
or a hundred feet, and then sail off, they make a noise
like the blowing into the bunghole of a hogshead.

Their food consists of wasps, beetles, flies and the
larger insects; they are very fond of crickets.

The name " Hawk" is entirely a misnomer, as the bird
is in no way related to the Hawks, its nearest relative be-
ing the Whip-poor-will, a species with which it is often
confused, though they are quite distinct.

Hau'k^ Red' Shoulder ed ^ Hen Hawk or Chicken
Mfaivk. — Length, eighteen inches; extent, three feet;
above, brown, the feathers edged with rusty and sparing-
ly spotted with white; wing feathers dark brown, spotted
on the outer webs with white; inner webs on basal portion
white, barifcd with brown; tail, dark brown, with four
narrow wiiite bars and a dull white tip. Under surface
transversely barred with rusty and white, sometimes with
a few longitudinal brown stripes. Young birds are brown
above with slight white mottling; below, wdiite, streaked
all over wath oval longitudinal spots; tail, dark brown,
with five or six buff bars becoming indistinct tow^ard the
tip.

The nest is buiit in April or May in trees thirty to sixty
feet from the ground, composed of a foundation of sticks
with an upper story of soft bark. The eggs are from
three to six in number, two and one-fifth inches by one
and three-fifths, of a dull wiiite color with brown spots.

RED-TAILED HAWK.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 83

The birds breed and are distributed over the whole of
North America to Nova Scotia and Manitoba.

Government reports of examination of 102 stomachs
showed that 1 contained poultry, 5 other birds; 61 mice,
20 other mammals, 15 reptiles and frogs, 40 insects, T
spiders, 3 crawfish, 1 earthworm, 1 offal, 1 catfish, 3
were empty. Government examination of 220 stomachs
showed that 3 contained poultry, 12 other birds, 102
mice, 40 other mammals; 10 reptiles, 39 frogs, 92 insects,
16 spiders, 7 crawfish, 1 earthworm, 2 offal, 3 fish, li
were empty.

MawU^ Retl-taileil^ lien HawU or Chicken MMawk.

— Length, twenty inches; extent, three feet, nine inches;
above brown, with slight mottling of white and gray;
lower parts pure white, with brown streaks on the belly
and flanks; wing feathers brown, somewhat barred
towards the tip; inner webs, white at their base; tail,
uniform rufous, with a narrow black bar near the tip
(sometimes plain); young with tail brown, with nine or
ten narrow blackish bars. In this plumage it greatly re-
sembles the young of the Red-shouldered Hawk, but can
be distinguished by the absence of streaks on the center
of the breast and neck.

The nest, built in trees, thirty to seventy feet from the
ground, is composed of sticks surmounted by a layer of
soft bark. Mating begins in March. The eggs are from
two to four in number, two and two-fifths inches by one
and four-fifths in size, of a dull white, thickly blotched
with shades of brown.

The bird breeds and is distributed throughout the east-
ern part of North America.

Government examination of 311 stomachs showed that
29 contained poultry or game birds, 35 other birds, 203
mice, 55 other mammals, 9 reptiles, 24 insects, 3 craw-
fish, 4 oftal, 29 were empty; 210 stomachs contained 270
mice. An examination of 562 stomachs showed that 54

84 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

contained poultry and game birds, 51 other birds, 2T8
mice, 131 other mammals, 27 reptiles, 47 insects, 8 craw-
fish, 1 centipede, 13 offal, 89 were empty.

Hawk^ Sharp-shinned. — This bird at all stages is
like the Cooper's Hawk in plumage, and is, in fact, a
miniature of it. The sexes are alike in color. The nest
is built in trees from fifteen to forty feet from the
ground, but occasionally on a rocky ledge. It is built of
sticks as a foundation for an upper story of bark, leaves
and moss. Mating begins in April. The eggs are from
three to six in number, one and a half by one and one-
fifth inches in size, of a bluish white to a pale cream
buff, spotted and at times washed with chocolate, occa-
sionally with a wreath of chocolate blotches at the large
end.

The bird breeds over the whole of the United States,
and occurs at all seasons in New Jersey, going also as far
south as Guatemala in winter.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is very destructive to our
smaller birds and has but few redeeming features. Gov-
ernment analysis of 48 stomachs showed that 2 contained
poultry and game birds, 35 other birds, 4 mice, 2 insects,
10 were empty. Examination of 159 stomachs showed
that 0 contained poultry and game birds, 99 otiier birds,
0 mice, 5 insects, 52 were empty.

Mawk^ Sparrow. — Length, ten inches; extent, twenty
inches; female about an inch longer; head, blue gray with
a central patch of rusty; side of face white, with three
vertical black bars, one from the base of the bill, one
across the ear, and one on the neck; whole back and sides
of the neck rusty red, with a few transverse black marks
on the center of the back; wings gray, long feathers
black on the outer webs, black and white on the inner;
tail with the two outer feathers barred black and white,
others mainly rusty, all with a terminal black band and a

SHAkr-SHINNKn HAWK.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 85

white tip; under surface white, tinged with rusty on the
breast and spotted with black on the sides. Female, back
and tail transversely barred with black and rusty; lower
surface, white, whole breast longitudinally streaked with
brown; head as in the male.

The bird nests in hollow trees, twenty feet or more
from the ground, sometimes in woodpeckers' holes or in
dove cotes. Mating begins about the middle of May.
The eggs are from three to seven in number, of a creamy
to a light brown, one and two-fifths by one and one-fifth
inches in size.

It breeds throughout temperate North America and in
winter goes as far south as South America. It occurs in
New Jersey at all seasons. It has a peculiar cry, some-
what resembling k ill ij -killy k illy killy .

The food of the Sparrow Hawk consists principally of
grasshoppers and other noxious insects; in the fall it de-
stroys Sparrows and other small birds. Government ex-
amination of 133 stomachs showed that 1 contained
a game bird, 2S other birds, 55 mice, (> other mam-
mals, 5 reptiles, 83 insects, 12 spiders and 5 were empty.
Examination of 820 stomachs showed that 1 contained
a game bird, 53 other birds, 89 mice, 12 other mammals, 12
reptiles, 215 insects, 29 spiders, 23 were empty. In 158
stomachs were found 31 birds, 79 mice and other mam-
mals, 8 reptiles and 1,125 insects.

iiell-niver. See Pied-billed Grebe.

MicroH^ fmi'eal MSIitc^or nUw Crane, — Length, from
forty-two to fifty inches; extent, six feet; bill, four and
a half to six and one-fourth inches; head, with drooping
crest of black and white; back, slaty gray; breast, black
and white, almost covered with tufts of feathers from the
neck; belly, a deep blackish slate; sides, blue ash; tail, slaty
gray; wings, slaty gray; legs and feet, black. The young-
are much streaked with rufous below.

86 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY,

The nest is a flat and rude contrivance made of sticks
and placed in trees; the birds generally roost and breed in
colonies. The eggs are oblong, two and a half by one
and a half inches in size, of a pale bluish green color and
either four or five in number.

The birds breed from Hudson's Bay southward and
most of them spend the winter south of the Middle States.
They are common in New Jersey, from the first of April
to the middle of November, being most plentiful along the
coast in Septemberand are seen occasionally in midwinter.
There are still several colonies nesting yearly . in the
swamps of southern New Jersey.

The bird depends principally on fish for food, but also
devours frogs, reptiles, meadow mice, dragon flies, grass-
hoppers and other insects.

Heron^ Crreen^ or Poke. — Length, seventeen inches ;
extent, twenty-five inches; bill, two inches long; top of
head with pendent crest, metallic green; back and sides
of neck, chestnut, varying to maroon; chin, white; throat,
streaked with black and white; back and upper side of
wings and tail, metallic green, centre of back covered
with long, narrow somewhat glaucous feathers with white
shaft lines, and many of the wing feathers narrowly
edged with buff; under parts, plain gray; young birds
more or less streaked with buff and rusty.

The nest is built in a bush or low tree, being a rude
and flat contrivance. The eggs are from three to six in
number, of a pale greenish blue, one and a half inches by
one and one-tenth in size. They breed throughout tem-
perate North America, as far north as Ontario. They are
found both along the coast and in the interior of New
Jersey, from about the first of April to the first of Octo-
ber. In winter they migrate to South America.

The birds feed generally at dawn and dusk on fish,
frogs and insects.

Heron^ jy^ight.^ Quawk or Qua^hird. — Length,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 87

twenty-six inches; extent, four feet; head, greenish Mack,
except a small white patch across the forehead; from the
back of the head come several long thread-like white
feathers, six or eight inches long, which hang down over
the neck; back and innermost wing feathers, dark bottle
green; wings, rump and tail, ashy gray; entire neck and
under surface light giay, varying to white on the throat;
legs, yellowish green; bill, black, two inches and three-
quarters long; female indistinguishable from male.
Young birds are entirely different. Plumage, above,
brown streaked with blackish and rufous buff; tail, gray;
wings, grayish brown, with rusty edgings and buff spots;
Under parts streaked longitudinally with brown, white
and buff.

The nest is built in the tops of trees, being a large con-
trivance made of sticks; the eggs are from four to five in
number, of a dull blue, two inches by one and three-fifths
in size. The birds breed in the whole of North America,
the extreme north excepted. In the winter they migrate
south to the Middle States. They arrive in New Jersey
about the end of April and leave about the middle of
October; they are generally found in the marshes and on
the rivers inland and are scarce on the coast.

The name of the Qua-bird is derived from an unpleas-
ant noise they make greatly resembling retching.

They depend almost wholly on small fish for food and
feed at night.

MMeron^ Snoivy, See White Egret.

Uigh'hole. See Flicker.

Mioofflttm. See English Sparrow.

iMuiiimhts-bhul ^ ituhif •throated. — Length, three
and a half inches; extent, four and a (piartei- inches; bill,
three-fourths of an inch. The whole back, upper parts
of the neck and sides under the wings are of a rich metal-

88 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

lie golden green; the tail is forked and as well as the wings
of a deep brownish purple; bill and eyes, black; legs and
feet, both of which are extremely small, black; the bill is
straight and very slender; belly, a dusky white, mixed
with green. The chief ornament of this little bird is the
splendor of the feathers of its throat which when placed
at the proper angle glow with all the brilliancy of the
ruby. These feathers are of singular strength and tex-
ture, lying close together like scales, and vary when
moved before the eye from a deep black to a fiery crim-
son and burning orange. The female is destitute of this
ornament; her tail is tipped with white and the whole
lower parts are of the same tint. The young birds of the
first season have the tail tipped with white and the whole
lower parts nearly white with a few streaks of ruby tints
on the throat.

The nest is about an inch and a half in diameter, built
on the limb of a tree, seldom more than ten feet from the
ground. The exterior part is made of lichens matching
the color of the branch on which it is situated ; the inte-
rior is made of plant down and the two are tightly woven
together with almost invisible plant fibres. It is built
shortly after the first of May. The eggs are two in num-
ber, white, one-half by three-tenths of an inch in size.
The birds arrive in New Jersey from the south early in
May and leave about the end of September.

As they fly through the air they make a humming
noise caused by the rapid vibration of their wings.

Their cry is a mouse-like squeak.

They feed on small insects and on honey, gathering the
latter from flowers.

Indigo-Mr d^ or Indigo Bunting, — Length, five and
one-half inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch, bluish horn
color; plumage, above and below, brilliant blue, deeper
and inclining to purple on the head; wings and tail,
blackish, with blue edgings; younger birds often show a

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 89

few brown feathers on the body or in the wings; female,
reddish brown above, with a tinge of bhie on the shoul-
ders and rump; below, dull white, streaked with dusky
on the throat, breast and sides. Males in fall and winter
resemble the females, but the bases to all the feathers are
blue. Young birds of both sexes resemble the female for
the first year, but are much more suffused with rusty.

The nest is very compact and cleverly hidden in the
crotch of a bush near the ground; it is made of grasses,
leaves and bark, lined with hair and fine grasses. The
eggs are three or four in number, of a pale bluish white,
three-fourths of an inch by half an inch in size. It
breeds in the eastern United States as far north as Can-
ada and in the winter migrates to South America. It
appears in New Jersey shortly after the first of May and
leaves about the first of October.

Its song, which lasts until late in August, when most
birds are silent, is strong but shrill, sounding something
like che-che-che-chay.

It feeds on the ground on small grasses and herbs.

Jack Curlew, See Iludsonian Curlew.

JTar. See Night Hawk.

*ffty^ Blue. See Bluejay.

Joree, See Chewink.

Jnneo. See Snowbird.

MkiUiieer^ or Kilfffeer Plover. — Length, ten inches;
extent, twenty inches. The bill, three-fourths of an inch
in length, is black; above, grayish brown, a white and
black collar on hind neck; rump, rusty; wings, dusky, with
white shaft sti'eaks on the long feathers near their tips
and a white bar across the middle of the wing; center tail
feathers gray, others rusty, terminal half crossed by a

90 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

broad black band, tips of feathers white; across the fore-
head, a black and white band, and a dusky stripe from
the bill to the eye; below, white, with two black bands
across the breast; legs and feet, a pale light clay color;
exterior toe joined by a membrane to the middle one as
far as the first joint.

The nest is merely a depression in the ground, some-
times lined with grass. The birds breed from April until
June. The eggs, four in number, are very much pointed
at one end, one and a half by one and one-eighth inches
in size, of either a cream or brownish drab and covered
thickly with spots of a blackish brown.

They breed throughout temperate North America, ar-
riving in New Jersey about March 20 from the south-
ern United States and leaving the latter part of October,
although a few winter in the lower part of the state.

Their cry is kill-dee^ kill-dee, repeating the latter syl-
lable a number of times rapidly when flushed.

Their food consists of worms, insects, larvae, small
Crustacea and they are frequently seen running over re-
cently ploughed ground looking for insects.

Kingbird^ Tyirant Flycatcher^ or Bee wllftrtin,
— Length, eight inches; extent, fourteen inches; above,
dark slate, blackish on the head; wings and tail, black,
the former edged and the latter tipped with white; body
below, pure white, tinged across the breast with gray; the
plumage on the crown, although not forming a crest, is
frequently erected, and discovers a rich bed of brilliant
orange or flame color; when the feathers lie close this is
altogether concealed; the bill is half an inch in length,
very broad at the base, of a glossy black color and furnish-
ed with bristles at the base; the legs and feet are black,
seamed with gray. The female differs in being more
brownish on the upper parts, has a smaller streak of paler
orange on the crown and a narrower border of duller
white on the tail. The young birds do not receive the
orange on the head during the first season.

KINGBIRD.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 91

The nest is built about the first of May on the extreme
end of a l)ranch, in thin woods or orchards, some twenty
feet from the ground. It is a bulky contrivance, made
of weed stalks and grasses and lined within with plant
down. The eggs are from three to five in number, white,
spotted with amber, almost round, and one by three-
fourths of an inch in size.

The birds spread themselves from the south over the
eastern United States, arriving here about the first of
May and leaving about the first of September. Large
flocks are frequently seen in southern New Jersey in
August.

Their cry is a shrill twitter, somewhat resembling k-y-
rie, several times repeated.

For a long time the food of this bird was a matter of
dispute and it was supposed that it fed to a great extent
on bees. Government examination of 218 stomachs
showed that ninety per cent, contained insects and in
only fourteen were there found any traces of bees and in
the majority of these cases the traces were those of
drones. Among the insects were found large numbers of
the robber fly, an insect which frequently kills a hundred
bees in one day. There were also found large numbers
of gad-flies, well known as pests of cattle, and a large
proportion of grasshoppers. Of the fruit eaten by the
Kingbird only three or four kinds are cultivated, the bird
feeding, as far as vegetable diet is concerned, principally
on wild cherries, elderberries, mulberries, wild grapes,
sassafras, buckthorn and other wild fruit.

King^ fisher. — Length, twelve and a half inches; ex-
tent, twenty inches; general color above, blue slate;
feathers of the head long and pointed, forming a conspic-
uous crest, bluish slate, centered with black; the inner
tail feathers have an irregular black stripe down the
middle, the rest are black, with slaty blue edges, all are
more or less spotted with white; long wing feathers,

02 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

black, with the basal portion white and a few white spots
on some of the outer webs; color of under surface of the
body, white, with a broad slaty blue band across the
breast, while the sides of the body are slaty with white
bars; the white of the throat extends around on the back
of the neck, forming a more or less complete collar, and
there is a white spot in front of the eye and another just
below it; some individuals have white dots on the upper
surface of the wings, and in certain plumages the slaty
breast band is suffused with rusty; the bill is two inches
long, strong, sharp-pointed, and black, excepting near
the base of the lower part of tip, where it is of a horn
color; the wings are marked with small specks of white;
legs, extremely short, of a dirty yellow color, above the
knee bare of feathers for half an inch; the two exterior
toes are united together for nearly their whole length;
claws, stout and black. The female has a reddish brown
band across the under side of the body below the slaty
breast band, while the sides of the body are also of this
color.

The nest is generally built in a hole in a bank; the bird
with claws and bill digs this hole from three to eight feet
into the bank; the eggs are generally laid somewhere
along this channel, seldom at the extremity. The nest is
made of loose grass and feathers and is built during the
latter part of April. The eggs are from five to eight in
number, of a pure crystal white and measure one and a
third by one inch in size.

The birds spend the winter in the southern Middle and
Southern States, few wintering in New Jersey; they are
found in the Northern States during the warm weather,
arriving about the latter part of March and not leaving
until ice on the water puts a stop to the food supply.

Their food is exclusively fish.

Kitiglet^ Crolden-croumed. — The two Kinglets, the
golden-crowned and the ruby-crowned, are, next to the

KINGFISHERS.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 93

humming bird, the smallest of the birds which find a
home in New Jersey. The Golden-crowned Kinglet is
only four inches in length; bill, one-quarter of an inch;
upper parts, grayish olive, more ashy on the hind neck;
crown black, with a yellow central stripe, in the middle
of which is a brilliant orange patch; tail, dark brownish
slate, with yellow olive edgings; wings, the same, with
two whitish bars across the forepart; under surface of
the body, light gray, tinged with olive; a whitish line
crosses the forehead and extends back over the eyes; there
is a dusky line from the base of the lower mandible, and
a dark spot before the eye. The female lacks the bright
orange centre to the yellow crown stripe.

The nest, considering the size of the bird, is bulky; it is
almost invariably found in evergreen trees and is made of
moss and lichens, the inside lined with fine bark, small
roots and feathers. The eggi^ are nine or ten in number,
of a light gray with brown spots, and one- half by two-
fifths of an inch in size.

It breeds along the northern border of the United States
and northward — also southwaid along the mountain
ranges. In winter it goes as far south as Guatemala. It
is a common winter resident in the south rn part of New
Jersey, being frequently found in considerable numbers
between the first of October and the twentieth of April.

Its call-note is a high ti-ti, and its song is described by
Mr. Brewster as "a succession of five or six fine, shrill,
high-pitched, somewhat faltering notes, ending with a
short, rapid, rather exi)losive w^arble. The opening notes
are given in a rising key, but the song falls rapidly at the
end. The whole may be expressed as follows : fzee, tzee,
tzee, tzee, ti, ti, ter, ti-ti-titi.

The food of the bird is exclusively insects, which it
gathers mainly from the bark of evergreen trees.

Kinglet.1 Ruby-Crownetl. — This bird is a little larger
than tlie preceding but in most respects very similar to it.

94 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

The two are frequently found associated with each other.
In plumage the Euby-crowned Kinglet is exactly like the
Golden-crowned, except in the markings of the head. In
the present species it is plain olive, like the back, with a
central patch of vermillion red, but with no black or yel-
low; on each side of the eye is a small white spot. The
female lacks the red on the head entirely.

The number of its eggs is less, being generally six or
eight. It is only transient in New Jersey, occurring in
migrations between April 12 and May 1 and again from
September 15 to November 1. Its song is so rich, full,
mellow and varied as to be totally unlike that of the
Golden-crowned. Mr. Henry Nehrling speaks of the
"power, purity and volume of the notes, their faultless
modulation and long continuance," and Dr. Coues says
that "the Kinglet's exquisite vocalization defies descrip-
tion." It is an industrious destroyer of insects and larvae,
but prefers those of the orchard, thus making itself very
useful to the fruit-grower.

Kittiwake. — This bird breeds in the arctic regions and
occasionally is found along the coast of New Jersey, a
few specimens having been obtained in later years. It is
sixteen inches in length, thirty in extent, having a biU
one and a third inches long. The head, belly, sides and
tail are white; the back and wings, gray; there is a dusky
spot over the ear and the tips of the long wing feathers
and outer web of the outermost are black, one or two
are tipped with white; legs, black; feet, yellow.

Knot^ Robin Snipe, or Gray Snipe, — This bird
was formerly very plentiful in migrations in New Jersey,
but it has been killed off to a great extent, proving an
easy prey for pothunters. It breeds in the far north and
spends the winter in South America. A few still occur
in New Jersey, generally between May 15 and June 1, and
again between August 15 and September 15. It is a

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 95

little over ten inches in length ; the upper parts are black,
feathers all edged with reddish brown; rump, fulvous,
feathers barred with black; under parts, rusty fulvous;
long wing feathers and tail, dusky, with white shafts,
middle of the wing mottled with whitish; winter plum-
age and young birds, gray above, feathers edged and
streaked with black and white; rump, transversely barred
with black and white; under surface, white; neck and
sides, mottled with gray; various intermediate plumages
occur in spring when the birds are changing; the bill is
straight and an inch and a half in length. It feeds on
small shell-fish along the beaches.

JKrieker. See Pectoral Sandpiper.
Ijark^ Field. See Meadowlark.

Ijiirk^ Homed or Shore L,ark. — Length, seven
inches; extent, twelve inches; upper surface, ashy brown,
tinged with cinnamon, centers of the feathers darked;
forehead and line over the eye, pale yellow, center of the
head crossed by a black band; both these markings, how-
ever, are frequently obscured by brownish tips to the
feathers; long wing feathers, dark brown, the outermost
edged with white; shoulders, cinnamon; tail feathers,
brown, the cential pair broadly edged with cinnamon, the
outermost edged with white; general color of under sur-
face, white, suffused with brown on the breast, some-
times in definite spots; throat, pale yellow; cheeks and
crescent- shaped patch on the breast, black, often obscured
by light colored tips to the feathers. The female has
little or no black on the crown and the yellow on the
front is naiTOw and of a dirty tinge.

The nest is l)uilt on the ground, being a rude contriv-
ance of grasses. The eggs are three or four in number,
of a pale blue or greenish white, with dark brown spots,
four-fifths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds are winter visitors in New Jersey, going as

96 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

far south as the Carohnas, and are frequently seen in
large flocks, especially along the coast. They spend the
warm weather in the north.

They feed on the seeds of weeds, such as pigweed, bit-
terweed, sorrel, etc., and frequently the eggs and lar-
vae of insects; in the spring they frequently destroy re-
cently planted wheat and oats.

Mj€irU^ Prairie MMornetl. — Faler and a little smaller
than the preceding, with white forehead and white line
over the eye. It is occasionally seen in the winter associ-
ated with the preceding, but breeds much farther south,
having been found nesting in New York and northern
Pennsylvania.

Ltark^ Shore. See Horned Lark.

lieadhack. See Red-backed Sandpiper.

JLinnet^ Red-poll. See Red-poll.

Ijitlle Bl€ickhetid. See Lesser Scaup.

Iiittle Bluehill. — See lesser Scaup.

JLoon. — Length, thirty-two inches; extent, four feet,
six inches; bill, a dark yellowish green, two and three-
fourtlis inches in length; head and neck, greenish black,
a patch of fine black and white stripes on the sides of the
latter; back, tail and wings, black, with green reflections,
the back and wings being spotted with square white spots
arranged in rows; sides of the neck, streaked white and
black; breast and belly, white; legs and feet, black and
lead; adult in winter and young birds, sooty gray above,
feathers of the back all edged with light gray; belly,
white; sides of the neck, streaked with gray.

The nest of the Loon is a mere depression in the ground
and is invariably found near water. The eggs are two in

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 97

number, of a dark olive browD, with black spots, and
three and a half by two and one-fourth inches in size.

The birds breed generally from the northern United
States northward, although a few have been known to
breed on the lakes of northern New Jersey. They are
common on the coast and many winter in the southern
part of the state, although the larger proportion goes
farther south, some as far as the Gulf of Mexico. They
are most plentiful between April 12 and 30, and again
between October 3 and November 1. They are less nu-
merous inland and are never seen there after the ponds
and streams are covered with ice.

They feed exclusively on fish.

JLooH^ Hed' Throntetl. — This bird is seven inches short-
er in length than the preceding; in winter the plumage is
very similar to the winter dress of the common Loon, but
the feathers of the back are more pointed, which makes
the borders V-shaped instead of rounded; in summer it is
greenish black above, with the patch of black and white
stripes on the neck as in the preceding species; top and
sides of the head, plain drab; throat, bright rusty red;
rest of lower surface, white. The bird is rare in New
Jersey and occurs only in winter and during migrations.

Jftallat'd. See Mallard Duck.

wfturlitt^ Brown. See Marbled God wit.

t^liirlin^ Miititi'ftiiU'd. See Hudsonian Godwit.

•Harsh Hen. See King Rail.

*lffirtin^ MSee. See Kingbird.

•liarthi^ Purple. — Lengtb, eight inches; extent, six-
teen inclies; bill, one- third of an inch, black; the male is
a shining blue black, the wings and tail being somewhat

98 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

duller. The female is dull blackish above, the tips of the
feathers slightly glossed with bluish black, with a nearly
complete grayish collar reaching around from the throat
in a narrow band; throat and breast, ashy; belly, white,
all the feathers with dark centers. Young males are
like the females, but are darker on the breast. The bill
of the Martin is very short and broad at the base, exact-
ly like that of the Swallow, to which the present bird is
closely related.

The birds nest iu houses built for that purpose or
when these are not convenient in hollow trees. The nest
is make of twigs and straws, with no attempt at any de-
sign. The eggs are either foui- or five in number, white,
and one inch by three-fourths of an inch iu size.

The birds breed throughout temperate North America
and spend the winter in Mexico. In New Jersey they ap-
pear about the first of April and leave about the first of
September. They are more numerous in the southern
part of the state than in the noi-thern. Some four or five
years ago they materially decreased in number, but dur-
ing the past two years they have been more numerous.
Although they persistently annoy hawks and owls, they
avoid contact with the English Sparrow, although at
times flocks of Martins have been known to rout flocks of
Sparrows, especially when the latter had taken possession
of the houses occupied by the Martins for a number of
years. Their food consists of wasps, bees, beetles and
other insects and they are veiy industrious in providing
for their young. Mr. Otto Widmaun, of Old Orchard,
Missouri, watched a colony of sixteen pairs of Martins
from four o'clock in the morning until eight in the even-
ing; during this time the parent birds visited their off-
spring 3,277 times, or on an average 205 times for each
pair. The males made 1,4:.")4, the feniciles 1,823 visits.

tjfiiirtin^ Sund, See Bank Swallow.

Jftarsh Hen. See King Rail and Bittern.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 99

JfMarsh Men., Sftlt if Vi/er. See Clapper Eail.

•JfletielowUirk^ or FleUl Ijark. — Length, ten and a
half inches; extent, sixteen and a half inches; bill, one
and one-fourth inches; upper parts, much mottled with
buff, rusty-brown and black, the former tints predomin-
ating in autumn and winter; head, mostly black, with a
central buff stripe and another over each eye; long wing
feathers, light brown, the outer webs slightly spotted,
the inner feathers with serrated black stripes down
the center; central tail feathers similar, the outer ones
more or less white; under surface of the body, bright
yellow to the middle of the belly, where it passes into
buff; a crescent shaped band of black across the breast;
cheeks, a bufify white; sides of the body, light buff,
streaked with black; bend of wing, yellow; eyelids, furn-
ished with strong black hairs; legs and feet very large and
of a pale flesh color. In winter the whole plumage is
much suffused with buff. The sexes are alike in plum-
age.

The nest of these birds is built on the ground of the
preceding year's herbage; it is nicely overarched so as to
make it difficult to find. The eggs are from four to six
in number, clear white, spotted with brown and purple,
and one and one-tenth by four-fifths of an inch in size.

In March large numbers spread themselves all over the
United States and Canada, coming from the south; they
return in September and October, although considerable
numbers winter in the southern part of New Jersey.

Their song is a bright musical twitter, likened by
Mabel Osgood Wright to '^ Spriruj ci the y-e-a-r,^^ but
more generally considered to resemble " Can't-see-nie.''

The Meadowlarks are ground feeders, destroying large
numbers of insects, even in the midst of winter, being
particularly fond of grasshoppers and beetles. In August
and Septenil)er they subsist almost altogether on insects,
grasshoppers forming nearly seventy per cent, of their

J 00 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

diet. Government examination of 23S stomaclis, taken
at all times of the year, showed that insects formed sev-
enty-three per cent, of the food and vegetable matter
twenty-seven per cent. About one-half of the vegetable
matter was composed of corn, wlieat and oats, the other
half being seeds of wild plants, etc. The proportion of
grain as established by government examination was:
corn, 11.1; wheat, 1.8; oats, 1.4.

•IfKevganser^ •Inierican^ Sheldrake^ Goosander^
or Fish Mfuek. — Length, twenty-six inches; extent, thi-ee
feet, three inches; bill, one and a half inches, red and
black; entire head, glossy greenish black; neck all around,
white; center of back, black, extending down each side
of the rump, which with the tail is gray, somewhat mot-
tled with white on the sides; wings, white, long feathers
black, some of the others narrowly edged with black, a
black bar across the middle of the wing; under surface,
pure white. The female differs in having the head crest-
ed and bright rusty in color, while the whole upper sur-
face is gray; a white patch on middle of each wing.

The nest is made of leaves and grasses and lined with
down; the eggs are from six to ten in number, of a light
yellow, and two and two-fifths by one and three-fourths
inches in size.

The birds breed on the northern border of the United
States and northward and spend the winter in the south.
In New Jersey they are transient, occurring about the
middle of October along the coast and on the larger rivers;
some winter here.

The food or these birds consists of fish and frogs and
their flesh is unpalatable.

Jflergnnsci'^ Hooded. — Length, eighteen inches; ex-
tent, two feet; bill, one and a half inches, blackish red;
head with large crest reaching from the forehead to back
of the neck, black, with a wedge-shaped patch of white in

MEADOW I,ARK.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 101

the middle of the crest; upper parts of the body black;
drooping feathers on the inner part of wing with white
shafts; bend of wing gray, and a white bar near the middle;
tail, dusky; breast, white; two bands of black reach
around from the back, but do not quite unite to form
collars; rest of under surface white; sides, finely mottled
with brown and brown and black lines; thighs, dusky.
The female is not nearly so brightly marked; the head is
rusty brown; back, dusky, with a white patch on the
wing; breast and sides of the body, gray; throat and belly,
white.

The birds nest in hollow trees or stumps near water;
the nest is built of moss, grass and leaves and lined with
down. The eggs are from eight to ten in number, of a
yellowish white, two by one and three- fourths inches in
size.

Their breeding location is the whole of North America
and in winter they are found more towards the south.
In New Jersey they are not abundant, occurring during
migrations and in winter; they are more numerous in the
interior, preferring dead waters.

•llergftnser^ Iteil-hreasted or Sheldrake. — ^Length ,
twenty-two inches; extent, thirty-two inches; bill, one
and three-fourths inches in length and red sealing wax in
color; upper surface as in the preceding, but the head
crested and several wliite spots on the shoulders; under
parts, white, with a rusty band acmss the breast, most
of the feathers within the band centered with black.
The female has the head rusty, back gray with white
wing bar and shoulder spots.

The birds breed from tlie northern border of the
United states ncji'tliward and migrate southward in the
fall. In New Jersey they aie winter residents, but more
numerous during migrations. They occui" in considerable
numbers in November, December and April.

•Jlother Caref/^s t'hirken. See Wilson's Petrel.

102 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

•Jftud Hen, See Clapper Eail.

•Mud Hen^ Red-hilled. See Florida Gallinule.

tlMurre^ Bruennich^s. — Length, sixteen and a half
inches; bill, one and one-fourth inches; back, sooty black;
breast and belly, white; wings, black, a few feathers
being tipped with white. In summer the head and
breast are uniform sooty black. These birds nest in col-
onies on cliffs; the female lays only one egg, three and
one-fourth by two inches in size, and in color from a pale
blue to a light buff, with brown spots. They bre d north
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and migrate as far south as
New Jersey, where they are scarce but regular visitants
along the coast. They spend most of the day on the open
sea and live on fish exclusively.

J\*uthatch^ Red-breastetl. — This and the next species
are frequently referred to as "tree mice," on account of
their acrobatic performances along the trunks of trees;
they run along the trunk of a tree in all kinds of positions,
apparently more at their ease when their heads are point-
ed down. The upside-down position is very characteris-
tic. They seldom if ever run up a tree but start at the
top and come down. The Red-breasted Nuthatch is four
and a half inches in length and eight inches in extent;
bill, half an inch long, very sharp and of a dark lead color;
general color above, blue gray; head, glossy black, with
a white line from the base of the bill over the eye to the
hind neck; long wing feathers, blackish brown, the inner-
most gray; tail, with central pair of feathers blue gray,
others blackish, with a spot of white near the tip of the
outer ones; under surface of the body, rusty red, whitish
on the throat and gray under the tail. Females and
young have the color of the under parts paler and the
head tinged with gray.

The birds build their nests of grasses in holes in trees
or stumps; the eggs are from four to six in number, white

THE BIRDS OF XE^Y JERSEY. 103

with brown spots, and three-fifths by one-half inch in
size.

They breed north of the United States and in winter
migrate to south of the Middle States; in New Jersey
they are mainly transient, occurring about the middle of
May and again from September 10 to October 15, being
far more plentiful in some years than in others. Occa-
sionally a few remain through the winter.

Their food consists principally of seeds from pine cones.

JVuthfttrh^ If 'Iiite-brcftsteil. — Length, five and a half
inches; extent, eleven inches; bill, three-fourths of an
inch, dark gray; the plumage is very similar to that of
the preceding. There is no distinct line on the side of the
crown, as the whole side of the head to above the eye is
white. The inner wing feathers are largely black on the
inner webs, and the white marks on the tail are more
prominent; the whole under surface is silky white, except
the flanks and feathers under the tail, which are tinged
with rusty red and chestnut. The female and young
have the head tinged with gray.

The birds build nests of feathers, leaves and moss in
holes in trees and stumps; the eggs are from five to eight
in number, white with brown spots, and three-fourths by
three-fifths of an inch in size.

They breed and are distributed at all seasons through-
out the eastern United States, but are most plentiful in
New Jersey in winter and during migrations.

Their food consists of the grubs and eggs of insects,
which they gather out of the bark of trees.

Old Squaw. See Old Squaw Duck.

Old Ifi/'f. S(M' old S(|uaw Duck.

Oriole, KaUimnrc. Golden Oriole., Fire Bird.,
Golden Robin., or Minng nest. — Length, seven inches;
extent, eleven inches. The bill is almost straight, strong,

104: THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

and tapering to a point, bluish lead-colored, two-thirds of
an inch in length; head, throat and upper part of the
back, black; lower part of the back, rump and whole un-
der parts, bright orange, deeper on the breast; the
black on the shoulders is divided by a band of orange;
wings, black, edged with white; tail, black and orange,
slightly forked; legs and feet, light blue or lead color.
The female is yellow olive above, the head and back more
or less spotted with blackish ; tail and rump, uniform yel-
low olive, inclining to orange; wings, dull brown, with
whitish edgings; under surface of body, pale orange, with
more or less dull black feathers on the throat and sides of
the head. Young like the female, but darker above, and
with no black marking on back, head or throat.

The nest is variable, depending a great deal on whether
the bird is breeding near civilization or in the wilderness.
It prefers the extreme end of an upper branch of a tree
in an orchard, near enough to the house to keep hawks
away and with the branch light enough to sway in the
wind. The nest hangs from the branch and, when near
human habitation, the entrance is near the top, wide
open and the nest is long and narrow. When found in
the wilderness the opening is said to be often far smaller
and the nest is more the shape of a bottle. It is finely
woven together, the materials being plant fibre, string,
hair, flax, tow or anything of the kind the bird can get
hold of. The eggs are from four to six in number, four-
fifths by three-fifths of an inch in size, white with black
and brown scrawls.

The birds breed in the eastern part of the United States,
north of Virginia, where they put in an appearance about
the first of May. They remain here until about the
middle of August and are more numerous in the northern
part of the state than in the southern.

Their song is shrill, but somewhat martial, and they
have two song seasons, one during mating and another in
August until they leave.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 105

Government examinations of 113 stomachs showed that
the contents were composed of 83.4 per cent, of animal
matter and 16.6 of vegetable matter. In May the con-
tents were 92 per cent, insects and in April and July TO
per cent. Caterpillars composed 34 per cent, of the
total contents and there were large numbers of beetles.
In the vegetable line the bird prefers fruit, cherries, ber-
ries and grapes, taking very little grain.

Oriole^ Orchard. — Length, six and a half inches; ex-
tent, eleven inches; bill, two thirds of an inch. In the
female the color above is a light olive; wings, dusky
brown, tipped with white; whole lower parts, yellow;
bill and legs, light lead color, the former slightly curved,
very sharp-pointed and black towards the extremity.
The young male of the first season corresponds nearly
with the adult female in plumage. In the succeeding
spring he makes his appearance with a large patch of
black on the throat. The plumage of the third year in
addition to the black throat has more or less black on the
tail, black spots on the head, and patches of chestnut
brown on the breast and rump. In the final plumage,
supposed to l)e acquired in the fourth year, the entire
head, fore breast and back are black, rump and rest of
under surface, chestnut brown; tail, blacky wings, dull
black, edged with whitish and with a chestnut patch on
the shoulders. The female remains always in the yellow
and olive dress.

The nest is generally found hanging from the extremity
of a limb of a fruit or shade tree, from ten to fiteeen feet
from the giound, very evenly woven and made mainly of
dry yellow grass, and lined with wool or some soft sub-
stance. The eggs are from four to six in number, four-
fifths by three-fifths of an inch in size, of a blue white,
scrawled and spotted with daik brown.

The birds winter in Mexico and the south, from which
they spread themselves over the eastern United States,

106 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

remaining here from the first of May to the first of
September.

The song is considered by many finer than that of the
former, being more dulcet in tone and less shrill; its song
season is however very brief.

The food consists chiefly of insects, which it frequently
gathers from fruit blossoms without doing the least in-
jury to the blossoms; it is fond of cabbage worms, rose-
wings and beetles, and also feeds on berries.

Osprey^ or Fish Mawk.—Ltength, twenty-two inches;
extent, five feet, two inches; the female is two inches
larger; bill, bluish black. The upper parts area dark slate
color, with an admixture of white in the head and neck
and many of the feathers of the back edged with white;
the tail is tipped with white and crossed by bands of
brown- the under parts are white. The females have
more or less brownish spots across the breast and these
markings are also at times found in the males. The legs
and feet are light blue.

The nest is an exceedingly bulky contrivance, generally
found in a tree, from fifteen to fifty feet from the ground,
but also occasionally on the ground; it is built of sticks,
reeds, cornstalks and wet turf, lined with salt meadow
hay and seaweed. The eggs are from two to four in
number, two and three-fourths by one and three-fourths
inches in size; they are of very different colors, generally
a creamy white with brown spots, but at times also a
dull white or a light brown.

The birds breed throughout temperate and tropical
America and in winter frequent the coast of the southern
Atlantic states. They appear in New Jersey along the
coast shortly after the middle of March and leave again
about the middle of October; they are more numerous in
the southern part of the state than in the northern.

Their food consists excUisively of fish, which they gen-
erally take alive from the water, frequently diving after

long-eari-;d owi,.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 107

their prey to considerable depths. They are great favor-
ites with the inhabitants of the coast and, being quite in-
offensive as well as attractive, well merit the protection
which is accorded them in several of the seaboard coun-
ties of the state.

Ovenbivd^ or Ooldcn-croivned Thrush. — Length,
six and one-fifth inches; extent, nine inches; bill, one-
third of an inch, brown. The upper parts, the wings and
the tail are olive-green ; the head marked by two longitu-
dinal black stripes, between which the feathers are dull
brownish orange; the under parts are white; the breast,
the sides and the sides of the throat streaked with black;
legs and feet, flesh -colored.

The nest is a bulky contrivance, hut-like, with the en-
trance from one side and very difficult to find. It is built
on the ground of stalks, weeds, grasses and leaves. The
eggs are either four or five in number, white with lu'own
spots, three-fourths by three- fifths of an inch in size;
there are two broods a year.

The birds breed in New Jersey and from here north-
ward to Hudson's Bay, and spend the winter in Florida
and further south. They are very plentiful in New
Jersey, especially in the mountains and in the pine bar-
rens of the southern part of the state.

They have a song very intricate and melodious, but
seldom heard and a regular familiar call, generally com-
pared to the word teacher, several times repeated and
each time on an ascending scale.

The food of the bird consists of small bugs and the lar-
vae of insects which it gathers from the ground.

OiM'l^ ,§cadian. See 8aw-whet Owl.

Owl^ Barn, or •IfoHkct/'iVtcftf OiW.— Length, four-
teen inches; extent, three and a half feet. The bill is of a
whitish-horn color, one and one-fourth inches in length;
space surrounding each eye remarkably concave, the ra-

108 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

diating feathers meeting iu a high projecting ridge, arch-
ing from the bill upwards; between these lies a thick tuft
of bright tawny feathers that are scarcely seen unless the
ridges be separated; face, white, surrounded by a border
of narrow, thickset, velvety feathers, of a reddish cream
color at the tip, pure silvery white below and finely shaft-
ed with black; the whole upper parts finely mottled with
black and gray, each feather of the back and large wing
feathers ending in an oblong spot of white, bounded by
black, and all the feathers broadly bordered and suffused
with tawny buff; sides of the neck, pale yellow ochre,
thinly sprinkled with touches of dusky; long wing feath-
ers barred with dusky brown; tail, two inches shorter
than the tips of the wings, pale yellowish, crossed with
five bars of brown and thickly dotted with the same;
whole lower parts, white, thinly interspersed with small
round spots of blackish; legs, long, thinly covered with
short white down, nearly to the feet, which are of a dirty
white; toes, thinly clad with white hairs. The ridge or
shoulder of the wings is tinged with bright orange brown.
The aged bird is more white; in some the spots of black
on the breast are missing and the color below is a pale
yellow, in others a pure white.

The nests are found in barns, towers, belfries, steeples
and holes in trees and banks. Mating begins late in Feb-
uary or early in March. The eggs are from five to nine
in number, of a dirty white, and one and three-fourths by
one and one-third inches in size.

The birds are distributed throughout tbe southern
United States and the southern parts of New Jersey, Penn-
sylvania and New York.

Their cry is a cr-r-ree, cr-r-ree, cr-r-ree, or a quaek,
quaek, quaek.

Government reports of the examination of 7 stomachs
showed that 1 contained poultry, 1 other birds, 4 mice,
1 other mammal, 3 insects; examination of 20 stomachs

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 109

showed that 1 contained poultry, 3 other birds, 17 mice,
17 other mammals, 4 insects and 7 were empty.

Ou'l^ Bfirred^ or Moot Owl.— Length, sixteen and a
half inches; extent, thirty-eight inches; bill, one and a half
inches, yellow with a greenish tinge; above, dark brown,
some of the feathers with rusty markings and all barred
transversely with white, bars broken into spots on the
shoulders; wings and tail, dark brown, transversely barred
with white; face and breast, dull white, barred with dark
brown: belly, white, streaked longitudinally with brown;
legs, dull white, tinged with brown.

The birds nest in hollow trees and some times in abandon-
ed Crow's or Hawk's nests. The eggs are two to four in
number and two inches by one and three-fifths in size.

They breed between southern Canada and Georgia, gen-
erally in the mountain forests and are rare visitants to
New Jersey.

Government examination of 1(»!) stomachs showed that
5 contained poultry or game, 13 other birds, 46 mice, 18
other mammals, 4 frogs, 1 lizard, 2 fish, 14 insects, 2
spiders, 9 crawfish and 2o w^ere empty.

Owl^ Cat, See Long-eared Owi.

Oit'l^ fiireaf Mioriutt^ or Hoot Owl. — Length, twenty-
two inches; extent, four feet, three inches; the female is
two inches larger. The bill is one and two-fifths inches
long, black and powerful, covered at the base with a
cere; eyes, golden yellow; the horns are three inches in
length and very broad, consisting of twelve or fourteen
feathers, their wel»s black, broadly edged with tawny;
face, rusty, bounded on each side by a band of black;
si)ace between the eyes and bill, whitish; whole lower
parts elegantly marked with numerous transverse bars of
dusky, on a bright tawny ground, thinly interspersed
with white, white more conspicuous on the center of the
bi-east; legs and feet, large and coviu-ed with feathers, or

110 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

hairy down, of a pale brown color; claws, very large, blue
black; tail, rounded, extending about an inch beyond the
tips of the wings, crossed with six or seven narrow bars of
brown and variegated or marbled with brown and tawny;
whole upper parts finely pencilled with dusky, on a tawny
and whitish ground; chin, pure white, under it a band of
brown, succeeded by another of white. The white on the
throat of the female is not as pure and she has less of the
bright brown or tawny tint below.

The bird generally lays its eggs in the nest of some
other bird or a squirrel, occasionally in a hollow tree. The
nest is constructed of a large number of sticks and leaves,
with a few feathers. The eggs are from two to four in
number, of a pure W' hite, almost spherical, two and two-
fifths by one and four-fifths inches in size.

The birds breed and are distributed over the whole of
eastein North America.

Their cry is one of the most startling and blood-curd-
ling screams imaginable, sounding like wa?;(//i O, JvaughO,
uttered in a most piercing tone. At other times it satis-
fies itself with a long continued wlioo, hoo-hoo-hoo, whooo,
ivhooo, but this is almost as bad as the other cry. Fortu-
nately the bird avoids settled districts.

The bird is vejy fond of chickens, game birds and rab-
bits. Reports of government examination of 30 stomachs
showed that IG contained poultry or game birds, 2 other
birds, 1 mice, 12 other mammals, 2 insects, 1 was empty.
Examinations of 127 stomachs showed that 31 contained
poultry or game birds, 8 other birds, 13 mice, 65 other
mammals, 10 insects, 1 scorpion, 1 fish and IT w^ere
empty.

0*i?I, Moot. See preceding and Barred Owl.

Owl, Ijong-eared, or Cat Otrl. — Length, fifteen in-
ches; extent, three feet, two inches; the ear tufts are very
prominent, over an inch in length, gradually lengthening

SAW WlUvT OWI,.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. Ill

from the front backwards, black, with white and
buff margin; face, bordered with l)lack; eyes, yellow; bill,
one inch in length, blackish horn color; forehead and
crown, deep brown, speckled with minute spots of white
and rusty; back and upper parts generally very similar to
the preceding; breast and under parts coarsely streaked
with black and buff, the belly transversely barred with
dark brown and white, each feather centrally streaked
with dusky; tail, rounded, same lengtli as the wings,
dark brown, marbled with dull white and rusty, with six
or eight bars of dark slate; upper wing, dark brown,
sprinkled and spotted with white, pale brown and dusky;
legs, plain pale rusty, feathered to the claws; claws, blu-
ish black, large and sharp.

Tlie birds very rarely build their owji nests: generally
they lay their eggs in the abandoned nest of a Crow,
Hawk, Heron or Squirrel. The eggs are from three to six
in number, of a dirty white, and one and three-fifths by
one and one- third inches in size.

The birds breed and are distributed throughout temiDor-
ate North America, and are fairly common, more numer-
ous in winter, when they are at tijiies seen in colonies of
considerable numbers.

Their cry is variable, from a hoot slightly resembling
the barking of a young dog to the mewing of a cat.

This Owl is strictly nocturnal and never feeds in the
day time. It is a beneficial bird, as will be seen by the
following results of the examination of 107 stomachs: 1
contained a game bird, 15 other birds, 8-1 mice, 5 other
mammals, 1 insects and 15 were empty.

Oi€*/, •Itottkey-fareil. See Barn Owl.

0#rl, Smv'it'het^ or ttrailititi Owl. — Ijcngth, eight
inches; extent, sixteen inches. Its small size and ab-
sence of ear tufts makes it readily distinguishable from
others of the Owl family. The bill is black and two-fifths

112 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

of an inch in length; the upper parts are a dark brown,
the head being finely streaked and the back spotted with
white; the under parts are white with reddish brown
streaks and mottlings; tail, brown, having three or four
narrow white bars; eyes, yellow; legs and feet, feather-
ed, white. This Owl is very easily captured, it is also
very easily tamed. The head is frequently used for mil-
linery purposes and a combination of all these facts has
made the bird scarce.

The eggs of this bird are frequently found in a hole in
a tree in an abandoned Squirrel's or Woodpecker's nest;
they are from three to five in number, of a pure white,
one and one-fifth by one inch in size.

The bird breeds in the northern United States and
British America and in the winter spends its time further
south as far as the Middle States. In New Jersey it is
a rare winter visitor.

The cry of the bird resembles the filing of a saw, from
which fact it has derived its name.

Government reports of the examination of 22 stomachs
showed that IT contained mice, 1 a bird, 1 an insect and
3 were empty.

Owl^ »S'crccf/*.— Length, eight and a half inches; ex-
tent, twenty-one inches. There are two phases of this
bird found in New Jersey, the red and gray, but the
former predominates. The bird is easily known by its
small size and ear tufts; the coloring is not dependent
either upon sex, age or season, both colors frequently oc-
curring in the same brood. The general color of the plu-
mage of the red phase is a bright tawny red above; the
shafts of the feathers are black; exterior edges of the
feathers of the shoulders, white; whole wing quills,
spotted with dusky on their exterior webs; tail, rounded,
transversely barred with dusky and pale brown; chin,
breast and sides, white, streaked with l)lack and more or
less mottled with rusty; middle of belly, white; legs,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 113

feathered to the claws ; extremities of the toes and claws,
white, pale bluish, ending in black; bill, two-thirds of an
inch in length, a pale bluish horn color; eyes, vivid yel-
low; head, horned or eared, each horn tuft consisting of
nine or ten feathers, of a tawny red, shafted with black.
In the gray phase of the bird the upper parts are gener-
ally brownish gray, streaked with l)lack and mottled with
buff; the under parts are white, streaked and irregularly
barred with black, and lianded with brown. In the
young the entire plumage is barred with grayish, brown
and white.

The nest is generally built in the hollow of a tree — an
old apple tree preferred — and not over ten feet from the
ground, occasionally in a dove cote, but never in branches
of trees, nor does the l)ird make use of the nests of other
birds; the nest is a rude affair, made of sticks and leaves,
incompletely lined with a few feathers. Mating begins
about the middle of April. The eggs are from four to six
in number, almost spherical, rough surfaced, of a dirty
white, and one and a half by one and a quarter inches in
size.

The birds Indeed and are distributed over the whole of
the eastern part of the United States from Canada to the
Gulf of Mexico.

Their cry is shay, shay, shay, at night a tremulous
wailing whistle.

The food of this bird is largely insectivorous, but they
will also take quail and young chickens and are very fond
of the English Sparrow. Government reports of the ex-
amination of 04 stomachs showed that 1 contained poul-
try, 20 other birds, 41 mice, 1 other mammal, 1 frog, 35
insects, 3 crawfish, 1 spider, 1 indeterminate matter and
7 were empty. Reports of the examination of 255 stom-
achs showed that 1 contained poultry, 38 other birds, 91
mice, 11 other mammals, 4 frogs, 100 insects, 2 lizards, 1
fish, 2 scorpions, 2 earthworms and 43 were empty.

114 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Otvi^ Short-ear ett. — Length, fifteen inches; extent,
three feet, four inches; whole upper surface, longitudinal-
ly streaked with dark brown and buff, with round buff
spots on the ^M"ngs and middle of the back; bill, one and
a quarter inches, black; eyes, rich golden yellow, placed in
a bed of deep black, which radiates outward all around,
except towards the bill where the plumage is white; ears,
bordered with a semi-circular line of black and taAvny yel-
low dots; tail, rounded, longer than usual with Owls,
crossed with five bands of dark brown and as many of
yellow ochre, some of the latter having central spots of
dark brown, the w^hole tipped with white; quills, banded
with dark brown and yellow ochre; breast and belly buff,
longitudinally streaked with dark brown; legs and thighs,
plain buff, tips of the three first quill feathers, black;
legs, clothed to the claws, which are black, curved to
about the quarter of a circle and exceedingly sharp. The
female is somewhat larger and much darker; the spots on
the breast are larger and more numerous.

The nest is a depression in the ground generally under
a bush; it is made of coarse grass and sticks and lined
with finer material and feathers from the parent bird.
Mating begins in April or May. The eggs are from three
to five in number, of a soiled white, and one and three-
fifths by one and one-fourth inches in size.

The birds breed and are distributed over the whole
United States, in fact, nearly all over the world. In the
United States they are more numerous in winter owing to
large accessions from northern regions.

Their cry is a harsh quaver.

Government examinations of 45 stomachs showed that
4 contained small birds, 34 mice, 3 other mammals, 7 in-
sects, 0 were empty. Examinations of 101 stomachs
showed that 11 contained small birds, 77 mice, S other
mammals, 7 insects, and 14 were empty.

Oii'l^ Snowy, — Length, twenty-two and a half inches;

SCREECH OWL.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 115

extent, four feet, six inches. There are no ear tufts and
the general coloring of the bird is pure white, with
more or less spots and bars of grayish brown or dark slate.
The bill is one and a half inches in length. The eyes are
a brilliant golden yellow; legs, heavily feathered; feet,
black, and also heavily feathered. The female is twenty-
five inches in length and more heavily barred and spotted.
The young birds are darker.

The nest is built on the ground of sticks and leaves and
lined with feathers. The eggs are from three to ten in
number, white, and two and one-fourth by one and three-
fourths inches in size. The eggs are laid at long intervals
apart, the first-laid egg being hatched before the last is
deposited.

The birds breed in the northern part of North America
and in the winter go south, sometimes as far as the middle
of the United States. They are irregular winter visitors
to New Jersey, in some years far more frequent than in
others, and invariably more numerous along the coast.

Their cry is a growl, a hoot and a bark.

They feed principally in the evening and in the early
morning, and destroy large numbers of hares, partridge
and ducks.

Government examination of 3S stomachs showed that 2
contained game birds, 9 other birds, 18 mice, 2 other
mammals and 12 were empty.

Ox-eye. See Semi-palmated Sandpiper.

Ox-eye^ Jfleadow. See Least Sandpiper.

Pari ridge. See Ruffed Grouse.

Peahody-hinl. See White-throated Sparrow.

Peep. See Least Sandpiper, and Semi-palmated Sand-
piper.

Peetweet. See Spotted Sandpiper.

116 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Phoebe Birt9 ov Pewee. — Length, seven inches: ex-
tent, eleven inches. The npper i)arts are of a grayish
brown, considerably darker on the crown; wings and tail,
dark brown; the outer vane of the outer tail feather, yellow-
ish white, except at the tip; the under parts are dull white,
with a yellowish tinge and a brownish gray patch on each
side of the breast, almost forming a band ; the bill is black
and two-tifths of an inch in length; feet, black: feathers
of the head, slightly crested.

The nest is built of moss, nuid and grasses, and is al-
most invariably found on a beam or rafter of a bridge or
piazza, or any convenient place near human habitation,
though occasionally on rocky cliffs or an upturned stump.
The eggs are from four to five in number, w^hite, occasion-
ally with brown spots, and three-fourths by three-fifths
of an inch in size. There are two broods a year.

The birds spread themselves over the eastern part of the
United States from the south, arriving in New Jersey in
the latter part of March and returning towards the end
of October; one or two are occasionally found in winter.

Their cry is a "^l^inWxe peicit-phoehe.

Their food consists of insects of all kinds, principally
weevils.

Pewee^ Jl*ooff^ or Jf*ooif Pewee Flycaleher. —

Length, six inches; extent, ten inches; bill, two-fifths of
an inch: plumage practically identical with the preced-
ing, from which it dift'ers mainly in size. The lower
mandible, however, is yellow and the outer tail feather
lacks the white on its outer web.

The nest is flat and built on the upper branch of a
tree: it is made of fine grasses and small roots, covered
with lichens. The eggs are either three or four in num-
ber, white, with a wreath of brown or lilac near the larger
end, and seven-tenths by one-half inch in size.

The birds come from the south to the eastern United

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 117

States, arriving here during the early part of May and re-
turning shortly after the middle of September.

Their song is pee-a-iuee, pee-wee a-jjeer, all day long.

Their food consists of insects, the common housefly be-
ing apparently preferred.

JPetref^ If •»7.soii'.s, IStonu!/ M'elrvl^ or ,fiotiier
Citrey'^s Chicken. — Length, seven inches; extent, four-
teen inches; bill, half an inch in length, l)lack; back,
sooty black; l)elly, grayish black; tail, black, nearly even
at the tip, slightly forked feathers at the base of the tail
both above and below, white; wings, sooty black, with
gray edging to the smaller feathers; legs and naked part
of the thighs, black; feet, black, with yellow webs; legs
from toes to the beginning of the feathered part three and
one-quarter inches.

These birds are occasionally seen along the coast of New
Jersey, generally after a storm, but they spend most of
their time on the high seas. They breed on isolated
rocky islands, the female laying one white egg.

Pine Siskin. See Pine Finch.
Pintail. See Pintail Duck.

Pitil. See Titlark.

Plover.^ Blaek-hellieil .^ or Beetle-head. — Length,
eleven inches; extent, twenty- two inches; bill, one and
one- tenth inches, black; above, coarsely mottled with
black, white and gray; head, gray, forehead and hind
neck nearly white; long wing feathers, black, with white
on the inner webs, tail l)arred transversely with black and
white; below, jet black, except the lower belly, thighs
and feathers under the tail, wliicli are white; sides of
head and neck, uniform black, lii fall the i)lumage lacks
the black color beneatli, being white, mottled on breast,
neck and sides of head with gray. During spring all sorts

118 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

of intermediate specimens are found. Young are like the
old birds in winter dress; legs and feet, grayish white.

The nests are depressions in the ground, lined with
grass and moss; the eggs, generally four in number, vary
in both color and size; they are from a brown to a green-
ish drab in color, with brown spots all over, and vary
from two to two and one-third inches in length and from
one and two-fifths to one and a half inches in breadth.

The birds breed in Alaska and Siberia and other north-
ern countries and in winter migrate to South America.
In New Jersey they are transient, occurring between the
last of April and May 22, and again from July 20 to Sep-
tember 15.

When they are found along the sea coast and in salt
water marshes — and they are more frequent there than
in the interior — they feed on insects, shellfish and small
fish, their flesh then having a sedgy flavor; when found
on the uplands and feeding on grasshoppers, field insects
and berries, their fiesh is more palatable.

Plover^ Field, See Bartramian Sandpiper.
Plover^ Grass. See Bartramian Sandpiper.

Plover,^ Golden.^ or Green-back. — Length, ten
inches; extent, twenty inches. Above, black, spotted
and mottled with golden yellow; top of the head, nearly
uniform black, forehead and sides of neck, white, and a
white patch on each side of the breast; long wing feathers,
dusky, with shafts pure white; tail transversely barred with
dark brown and dull white, under surface uniform black.
Young birds and adults in winter lack the black under
parts, which are dull white, mottled with gray on the
breast.

Their nest is circular, among moss or grass, lined with
grass and dead leaves. The eggs are generally four in
number, of a pale yellow, with dark reddish brown spots,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 119

one and nine-tenths by one and three-tenths inches in
size.

The breeding location and distribution is the same as
the foregoing. In New Jersey they are very erratic in
appearance, some years being very scarce and in other
years occurring in large flocks in the fall. They are more
frequent on the sea coast and at times are seen far out at
sea.

The flesh of these birds is considered excellent for the
table; they feed on insects, principally in marshes and on
sandy hills and flats and old lields.

JPIoi'^r, KilMeer. See Killdeer.

Plover^ M*iping. — Length, seven inches; extent, four-
teen inches; bill, half an inch in length, orange, tipped
with black; feet, greenish yellow, nails black; above, pale
gray; forehead, ring around hind neck, and entire lower
parts wliite, a black band across the crown and a black
patch on each side of the breast; long outer wing-
feathers, black on outer web and at tip; two outer tail
feathers nearly pure white, others dusky, passing into
black with white tips. The female is rather duller in its
markings; adults in winter and also the young birds have
the black markings of the body replaced by gray.

The nest is a depression in the sand and is very difticult
to find on account of the close resemblance between the
color of the eggs and the surroundings. The eggs are
generally four in number, of a light yellowish drab, with
l:>lack and brown spots, and one and one-fourth by one
inch in size.

The birds breed from the southern coast of Labrador to
Virginia and spend the winter in the south Atlantic states
as far south as the West Indies; a few breed and a few
winter in New Jersey; formerly they bred abundantly.

The food consists of insects and small Crustacea gatlier-
ed from the tide-washed sands; the flesh is palatable when
the birds are fat, but frequently has a sedgy flavor.

120 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Plover^ Ruddy. See Sanderling.

Plover^ SefHi-palniated^ or Ring-necked Plover.

— Length, seven inches; extent, fourteen inches; bill,
half an inch, orange in color; above, grayish brown; fore-
head, ring around hind neck and entire under parts
white; a band across the crown, and one from the nostril
to the breast, as well as a conspicuous breast band, black;
wings and tail as in the preceding, but with less white.
The female is somewhat duller, and young as well as
winter adults are marked with gray instead of black.
While the darker back and complete band across the
breast serve to distinguish this bird from the Piping
Plover, it also differs in the webbing of the feet; in this
species the middle toe is connected with both the others
by a short web, while in the other only the outer and
middle toes are so joined.

The nest is a depression in the sand lined with leaves.
The eggs are from two to four in number, of a drab color,
with black spots and blotches, and one and one-fourth by
one inch in size.

They breed in the far north and spend the winter in
the West Indies and further south. They are very com-
mon in New Jersey along the coast between May 1 0 and
June 1, and again between July 10 and September 15.

The birds are generally found in groups and look for
their food along sandy beaches, mud flats and marshes,
picking up small insects and shellfish; in the interior
they are found along ponds, lakes and the shores of
rivers. Their flesh, when not of a sedgy flavor owing to
too much seafood, is considered palatable.

Plover.^ Uplfind. See Bartramian Sandpiper.
Poke. See Green Heron.
Quail. See Bob White.
Quabird. See Night Heron.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 121

Quawk. See Night Heron.

Rfiil^ Black. — This bird is a very rare transient in
New Jersey, a few specimens having been taken at times
in August and September. They formerly bred in Cape
May county. Their breeding location is farther north
and they spend their winters in the West Indies and
northern South America. The eggs are ten in number,
white with brown spots, and one inch by four-fifths of
an inch in size. The bird is five inches in length, the
head and breast being slate color; back, wings and tail,
dark brown, transversely barred with rows of white
spots; belly, slate color, with white bars and spots.

Hfiil^ Blue. See Florida Gallinule.

Rfiil^ Carolina. See Sora.

Rfiil^ Clapper^ Jflud Hen^ Salt J%^ater •Harsh
Hen^ JfMeatloir Clapper^ or Big Rail. — The Mud Hen

of the New Jersey laws. — Length, fourteen inches; ex-
tent, eighteen inches; bill, two and two-fifths inches long,
slightly curved, pointed, grooved and of a reddish brown
color; above, greenish gray, feathers rather darker in the
center; under surface, dull white, tinged with buff on the
neck and sides, flanks and feathers under the tail barred
with white; long wing feathers, dark brown, lining of the
wing barred with white. The males and females are
nearly alike, the plumage of the female not being so dis-
tinctly marked as that of the male. The young birds of
the first year are browner and richer in color than the old
birds.

The nest is Iniilt in the salt meadows; it is lined with
dry grass, arched -and knit together at the top in order to
conceal it. Mating begins about the middle of May.
The eggs are generally ten in number, of a pale clay color,
sprinkled with small spots of reddish purple, obtuse at the
small end, and measure one and a half inches by one inch.

122 THE BIKDS OF NEW JERSEY.

The birds breed along the Atlantic coast as far north as
Massachusetts. They arrive in New Jersey from the
south about the middle of April and leave at the approach
of cold weather in October or November, a few remain-
ing in the southern part of the state if the season is not
very cold.

Their cry is generally heard at night, about as unmusi-
cal as that of the Guinea Fowl, which it reseml)les.

They feed on shell-fish, snails and small crabs and their
flesh has a sedgy flavor.

Rail^ King^ or •Jflarsh Hen, — Length, fifteen inches;
extent, eighteen inches; bill, two and two-fifths inches.
This is the fresh-water congener of the Clapper Eail, and
in size and pattern of coloration is exactly like it, differ-
ing only in its tints. Above it is rich brown, each feath-
er centrally streaked with black, except on the head,
where the color is uniform dark brown, and the wings,
which are chestnut brown; under surface of the body,
bright rusty; throat and center of belly, white; flanks and
hinder part of belly, barred with black and white.

The nest is built of grasses in fresh water marshes; the
eggs are from seven to twelve in number, of a yellowish
white, with brown spots, and one and two-thirds by one
and one-fifth inches in size.

They breed northward to the Middle States and have
been known to breed in New Jersey, where they are, how-
ever, not very common and found only in summer.
They spend the winter in the southern part of the United
States.

Jfrti7, \*irginia^IjiUl€ Red Rait^ or Fresh Heater
•IMud Men. — Length, ten inches; extent; fourteen inches;
bill, one and a half inches, dusky red. This bird is almost
an exact miniature of the King Rail, the tints of its plu-
mage being exactly the same except that the present
species has the sides of the head a bluish lead color. The

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 123

female is a little paler than the male aud the young fre-
quently have more or less black mixed with the rusty
color of the breast.

The nest is built of old wet grass and rushes in the
bottom of a tuft of grass. There are two broods a year,
one early in May and another late in June. The eggs are
from six to ten in number; they are one and one-fifth by
three-quarters of an inch in size, of a dirty white or pale
cream, sprnikled with spots of reddish or pale purple,
these sjjots being more numerous near the larger end.

The birds breed in North America as far north as Hud-
son's Bay, frequenting the fresh marshes near the coast.
They arrive in New Jersey about the first of May and
leave in October, being seen very rarely in winter.

Their food consists of snails, worms, larvae of insects,
which they take from the mud, together with some vege-
table matter.

Rail^ l^ellou\ — This bird is a rare transient in New
Jersey, although a few specimens are occasionally taken,
generally in the fall. They breed in the northern part of
the United States and as far north as Hudson's Bay and
in the winter migrate south as far as Cuba. The length
of the bird is seven inches and the bill is half an inch in
length. The upper parts are black, mottled with light
yellow and transversely barred with narrow white bars;
breast, buff; belly, whitish; lower belly and flanks, dark
brown with white bars. They nest on the ground in
marshes; the eggs number from six to nine, are of a light
yellow, with numerous spots of brown, and one and one-
fifth Iw four-fifths of an inch in size.

Rain Croiv. See Cuckoo.

Raven, — Length, from twenty-two to twenty-six
inches; extent about four feet; bill, a little over an inch
in length, large and strong, and of a shining black.
The plumage of the bird is a deep black, with steel-blue

124 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

reflections, being less glossy on the under parts; feathers
of the neck, rather long and pointed.

The nest is a compact structure, built on trees and
cliffs; it is made of sticks lined with grass and is used
year after year, additions being occasionally made to it.
The eggs are from two to seven in number, of a pale blue
green with brown spots, and two inches by one and one-
third in size.

The bird breeds throughout the whole of the northern
and eastern part of the United States, but is rather scarce
in New Jersey, some being still found breeding in the
cedar swamps in the lower part of the state and solitary
specimens being observed occasionally along the sea coast.

The principal food of the bird is carrion of all kinds,
but it also devours worms, reptiles and shellfish, and has
no hesitation about robbing birds' nests.

Red Crossbill. See American Crossbill.
Redhead. See Redhead Duck.

Redpoll^ Redpoll Finch^ or Redpoll Liinnet.—

Length, five and one-third inches: extent, eight and a
half inches; bill, one-fourth of an inch long, sharply
pointed, pale yellow, ridged with horn color, a tuft of
feathers projecting forward over the nostrils; feathers of
the upper surface, dusky in the center, bordered with
bufi: and dull white, producing a streaked appearance;
rump, lighter and often tinged with pink; crown, bril-
liant glossy crimson; wings and tail, dusky brown, slight-
ly edged with white; under surface, white, the sides
streaked with dusky, the throat dull black, and more or
less rosy pink on the breast. The females have httle or
no pink below, but the males vary some, having but
little, while others have half the lower surface of this col-
or; tail, slightly forked; feet, black.

The nest is built in a low tree or tuft of grass, of moss
and grass, lined with hairs, feathers and plant down.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 125

The eggs are from four to six in number, white, with a
greenish or bhiish tinge and with reddish brown spots,
two-thirds by half an inch in size.

The birds breed in northern British America and in win-
ter frequently find their way south as far as New Jersey,
generally occurring in considerable flocks. The general
supposition is that they come hither only when their food
supply fails in the north on account of too much snow.
They are very cheerful and their bright crimson agreeably
relieves the sombre landscape of winter. They feed on
seeds, generally in orchards or gardens.

Redsl€irt. — Length, five and two-fifths inches; extent,
six and one-fourth inches; bill, one-fourth of an inch in
length, black, with bristles at the base; entire head, back
and breast, glossy blue-black; belly, white, a patch on
each side of the breast brilliant salmon red; wings, dull
black, crossed by a salmon red bar; central pair of tail
feathers, black, others salmon, except the terminal third,
which is black. The female is grayish olive above and
dull white beneath, with all the salmon markings replac-
ed by yellow, the band on the wing being less in extent.
Young males apparently do not acquire their full dress
until their second spring; their plumage in the first spring
is like that of the female, but with more or less black
feathers on the head and breast.

The nest is built in the crotch of a sapling or in a low
bush; it is a carefully constructed contrivance, made of
bark and leaf stalks, interw^oven with plant down and flax,
and lined with tendrils and fine roots. The eggs are
either four or five in number, of a grayish white, some-
times tinged with blue, and with brown spots, two-thirds
by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in eastern North America, some in
New Jersey, but comparatively few^ in the southern part
of the state. They are abundant in this state during mi-
grations, between April 80 and May -2(1, and again be-

126 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

tween August 5 and October 5. They spend the winter
in the West Indies, Mexico and southward.

Their song is hkened by Mr. Chapman to cliing, ching,
chee; ser-ivee, swee, swee-e-e.

Their food is insects of the smaller kind, including
gnats and caterpillars.

Reed bird. See Bobolink.
Ricehird. See Bobolink.
Rice Bunting. See Bobolink.
Ringneek. See Semi-palmated Plover.
Ring'tailed JfifirUn. See Hudsonian Godwit.

Robin. — Length, nine and a half inches; extent, thir-
teen inches; the bill is strong, an inch long, and of a
bright yellow, although sometimes black or dusky near
the tip of the upper mandible; tail and top and
sides of the head, black; back and rump, ash color;
wings, black, edged with light ash; the inner tips of the
two exterior tail feathers are white; three small spots of
white border the eye; the throat is white, streaked with
black; the whole of the rest of the under surface down as
far as the thighs is of a very dark brown ; middle of belly,
white; legs, dark brown; claws, black and strong. The
colors of the female are all rather lighter and paler, es-
pecially below. The young bird is speckled with white
above and the whole lower surface is marked with round
black spots.

The nest is built in the crotch of a fruit or shade tree,
from five to thirty feet up, or sometimes in a hedge or
strong vine; it is composed of coarse grasses, leaves and
small roots, with an inner wall of fine grasses and mud.
The eggs are from three to five in number, plain greenish

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 127

blue, and one and one-tenth by four-fifths of an inch in
size. There are two broods each year.

The Eobin breeds in Eastern North America and in the
upper parts of the Southern States; it is found in the
United States east of the Rocky Mountains, in eastern
Mexico and in Alaska. It winters mainly in the southern
part of the Middle States. The birds arrive in New Jer-
sey about the middle of March and leave here shortly
after the first of November; some, however, remain here
all winter.

Its song is a loud, clear, musical warble. Its call
note, with which it frequently warns other birds of ap-
proaching danger, sounds like the word quick.

About one-half of the food of the Roljin is composed of
insects, principally March-flies, with a good percentage of
grasshoppers, bugs, spiders, wasps, ants, and canker
worms. The fruit it devours is principally wild, it hav-
ing l)eeu estimated that only five per cent, of the fruit it
eats is grown by man. Professor Forbes asks this ques-
tion : ' 'Will the destruction of seventeen quarts of aver-
age caterpillars, including at least eight quarts of cut
worms, pay for twenty- four quarts of cherries, blackber-
ries, currants and grapes?" Mr. Bruner says; "He is a
poor business man who pays $10 for that which he knows
must later be sold for fifteen cents or less. Yet I have
known of instances where a Robin that had saved from
ten to fifteen bushels of apples that were worth a dollar a
bushel, by clearing the tree from canker worms in the
spring, was shot when he simply pecked one of the apples
that he had saved for the grateful or ungrateful fruit-
grower."

Rohiti^ fmoltleti. See Baltimore Oriole.
Robin^ Ground, See Chewink.
Kobin^ Sivattip. See Chewink.

128 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Saddle-hack. See Black-backed Gull.

Sanderling^ Rudtly Plover^ or Surf Snipe. —

Length, eight mches; extent, fifteen inches; bill, one inch,
black; head, rusty, with black centres to the feathers;
back, black centered feathers, edged with rusty brown
and ashy; breast, rusty browai, spotted with black; belly,
white; sides, white; tail, black and white; wings, dark
slaty brown, with white bar; legs and feet, black; a mark
distinguishing this bird from Snipes and Sandpipers is the
fact that it has only three toes. In fall and winter the
upper parts are a pale gray with black- centered feathers
and the entire under parts are white.

The nest is made of hay and decayed leaves. The eggs
are four in number, of a brownish olive with spots of
dark olive brown, and one and two-fifths by nine-tenths
of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the far north and spend the winter
in the southern Atlantic states and South America.
They are abundant in New Jersey from April 18 to June
1 and again from September 14 to October in, being gen-
erally found along the sea coast and rarely on mud flats
near bays.

Their food consists of minute shellfish and insects left
by the tide.

Sfind^ Ox-Eye. See Semi-palmated Sandpiper.

Sfindpiper^ Bartrfiniian^ Grass Plover^ Upland
Plover, or FieM Plover. — Length, twelve inches; ex-
tent, twenty-one inches. The bill is an inch and a half
long, slightly bent downwards, wrinkled at the base, the
upper part black on its ridge, the lower as well as the
edge of the upper, a fine yellow; front, stripe over the
eye, neck and breast, pale brown, marked with small
streaks of black, which on the lower part of the breast
assume the form of arrowheads; crown, black, the plum-
age thickly skirted with white; chin and whole belly,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 129

white; hind head and neck above, brown, minutely streak-
ed with black; back, black, the feathers slightly skirted
with brown; long wing feathers, black, barred with white
on the inner webs; rump, deep brown black, slightly bor-
dered with white; tail, tapering, of a pale brown orange,
barred with black, the middle feather centered with dusky;
legs, yellow, tinged with green, the outer toe joined to
the middle one by a membrane; lining of wings, barred
with black and white; eye, very laige. The male and fe-
male are nearly alike.

The nest is a mere depi'ession in the ground, lined with
grass, straw and tendrils. The eggs are genei-ally four in
number, of a clay color, spotted all over with brown and
purplish gray, and one and three-fourths by one and one-
fourth inches in size.

The birds breed in the United States from Virginia
northward and spend the winter in South America. They
arrive in New Jersey during the latter part of April and
remain vmtil the middle of September.

Their cry is a loud, long, soft whistle, the alarm note,
quip-ip-ip-ip, quip-ij) ip-ip, at other times uttering a
chr-r-r-r-ee-e-c-t-e-e-oo-oo-o-o-oo.

Their food consists of insects and they destroy a great
many grasshoppers and beetles and occasionally take a
few berries.

Sftndpiper^ Ijt'ast^ M'eep^ or ^IMeaftow Oj-ei/e. —

Length, five and a half to six inches; extent, twelve
inches; bill, three-fourths of an inch, black; feathers on
the uppei' surface of the body and head, black centrally,
l)roadly bordered with buff and gray; long wing feathers,
dark brown; tail, light grayish brown, central pair dusky;
below, breast and neck white, somewhat suffused with
gi-ay, and each feather with a central dusky streak; rest
of under parts, white; legs and feet, black. In the winter
there is less gray and more white in tbc phunage.

The nest is a depression in dry moss lined witli a little

130 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

grass. The eggs are generally four in number, of a gray
or yellow color, with brown spots most numerous at the
large end.

The birds breed in the far north and go in winter as far
south as South America. They are very abundant along
the New Jersey coast in the early part of May and again
from July 15 to September 15, and are also found in
marshy meadows, shores of creeks, rivers and lakes.

Their food is composed of insects and small shellfish.

Saiulpiitcv^ Pectoral^ Kriekcr^ or fwrtiss Snipe.

— Length, eight and a half inches, the female being a
little larger; bill, yellow at the base, the rest black, one
and one-tenth inches in length; above, brownish buff,
streaked with black; rump, uniform black or darkbrowii;
tail feathers, light grayish brown, center pair darker; long
wing feathers, dark brown; throat and belly, white;
breast, sides of head and neck, huffish or grayish white,
streaked with dusky. Young birds have the backs dark-
er, witli less buff edgings to the feathers; legs and feet,
yellowish. In Avinter there are no brown tints on the
upper parts and the breast is of a soiled white.

The nest is built in a tuft of grass. The eggs are gen-
erally four in number, of a greenish drab with brown
spots, and one and a half by one inch in size.

The birds breed in tlie far north and spend the winter
in South America. They are regular transients in New
Jersey, numerous along the coast, but also occasionally
appearing in the interior, generally in small parties.
They fly nortli during the month of April, but are more
numerous in New Jersey during the fall migration, from
August 15 to October 1.

Their food consists of aquatic insects and small shell-
fish.

SatifJitiiter^ tie tl -backed., Blarkbreast^ L,eail-
back^ or Winter Snipe, l^ength, eight and a half
inches; extent, fifteen inches; bill, slightly curved, black,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 131

oue and a half inches long; above, rusty red, each feather
centrally streaked with black; hind neck, gray; wings and
tail, grayish brown; chin and throat, white; breast, sides
of head, neck and body, white, streaked with dusky;
whole center of belly, black, feathers often tipped with
white; legs and feet, black. In fall and winter the plu-
mage above is gray with brown streaks; the breast is light
gray with small brown streaks and the under parts are
white.

The nest is built of grass on dry knolls about June 1.
The eggs are three or four in number, of a pale green or
brownish gray, with brown spots, and one and a half by
one inch in size.

The birds breed in the far north and spend the winter
in the South Atlantic and Gulf coast states, some as far
north as Cape May county. New Jersey. They are abund-
ant during migrations, April 17 to May 20, and again in
September.

Their food consists of worms, insects and small shellfish.

Sandpiper^ Semi-palmated^ Peep^ or Sanil Ox-
eye. — Length, five and a ([uarter to six and a half
inches; extent, from eleven to thirteen inches; bill, one
inch long, black; line over the eye, white; throat, white;
head and back, black or dark slate, edged with gray and
buff; belly and sides, white; breast, white, streaked with
dusky; tail and wings, brown; legs, dark ash; feet, dark
ash, half webl)ed. In winter the breast is of a lighter
gray and the streaks are indistinct or wanting. This
l)ird closely resembles the Least Sandpiper, with which it
constantly associates, but is at once distinguished by the
webbing at the base of toes, which is lacking in the latter
species.

The nest is a mere depression in grass; the eggs are
generally four in number, variable in color from a gray to
a light yellow, with reddish spots, and one and one-fourth
by nine-tenths of an inch in size.

ia2 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Tlie birds breed in tbe far north and spend the winter
in the south from the West Indies to South America.
Thev are very abundant along the New Jersey coast be-
tween May 9 and June 1 and again from July 15 to Septem-
ber 1."), but are rarely seen in the interior.

Their food consists of insects and small shellfish.

SaHfipiPf"''^ SoUtartf. — Length, eight and a half
inches; extent, fifteen inches. The bill is one and a quar-
ter inches in length, dusky; line over the eye, chin and
belly, white; breast, white, spotted with olive brown; up-
per parts, dark olive bi-own, each feather marked along
the edges with small round spots of white: long wing
feathers, uniform, nearly black; tail, slightly rounded, the
five exterior feathei-s on each side white, broadly barred
with black, the two middle ones plain olive brown, with
small white marginal spots; feathers covering the base of
the tail transversely banded with black and white; legs,
long, slender, dusky green. The male and female are
alike in color.

Although this bird is a common transient in Xew Jer-
sey and is distributed over a large part of the United
States, very little is known concerning its breeding; it
does not, however, remain in this state thrcnigli the sum-
mer. The eggs are said to be light bufif, spotted with
various shades of brown, and one and one-tliird by one
inch in size.

The bird passes through New Jersey between April 2.-)
and Mav 15, and again between September 15 and Octo-
ber 20. It winters in the Southern States.

Its food is composed of insects, frequently taken on the
wing, larvae, worms and small shellfish.

S€uulpip*'i\ Spoiled^ Teetering Snipe ^ or Peel-

irct'l. — Length, seven and a half inches; extent, thirteen
inches; bill, an inch long, straight, the tip and uppei- part
dusky, the lower orange; stripe over eye and lower eye-
lid, white; whole upper parts, an olive brown with green-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 133

isli reflections, eacli feather marked with waving spots of
hlack; long wing feathers, dark hi'own, the middle one
with white tips; tail, rounded, the outer featheis mostly
white, the others olive brown, all barred with black;
whole lower parts, marked with round spots of black,
smaller and thicker on the tliroat and breast, larger and
thinner as they descend to the tail; legs, a yellow clay
color; claws, black. The female is as thickly spotted be-
low as the male, but the young birds of both sexes are
white below, slightly suffused with gray on the breast,
but they are also barred across with narrow buff lines
above in addition to the black bars.

The nest is situated in open spots near the borders of
streams and ponds and in fields among the stubble; it is
built of straws and grasses. The eggs are generally four
in nundoer, of a creamy buff or light drab, with brown
spots becoming larger and confluent at the larger end,
one and one-fourth by one inch in size.

The birds breed throughout the whole of North America,
arriving in New Jersey from the south about the end of
April and leaving abcjut the first of October. They are
very numerous throughout the state and their comical
antics afford a great deal of amusement to i)ersons watch-
ing them along the sliores of fresh water streams and
})onds.

Their food is insects and larvae.

Sail tip ifK>t% II '/i#7f'-*'##iMi>Cfl.— Length, seven and a
hall inches; extent, thirteen inches; bill, one inch, green-
ish black: above, ashy blown, feathers broadly centered
with hlack and somewhat edged with rusty; rump, Avhite;
tail, blackish blown : wings, slaty brown; below, including
sides of head .ind neck, white, spotted with black or dark
brown as far as the t'oicbelly ;ind sidi^s; belly, white; legs
and ft^et, greeiiisli hlack. In winter the u[)|)er parts are
a l)rownish gray and the markings generally less distinct.

The nest is a (l(^i)ression in the ground, lined with

134 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

leaves. The eggs are either three or four in number, of
a light brownish drab, with black and brownish spots and
blotches becoming confluent at the larger end, and one
and one third by one inch in size.

The birds breed in the far north and spend the winter
in eastern South America. They are never very common
in New Jersey and appear only during the migrations in
the early part of May and again from July 15 to Septem-
ber 15. They frequent the sea coast, but are also seen
along muddy flats and in shallow pools.

Their food consists of aquatic insects and small shell-
fish.

SapsMcker^ or Yenow-bellled If^ootlpecker. —

Length, eight and a half inches; extent, fifteen inches;
bill, nine-tenths of an inch. The whole crown is a rich
and deep scarlet, bordered with black on each side and be-
hind, forming a slight crest, which the bird frequently
erects; from the nostrils, which are thickly covered with
hairs, a narrow strip of white runs downward, curving
around the breast, mixing with the yellowish white on
the lower parts of the breast; throat, the same deep scar-
let as the crown, bordered with black and spreading into
a broad rounding patch on the breast, a line of white and
below it another of black proceed, the first from the up-
per part of the eye, the other from the posterior part of
the eye, and both lose themselves on the neck and the
back; back, dusty yellow, sprinkled and waved with
black; wings, black, with large spots of white; rump,
white, bordered with black; belly, yellow, sides under the
wings, more dusky yellow, marked with long arrow-
heads of black; legs and feet, greenish blue; tail, black,
the two outer feathers on each side tipped with white,
the next totally black, the fourth edged on its inner vane
half way down with white, the middle one white on its
interior vane and spotted with black. The female differs
in having the throat white and the crown black, while the

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 135

young have the whole thioat and hreast hrown, barred
transversely with black; others show the brighter colors of
the adults appearing on the crown and throat.

The birds breed northward from Massachusetts and
perhaps also in the mountains of northern New Jersey,
and occasionally they winter in the lower i)art of the
state. They arrive here from the south about the middle
of March, passing furtlier north about the middle of
April; in the fall they return l)etween September 10 and
October 20.

Their cry is a clear note, repeated five or six times, or
a low, snarling cry like the mew of a cat.

There is little doubt that these birds do far more mis-
chief than their insect-eating propensities can counter-
balance. They bore holes into trees and feed on the ex-
uding sap; after having taken their fill they retire and
await the gathering of insects attracted by the sap, when
they return and feed on the insects. The holes they bore
are generally square and by girdling a tree with tliem
they frequently cause the destruction of tlie tree.

Scaup, imrealtr^ Khubill Mfurh, Kroatthill, or
itlarkhvad. — Tjength, eighteen and a half inches; ex-
tent, twenty-nine inches; the female is a trifle smaller;
bill, one and two-thirds inches, heavy, bi-oad, bluish;
head, neck and whole breast, black, the top and sides of
the head frequently with greenish reflections; upper back,
black; lower back, fine wavy black and white bars; belly
and sides, white, on the lower parts with indistinct wavy
black bars; tail, black; wings white, slaty and black; legs,
bluish; feet, black. The female has brown instead of
black on the upper parts and the sides are a grayish
brown with waves of white. The birds nest on the
ground in marshes or similar places. The eggs are from
six to ten in munber, of a pale yellow, two and a half by
one and thi'i^e-fourths inches in size. The birds breed in
the fai- noilli aiul in the winter go souiliwar<l to l^'lori(hi.

136 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

They are veiy coniinou in Xew Jersey iu bays and rivers,
especially where the water is brackish. They remain
here from the first of November to the first of April and
are less common in midwinter when the bays and rivers
are frozen over. Their cry resembles the word scaup;
hence their common name. They feed on moUusks and
seeds and their flesh is considered very palatable.

Sranp^ lj('sset\ Ltittle Hlarkheatl^ Liittle tiluchill^
or Creek BroadbUl. — This duck is very similar to the
foregoing but about two inches smaller. It has purplish
instead of greenish reflections about the head and the
sides are strongly marked with black waves.

Scissors-hiU. See Black Skimmer.

Scoter^ ^inierieatt^ or Slack Coot. — Length, nine
teen inches; extent, thirty-one inches; bill, one and
fourth-fifths inches. The entire plumage is black, on the
neck and back frequently more or less glossy. The
bill is orange at the base. The female is brown,
lighter on head and neck. Its nest is found on
the ground, near water. The eggs are from six to ten in
number, of a pale yellow, two and one-half by one and
three-fourths inches in size. It breeds in the far north and
in the winter travels south as far as New^ Jersey, being
common in winter otf the coast and seldom found in rivers.
Its food is composed of mussels, clams and scollops and
its flesh is tough and inedible.

Scoter^ Surf^ or Sea Coot. — Similar to the foregoing,
one inch longer, and with a square white mark on the
crown and a triangular w^iite mark on the back of the
neck. The female has the u])per parts dark brown, the
throat, the breast, sides and lower belly gray and the
upper belly white They uest in tall g^rass near water.
The eggs are from five to eight iu number, of a pale yel-
low, and two and one-half by one and three-fourths

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 137

inches in size. They breed in the far north and in the
winter go sonth as far as the CaroUnas. They are common
off tlie New Jersey coast from October to late in April and
are seen occasionally on large rivers. The flesh is tough
and inedible.

Scoter^ Jl'hitf'-triiiiiefL or IfhitC'irintiCff Coot. —

Similar to the American Scottn-, but three inches longer;
bill, one and a half inches long, orange black. There is a
white spot below the eye and a large white spot on each
wing. The female is a slaty brown, lighter below and with
white feathers near the base of tlie bill. They uest on
the ground, under l)ushes, frequently some distance from
water. The eggs are from six to ten in nund^er, of a pale
yellow, and tw^o and one-third by one and four-fifths
inches in size. They breed in the far north and in winter
travel south as far as Chesapeake bay. They are seen off
the coast of Xew Jersey, more frequently in the middle
of winter. Their flesh is tough and inedilile.

Sea MPove. See Little Auk.

Sha^, See Cormorant.

Sheavival('i\ Sooty ^or Ulark Iiitt;fton. — This is a
strictly sea bird, seen fre(iuently on the fishing grounds
off the New Jersey coast, especially in winter. It is a
swift flyer and dives into the water for its prey; it is par-
ticularly active during storms when the agitated sui-face
of the water giv^es it better opportunities for seeing its prey.
It occasionally visits the shore. It is about seventeen
inches in length and its bill is one and two-thirds inches
in length, with nostrils tubular, like those of the Petrel;
wliole plumage sooty gray, somewhat lighter below.
Nothing is known about its breeding.

SiH'tlitrakv. See Ameriean Mergausei- and also Red-
breasted Mei'ganser.

138 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Shrike, Ijo^^erhcad. — Length, nine inches; extent,
thirteen inches; bill, one-third of an inch, black; head and
back, gray; breast, soiled white, sometimes with slight
waves of dark gray; belly and throat, white; tail, black,
white tips, the four middle feathers being wholly black.
The female is darker.

The nest is found in hedges or low trees. The eggs are
from three to five in number, of a dirty white, with
brown spots, one by three-fourths of an inch in size. It
breeds and is distributed through the southern United
States as far northward as Virginia and a few are seen in
summer in Cape May County, N. J. ^ Stragglers are occa-
sionally taken in fall and winter at various points in the
state. Its song is a succession of gurgles and whistles, is
very unmusical and harsh, but it makes up in quantity
what it lacks in quality. The food of these birds consists
of grasshoppers, small snakes and lizards.

Shrike, ,^'orthern, or Butcher Bird. — Length, ten
inches; extent, thirteen inches; bill, half an inch, hooked
and strong; head, dark gray, witli a black bar on each
side from behind the eye; back, gray; breast and sides,
light gray, with waves of darker gray; belly, white, with
scarcely any wavy bars; tail, black, tipped with white,
center pair of feathers entirely black; wings, black with
white tips and a large white bar across the inner webs of
the feathers; legs and feet, bluish black. The female is
brighter gray above.

The birds nest in low trees or bushes, the nests being
made of sticks with a superstructure of grass, tendrils,
wool, etc. The eggs are from three to five in number, of
a soiled white, with brown spots, and one inch by three-
fourths in size.

They breed from the northern border of the L'nited
States northward and in winter go south as far as the Po-
tomac valley. At times they are rare in New Jersey, but
in ver}^ severe seasons they are plentiful.

NORTJIKKX SllKIKIv.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 139

The song of this bird is an improvement on that of the
foregoing and somewhat resembles the tune of a Catbird.

The food consists of grasshoppers, beetles and large in-
sects, but principally of English Sparrows. It obtains its
name of Butcher Bird from a habit it shares with the pre-
ceding species of impaling its prey on thorns, to remain
there until wanted.

ISiskiii., Pine. See Pine Finch.

Skinitner.^ Black., or Scissor S'biU.--Leugth, eighteen
inches; extent, three feet, eight inches; upper bill, three,
lower nearly four inches, compressed almost flat, resemb-
ling the blades of shears. The female is somewhat smal-
ler. The forehead, sides of the neck and upper parts are
white, the upper parts and the wings black, and the tail
black, broadly edged with white and brown. The nest is
a depression in the beach. The eggs are either three or
four in numl)er, white or cream in color, and one and
three fourths by one and one-third inches in size. It was
formerly plentiful along the sea coast of New Jersey, but
it is now rare. In winter it migrates to South America.
Its food is small fish, etc., which it picks out of the water.

Snipe^ Knglish. See Wilson's Snii)e.

Snipe^ Orass. See Pectoral Sandpiper,

ISnipe^ (iray. See Knot.

Snipe., Red-bveasled. See Dowitcher.

Snipe., Ilobin. Sec Knot.

Snipe., Stone. See Greater Velio wlegs.

Snipe .^ Surf. Sn^ Sander] iiig.

Snipe^ Teelerinsi. See Spotted Sandpiper.

Snipe., H'ilson's^ or tCniflish Snipe. — Length eleven

140 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

inches; extent, seventeen inches; the l)iU is more than
two and a half inches long, fluted lengthwise, of a brown
color and black towards the tip, where it is very smooth
while the bird is alive, but soon after it is killed becomes
dimpled like the end of a thimble; crown, black, divided
by an irregular line of j)ale brown; another and l)roader
one of the same tint passes over each eye; from the bill to
the eye there is a narrow dusky hue; neck and upper part
of breast, pale brown, variegated with touches of white
and dusky; chin, pale; back, deep velvety black, maibled
with waving lines of brown and broadly edged with huffy
white; wings, plain dusky; tail rounded, deep black, end-
ing in a bar of bright rusty brown, crossed with a narrow
waving line of black and tipped w ith white; belly, white;
sides barred with dusky; legs and feet, pale ashy green;
sometimes the whole thighs are ban-ed with dusky and
white. The female differs in being more obscure in her
colors, the white on the back being less pure and the
black not so deei>.

The nests are mere depressions in the grass and bog.
The eggs are either three or four in number, of a clay or
brownish ashy color, with chocolate spots, more numer-
ous near the lai-ge end, and one and three-fifths by one
and two-fifths inches in size. They are placed with the
small end downward in the nest.

Thebirdsbreed principally northward of New Jersey; itis
claimed by many ornithologists that a few remain in New
Jersey to breed. Some certainly do remain through the
sunmier, but they are in all probability either crippled or
improperly developed, thus being prevented from pur-
suing their flight further northward. The birds gener-
ally reach New Jersey between March -Jn and May Id;
their return flight occurs in September and October.

These birds at times make a noise which in the distance
sounds like the bleating of a goat and then again like the
drumming of a partridge. During the nesting season
their cry is knk-kiik-kul-kuL-kiik. Thev ]ise from the

SNuWlilkDS.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 141

ground with a squeak sounding like scaipe, and as they
rise into the air, " now with continued heating of the
wings," says Auduhon, '' now in short saihngs, until more
than a hundred yards high, when they whirl around
each other with extreme velocity, and dance as it were to
their own nnisic; or at this juncture, and for the space of
four or five minutes, you hear rolling notes mingled to-
gether, each more or less distinct, perhaps according to
the state of the atmosphei'e. The sounds produced are
extremely pleasing, though they fall faintly on the ear."
The food of these hirds consists of insects and worms,
taken principally at night.

Snipe, Jl'i titer. See Eed-backed Sandpiper.

Snotrbird^ or Jnnco. — Length, six and a quarter
inches; extent, nine inches; hill, two-fifths of an inch,
flesh color, dusky at tip: head, hack, throat, hreast and
sides of the body, deep slate; lower hreast and belly,
white; tail, a little forked, deep slate, with the two outer
feathei-s wliite and the next spotted with white; wings,
deep slate; legs, reddish flesh. In the female and young
the upper parts are somewhat suffused with brown and
the throat and breast are paler.

The nests are built of grass, moss and small roots, on or
near the ground. The eggs are either four or five in
number, of a white, with at times a bluish tinge, and
three-fourths by four-fifths of an inch in size.

The l)ii'ds breed from Maine to Alaska and southward
along the Alleghanies. and in the winter come down to
the eastern Unit(^d States, being abundant in New Jersey
between (^ctol)ei- I and April l.">.

Their note is a isi'i) and their song, heard in New Jer-
sey only in the early spring, a faint Avarble and trill.

The food of these birds consists principally of seeds of
weeds, although they also frcciuciit l)arnyards and in ex-
treme cold weathei-, when everything outdoors is fiozen

142 THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY.

up and covered with snow, come to the kitchen yard ap-
parently begging for food.

Snowrtahe^ or Snoiv Bunting. — Length, six and
three-fourths inches; extent, twelve inches; bill, two-
fifths of an inch, black; head, white; breast, belly and
sides, white; tail and wings, white and black; back, black;
rump, white; feet, black. In the female the upper parts
are streaked with black and the wings are dark slate. In
winter all the feathers of the upper surface, as well as
the breast and sides of the head, are edged with rusty
brown in both male and female.

The nest is l)uilt on the ground, of grasses, roots and
moss, lined with feathers. The eggs are from four to
seven in number, of a pale bluish wdiite, with brown
spots, and four-fifths by one-third of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the far north and in the winter mi-
grate to the northern United States, occasionally coming
south as far as New Jersey, where, however, they are sel-
dom seen excepting in severe winters and when there is a
great deal of snow.

Thoreau says that their song is a "soft, rippling note."

The food of these birds consists of the seeds of plants,
especially of aquatic plants, and of minute shellfish ad-
hering to the leaves.

^ora^ or Cnrolina Rail. — Length, nine inches; ex-
tent, fourteen inches. The bill is four-fifths of an inch
in length, yellow% blackish at the point; the front, crown,
chin and stripe down the throat, black; line over the eye,
cheeks and breast, light ash ; sides of the crown, neck and
upper parts generally olive brow^n, streaked with black,
and also with lines of pure wiiite, the feathers being
centered with black and edged with white; these touches
of white are shorter near the shoulder of the wing, length-
ening as they descend; wings, plain olive brown, with a
few of the upper feathers streaked with black and long
lines of white; tail, pointed, dusky olive brow^n, centered

THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY. 143

with black, the four middle feathers bordered for half
their length with lines of white; lower i)art of the breast
lined with semi-circular lines of white on a light ash
ground; center of l)elly, white; sides under the wings,
deep olive, broadly barred with black and white; legs, feet
and naked parts of the thighs, yellowish green. The fe-
males and young of the third season have the throat
white, the breast pale brown and little or no black on the
head.

The birds build their nests in May of marsh grass in
reeds near the water or in swampy sinkholes of quicksand
meadows. The eggs are from eight to fifteen in number,
of a creamy white, with brown spots, and one and a
quarter inches by nine-tenths in size.

The cry of the birds is crek-crek; or kenree, kertvee,
generally heard at sunset or in the evening.

Their food consists of small shellfish, worms and some
vegetable matter.

Sotttlisoutherly. See ( )ld Squaw Duck.

Spavi'oiv^ Chippit*S') Chippy^ or Hairhird. —

Length, five and one-third inches, extent, eight inches;
bill, one-third of an inch, black, lower mandible yellow
at the base; forehead, black, a short gray line in the
middle; top of head, chestnut brown, a gray line over the
eye and a black line behind it; throat, white; back,
streaked with black, light biown and chestnut; belly,
white; rump, dark ash; tail, dull brown, edged slightly
with whitisli, slightly forked; wings, dull brown, edged
with buff and chestnut; legs and feet, i)ale flesh color. The
female has less black on tlie forehead and the brown is of
a duller cast, while tiie young birds have the crown
striped with black and during their first sunmier are
streaked with black below.

The nest is a well-built contrivance, generally found
neai' human habitations, in the vines on the piazza or the

14:4 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

hedges of the garden, or in trees and bushes from five to
twenty feet up. It is built of g]-ass, twigs and tendrils
and lined with horsehair. The eggs are either four or
five in number, light greenish blue with brown spots, the
latter more numerous near the large end, and tliree-
fourths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed throughout eastern North America and
in winter migrate to the Southern States; they are very
l)lentiful in New Jersey between April 1 and October 20.

Its call note is chip and its song vh ippy-ch ippij-clt ippy-
chippy.

Its food consists of seeds, bread crumbs, etc.

Sttarrou\ I^ttsiUsh^ Mouse Sparroir^ (wtttnin^
Trfinip^ or Hoodl it m.— This bird is S3 well known that
little space need be devoted to its description. In the male
the crown is gray, bordered with brown from the eye
backwards; the throat is black in the middle and
w^hite on the sides; the back is streaked black and browm;
the breast is black; belly and sides gray and the rump
ashy; the tail gray, the wings brown and white and the
feet brown. In the female the head and rump are of a
grayish brown; the back is streaked with black and a deep
dirty yellow; the sides and whole under surface are pale
grayish, wath a brown tinge.

The birds build their nests of almost any material they
can get hold of in any available place; the eggs are from
four to eight in number, one and five-sixths by two-
thirds of an inch in size, and generally of a white color
with brow^n markings.

The English Sparrow was introduced into the United
States in 1852 by the Brooklyn Institute, eight pairs being
imported. These did not thrive and members of the In-
stitute and others subscribed to a fund of -^200 for the
acquirement of more. The second lot arrived in the lat-
ter part of the year and of these fifty were let loose at the
Narrows in New York harbor; the rest were placed in tlie

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 145

tower of the chapel of Greenwood cemetery. They were
released in the spring of 1^53 and did well. From that
time to the year 1881 English Sparrows were imported
direct from Europe to various states, the last consign-
ment being sent to Iowa City, Iowa, in 1881. Since that
time the birds have spread themselves over nearly the
whole of the United States and Canada, and there is little
doubt that in a few years they will have possession of the
entire country.

The object of the introduction of the EngUsh Sparrow
was the destruction of insect pests. As destroyers of in-
sects they have proven a lamentable failure in this coun-
try. All reports concerning them are alike: to-wit, they
do very little good and an immense amount of harm. In
a number of states bounties have been offered for their
destruction, but as there was no concerted action all over
the country the diminution in numbers was scarcely per-
ceptible. The birds destroy fruit and grain, both in the
blossom and in the more or less advanced state, and they
annoy and drive away large numbers of beneficial birds.
The few insects they destroy are but a trifle in the scale
when the large number of insectivorous birds driven away
by them is considered.

Government analyses of o2-2 stomachs showed that 22
contained wheat, 32" oats, 71 corn, 57 fruit seed, 102
grass seed, s.') weed seed, 211) vegetable matter, 19 bread,
rice, etc., 47 noxious insects, oO beneficial insects, 31 in-
sects of no economic importance.

The indigenous birds which make war on and destroy
th«- English Spairow are the Shrike, Purple Grackle, Crow
Blackl)ird, Sparrow Hawk, Screech Owl, Cooper's Hawk
and the Sharp-shinned Hawk, but unfortunately some of
these also destroy beneficial birds.

The principal interest in the English Sparrow in this
country centers in measures for its destruction. Bounty
laws have been tried but proved of little avail for obvious
reasons, but in a great many places in tliis countrv the

146 THE BIRDS OF NEAV JERSEY.

birds have been used for the table or have taken the place
of pigeons for trap shooting. There is httle doubt that
these uses would be more extensive if there were an easy
method of ti-apping the ])irds, but the English Sparrow is
as shrewd as he is worthless. Mr. W. T. Hill has been
very successful in trapping the l)irds for use at the traps
and in an exhaustive publication on the English Sparrow
issued by the government in 1889 Mr. Hill gives a descrip-
tion of his methods of capturing the pests. The article
originally appeared in the American Field and the appa-
ratus and methods employed are described jis follows:

"If we wish to catch a bird we must first acquaint our-
selves with its nature and habits, that w^e may intelligent-
ly bring to bear upon it the proper means to insure suc-
cess. Many birds, at certain seasons of the year, are
readily caught with simple devices carelessly applied, but
the English Sparrow, at all times, is the same cunning,
wary little fellow, not to be caught with chaff alone, and
great care is necessar}" in any approach upon it. Consid-
ering, however, that we have a vantage ground in its gre-
garious, nomadic habits, and following in this direction,
we produce something tliat appeals directly to its extreme
greediness and curiosity, which shall be life like and real;
and, realizing that it is quick to take alarm, we so a[)ply
it as to cause the bird to act impulsively, and to enable
us to take it by surprise as nuich as i)Ossible.

"The method used so successfully and exclusively by
me requires nets, with decoy and braced birds, placed in
the line of flight of the birds to and from their sleeping
and feeding pkices. The wild birds are influenced by the
decoy birds and then directed into the nets by means of
the braced birds, and are invariably caught while on the
wing or in the act of settling. The nets can also be used
to great advantage in places where the birds are known
to harbor, in which case decoy birds are not necessary;
but there should be no building, tree or other object for
the bird to alight upon inside of flf ty yards from the nets,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Wi

Fiti

Fiu. II.

J 48 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

it being best to attract its attention while on the wing, as
well as to prevent it from discerning anything unnsual.
The skillful operation of the nets in the main consists in
properly judging the flight of the bird in connection with
the movements of the nets, and to so control the force of
pulling in closing them as to cause the net to stiike the
bird when the radius of the semi-circle of either wing is
at a vertical point. The irregularity of the flight of the
Sparrow makes it difficult to catch many at one time.

"The mechanical operation of these nets is shown in
Figs. I and II. Fig. I shows nets open, lying flat upon
the ground. By pulling (d) each net is caused to move
upward and inward to the completion of a half circle, one
net slightly overlapping the other when closed, as shown
in Fig. II. The four points of each net formed l)y the
two cheeks (f) and two heel-pins (e) are on a straight
line. The nets are stretched tight over the tops of staffs
(b) which have socket attachment and work on wire in
check as a pivot or hinge. The tension on pull-line will
keep the nets straight and even, except when a strong
wind blows across them, in which case the arm or pull-
line is shortened or a pully ( j) attached.

"The nets should be made of linen material, al)Out the
size of No. 35 gilling-thread, of a dark, dirty green color,
the size of mesh being thirteen-sixteenths of an inch
from knot to knot, or fifteen knots to a foot. A conve-
nient and serviceable size of net would be thirty fe.'t long
by seven feet deep, to use with four foot staffs. They
should be provided with an ai-ming of heavier cord at the
top and bottom edges, to which the to}) line (c, Fig. I.)
should be threaded at top, and to form a stout edging to
permit of pegging to the ground at bottom.

"The top-line of the net should be a fine linen cord,
about one-eighth of an inch thick, provided at ends with
a small wooden clamp (i, Fig. I.) similar to those used on
tents; and at the place where the net ends on the top line,
one or more loops or eyes should be spliced, to admit the

Via. Ill

Fk;. IV

150 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

button on top of staff, and also to fasten the arms or pull-
line into.

"The pull-line should be of the same material as top-
line, with diverging- arms at the end next to the net.
It should be about forty yards long, which is the average
distance to stand from the middle of the net while oper-
ating it. A round piece of wood, about four inches
long, is temporarily fastened to it to permit of taking a
good grip while pulling.

"The staffs should be about four feet long and three-
quarters of an inch in diameter, of some light, strong
wood, with brass socket and eye (a. Fig. III. ) at bottom,
and button and ridge (b. Fig. III. ) also of brass at top.

"The cheeks (a. Fig. IV.) are wedge-shaped stakes
averaging nine inches long, with wire (No. 10) driven in
about an inch from the top, which at a projection of an
inch is bent upwards for about an inch. They should be
made of hickory or other hard wood and the wire should
fit in the wood so snugly as to barely permit of being-
moved with the fingers.

"The heel-pins (b, Fig. IV.) should also be made of
hard wood, about eighteen inches long, and one inch in
diameter at thickest part, tapering to a point, with pro-
jection at top to prevent cord from slipping off.

' ' The crooks ( c, Fig IV. ) which are used for staking
the bottom edge of net to the ground, are cut from the
branches of some hard wood tree, the long end being
about six inches in length.

"The bobber (1, Fig. V.), which is used in connection
with fly-stick for raising and flying braced bird, is con-
structed as follows : — a is a piece of hard wood two and a
half inches long, half an inch thick, and five-eighths of
an inch wide; h is apiece of No. !<• wire that when bent
so as to form an eye at the top is nine inches long, and
passes through a, leaving a space of half an inch between
wires, in which the fly stick moves up and down; c is also
of No. KJ wire, bent as shoAvn, passing through a hori-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

151

. "i •

,i.v/-'

' i: I

Via. v.— The above cut reji-
resents braced bird. »i.d aii-
pliances for usiiit^it : 1 bobber.
2 fly-stick. :! bract-d bird, 4
hrace-liiie, •"> \valer-<-up.

Fig. VI.

152 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

zontally outside of perpendicular wire b; the ends being
pointed and bent downwards, are forced into the ground
together with the long ends of b, which keeps it firmly in
position; d is also a piece of wood pivoted on wire c, T\'ith
tapering hole in end, into which the fly-stick is inserted.
The wires should fit snugly in a, so as to permit only of
being moved to suit the conditions of hard and soft ground,
and to regulate the height of raising bird; d should work
more easily on wire c, yet not loosely. To raise fly-stick
pass brace-line through eye in top of wire b, and fasten
to stick.

''The fly-stick (2, Fig. V.), to which the braced bird is
attached, and on which it is caused to sit, is a stiff wil-
low switch about two feet long, with loop about four and
a half inches long, made of fishing-line, wrapped on the
small end by means of waxed thread.

"The brace (Fig. VI.), is composed of four cords and
swivel, to be placed on bird as a means of fastening it
without injury, and to leave every movement of the bird
free and natural. The ring should be of German silver
wire, formed over a lead pencil, a common pin complet-
ing the swivel. The cord should be of soft cotton, which
when stretched in a straight line should measure about
one and three fourths inches. To put it on the bird pass
it over its head so as to appear like two cords encircling
its body with swivel at the breast-bone, and the knot of
cords in the centre of the back, when it will only be
necessary to put each wing and leg of the bird (in the
order named) between ths cords on each side of the brace.

''The brace-lines should be of mattress wire, fifty yards
long, and wound upon reel to prevent twisting.

"Having described each part separately we will now
consider how to put them together. Taking for granted
that the place which we have selected to put the nets
down on is perfectly level and clean, and that the end of
the pull line will i-each a fence or some slight cover, the

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 153

pack is placed upon the ground in the middle of the place
where the nets are to be set, and the nets are laid in a
line on each side of it. We now take two staffs and lap-
ping them about nine inches, lay them on the ground at
ends of top lines of nets, nearest where Ave intend to stand.
Taking the hatchet we drive two heel-pins in at the ex-
tremes of the staffs, when the distance between the two
pins will be the length of both staffs, less the nine inches
we lapped them. Having taken each top-line and allow-
ed about a foot of slack by means of clamps, and placed
them over heel-pins, taking also an extra turn, we go to
the other end and taking with us two more heel-pins re-
peat wiiat we have just done, taking care that the lines
are stretched perfectly straight and tight, and that these
pins, upon which so much strain comes, are secure. The
top-lines of nets now form two straight, parallel lines,
and care should be taken not to move them in any way
until after the checks are driven in. Tliese should now
be driven in at the points along top-line where the eyes
appear at ends of nets, inclining slightly outward so that
the wire will project on outside of line sufficiently to
cause the net when stretched on staff and held perpendic-
ularly to have a tendency to fall inward. We now pass
the socket of staffs over wires in the cheeks, and let out
sufficient of the slack of top line to permit of their being
stretched over and attached to button on top of staffs.
This being done we proceed to stake down the bottom
edges of nets — first the four corners, and then the hollow
places between them. The bobbers and fly-sticks come
next, and if five are used they should be placed as shown
in Fig. L, the lines attached, some food for birds placed at
ends of fiy-sticks. Then we can put on the pull-line, the
ends of the arms entering into the same eyes of top-lines
the buttons of staffs have. Now we are all ready but the
braced l)irds, which are put on sticks by i)assing the loop
at the end entirely through the' ling of brace, then pass-
ing bird through looj) and pulling tight on ring. We now

154 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

retire to the end of the puU-hne and when seated upon
camp stool we are ready for business.

"Now this may all appear too extensive and compli-
cated at first for some to attempt, but there are members
of every club who have suflticient ingenuity and intuition
to construct and use their own nets, which would not
only be a gratification of their individual pleasure, but
also a source of profit and advantage to the members in
general. With these nets, and by following the instruc-
tions given, the merest tyro could catch a great many
birds in a day — frequently a hundred or more. It should
always be borne in mind that the method is not in any
way to be considered as a baited trap, but that the prin-
ciple involved is to take the bird unawares — to fool it—
and that it is easier to fool one than ten. The number
caught at the end of the day will depend largely on bag-
ging every bird that comes within scope of the nets.
Make it a rule to be satisfied with one, if no others are in
sight, for after the old adage "a bird in the hand" etc., a
Sparrow in the nets is worth seventeen on the fence.

"As to when and where to go, while there are some
given rules for this, still the birds are so quick to take
alarm and so communicative, that it is not possible at
times to account for all their movements. Their vast
numbers and nomadic habits, however, will offset this,
and by a little study of the habits of the birds, and by a
few practical lessons in the shape of successes and fail-
ures, it will not be difficult to determine where a good
catch can be made.''

Spfirroi€\ Fielfi. — Length, five and two-thirds inches;
extent, eight inches; bill, one-third of an inch, reddish
flesh color; above, reddish brown, center of back
streaked with black; wing and tail [feathers, dark
brown, the former edged with reddish brown; the
small feathers of the wings are also tipped with white,
forming two light bands; rump, grayish brown; below,
white, tinged with buff on the breast and sides.

THE BIRDS OF >'E\Y JERSEY. 155

There is no apparent difference in the plumage of male
and female; but the winter dress is much duller and
browner than that of spring and summer. The young-
are spotted with dusky on the breast during their first
summer.

The birds nest on the gi"ound or in low bushes, the nest
being built of grasses, tendrils and small roots and lined
with fine grass and hair. The eggs are from three to five
in number, of a white or bluish white thickly spotted with
brown.

They breed in the eastern United States and Canada
and spend the winter principally south of the Middle
States. They are very abundant in New Jei-sey, arriving
here about March 1 8 and leaving towards the end of Octo-
ber, although a few winter in the southern part of the
state.

Their song begins with three clear, plaintive whistles,
and ends with a trill becoming more rapid tow^ards the
close. It has been likened to Fee-o, fee-o, fee-o. feiv-few-
feii\ fee-fee-fee.

The food of the birds consists of seeds, principally of
wild plants.

Sparrou\ J^o.r.— Length, seven inches; extent, eleven
inches; bill, half an inch, dusky above and yellow below;
chestnut brown above, all the feathers edged slight-
ly with gray; rumj), grayish brown; wings and tail, bright
tawny, long wing feathers dusky, edged with tawny;
below^, pure white, throat and breast coarsely spotted
with tawny, sides of the ])()dy streaked witli tawny and
dark brown.

The birds nest on the ground or in low trees and bushes.
The nest is built of coarse grasses and lined with finer
grasses, hair, moss and feathers. The eggs are either
four or five in nuinbci-, [)ale bUiish. spotted with brown,
and four-fifths by two thirds of an inch in size.

Tlie birds bi-eed nortli (»f the (liilf of St. Lawrence and

156 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

most of them spend the winter in the Southern States
northward as far as the Middle States. Tliey are numer-
ous in New Jersey from March 10 to April 10 and again
from October 15 to December 1, some wintering in the
southern part of the state.

Their note call is a zip^ but their song, not frequently
heard in New Jersey, is a sweet warble of full cadence.

The food of these birds consists of grass seeds and the
larvae of insects.

Sp€irroiv^ Crrasahoppev^ or Yellow-winged ^par-
rotv. — Length, five and a third inches; extent, eight
inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch, short and stout, dark
above and pale below; crown, black, feathers narrowly
edged with gray; a buff' central stripe reaching back to
the neck; upper surface of the body, speckled with black,
chestnut and gray; wings and tail, dull brown, edged
with buff; below, white, strongly suffused with buff on the
breast and sides; bend of the wing and spot before the
eye, bright yellow; legs and feet, flesh color. The young
bird is dusky above, all the feathers bordered with buff";
below, white, with dusky spots on the breast and sides.

The birds nest on the ground, the nest being built of
grasses, sometimes lined with hair. The eggs are from
four to five in number, white, with reddish In'own spots,
and three-fourths by one-half inch in size.

The birds breed throughout the eastern United States
and spend the winter in the West Indies and Mexico.
They are most numerous in the dry uplands. They ar-
rive in New Jersey about the first of May and leave about
October 20.

Their song is a very weak and insectlike cliirrup, some-
what resembling the grasshopper's; although it may be
heard at a distance of over a hundred feet the chances
are that a person not listening for it would pass a singing
bird by within ten feet without noticing it.

FOX SPARROW TREK SI'ARRoW

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 157

The food of the birds consists of grass seeds and the
larvae of insects.

SiHti'vow^ Mtensloir'^s, — Length, five inches; extent,
seven inches; bill, two-fifths of an incli; head, top and
sides, olive green; sides of crown, bla^k; back and wings,
chestnut brown, the feathers with black streaks and gray
edges; below, white, breast and sides tinged with buff and
spotted with black; tail, brown and gray; long wing
feathers, dull brown; V)end of wing, yellow.

The birds nest on the ground, the nest being built of
grasses, sometimes lined with hair. The eggs are either
four or five in numl)er, of a soiled white, with l)rown
spots, and three-fourths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States as far
northward as central New Jersey, but are rather rare in
this state, occurring mainly in cranberry bogs near the
coast.

Their song is a f re- trick, ssrrt, ssrrf.

Their food consists of seeds of grasses and the lai'vae of
insects.

;§»>//rro#C', Ipswirh. — Length, six and a quarter inches;
extent, nine inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch, brown;
head and back, light brownish gray, streaked with brown,
a spot of yellow before the eye and a white line over the
eye; breast and belly, white, streaked with l)rown: tail,
grayish brown, the feathers margined with light gray,
long wing feathers, brown, edged with gray and with a
spot of yellow at the bend; feet, brown. The nest is a
mere depression in the giound: the eggs are four or five
in number, pale green, with brown s|)ots. The bird
breeds in Nova Scotia and spends the winter southward
as far as Virginia. It is occasionally found along the
sand dunes of the New Jersey coast. Its song is weak
and halting and generally confined to a sharp cliiij).

158 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Sparrow^ MjincoltVs, — Length, five and three-fourths
inches ; bill, two-fifths of an inch. General appearance
similar to the Song Sparrow. The upper parts consist of
black, gray and brown streaks, the under parts are white
with black streaks and with strong buff tint across the
breast and down th^ sides, a stripe of yellow^ buff on each
side of the head from the base of the bill. They nest on
the ground, the nest being made of grasses, small roots
and tendrils and lined with hair. The eggs are four or
five in number, white, with a green or yellow tinge, and
four-fifths by three-fifths of an inch in size. They breed
north of the United States and southward along the high
mountains and spend the winter in Mexico. They are very
rare in New Jersey and never seen excepting during the
spring or fall migrations.

Sparrow^ Seasitle. — Length, six inches; bill, three-
fifths of an inch, lead color; throat, white, a dusky line
on each side; a yellow line before the eye; back, grayish
green; breast, mottled gray and white; belly, white; sides,
gray; tail, grayish brown, the feathers having dull green-
ish edges; wings, dusky, with yellow^ line at the bend;
feet, dark. Young birds are very different; brown above,
streaked with l)lack; buft'y white below, with lilack
streaks on the l)reast.

The birds nest on the ground, the nest being built of
grasses and reeds and lined with finer grasses. The eggs
are either three or four in number, white, with a bluish
tinge, and with brown spots most numerous near the
large end, and four-fifths by two-thirds of au inch in size.

The birds breed from Massachusetts southward along
the Atlantic coast and in the winter go southward of
North Carolina. They are very abundant along the New
Jersey coast and Delaware bay, in the brackish marshes,
a few occasionally wintering in the southern part of the
state.

Their song consists of a chirp of four or five notes.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 159

The food consists principal!}^ of insects and larvae
picked up along the sands.

Sparrou\ ^ong. — Length, six and a half inches; ex-
tent, eight and a half inches; hill, half an inch, horn
color; crown, brown, with gray line._down the centre, a
gray line over the eye and brown line behind the eye:
back, l)ro\vn, with bay, gray and black streaks; breast,
white, streaked with chestnut and black, the spots coales-
cing in the middle and foi'ming a more or less distinct spot;
belly, white; sides, white, with long pointed dark chest-
nut and black spots; tail, dark brown, edged with lighter
brown; wings, dark brown, edged with bay; legs, flesh color.

The birds nest on the ground or in ])ushes, the nest be-
ing built of grasses, roots, leaves and bark, lined with fine
grasses and sometimes with hair. AVhen undisturbed the
birds bring out three broods in a season. The eggs are
four or five in number, of a white or a bluish white, with
numerous brown spots and blotches, differing in intensity
of color in different nests, and three-fourths by three-
fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the Eastern United States north of
the Southern States and are generally distributed. In
New Jersey they are the most numerous of all the Spar-
rows; they prefer the vicinity of water and in the winter
large numbers of them betake themselves to the swamps
and meadows along the Delaware.

The song, whicli is heard day and night for twelve
months in the year, more sparingly in the winter months,
somewhat resembles the beginning of a Canary's song,
but it is different whether uttered on the wing or in the
busli. Thorcau compares it to OIH\ ohl, of if — chip, cfiij),
(■fiiji, (he-char — che-triss, tciss, and again to ^fai(^s,
iii((i(fs, vKiids, fioiKj on //our ieaketffe-efffe-eftfe.

The food of the birds consists principally of seeds of
glass and the larvae of insects.

IfiO THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

ISpart'ou\ Saranna, — Length, five and two -thirds
inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch, dark above, pale
below; very much like the Song Sparrow in general color-
ation, but has a yellow spot before the eye and on the
bend of the wing; the black streaking above is more pro-
nounced and the head is streaked with buft^ instead of
chestnut; in the edging of the tail the reddish brown is
also replaced by buff; feet, light flesh color.

The birds nest on the ground, the nest being built of
grass lined with finer grasses or hair. The eggs are four
or five in number, bluish white with brown spots and
sometimes with a brown tint all over, and three-fourths
by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the northern Middle States and
northward and spend the winter in southern New Jersey
and southward. In New Jersey they are numerous dur-
ing migrations, especially along the coast and rivers, be-
tween March 20 and May 15, and again between Septem-
ber 1 and October 20; many winter in the southern part
of the state and some breed in the northern part.

Their song is a weak, musical trill, generally heard
in the evening, described by Samuels as cheivee eh e (riff -
chewitt-cheuntf-chewe-et-chewee.

Their food consists of seeds and the larvae of insects.

Sparrow^ Sharp-taileil. — Length, five and three-
fifths inches; bill, half an inch, extremely sharp; throat,
white, an orange line from over the eye down the side of
the throat, meeting another from the base of the bill;
crown, brown, with a gray line through the centre; back,
olive brow^n, with butt^ and black streaks; breast, white,
with buff tinge and streaked with black; belly, white;
sides, light buff, streaked with black; tail, each feather
sharply pointed and the outer ones much shorter than
those in the middle, gray and olive; wing, brown, yellow
at the bend; feet, clay color. Young birds quite buff be-
low and black and buff above.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 161

The nests of these birds are firmly fastened between
tussocks in swamps and marshes and there are two broods
each season. The eggs are either three or four in number,
of a white or soiled white with fine brown spots, most nu-
merous near the large end, and four-fifths by three-fifths
of an inch in size.

The birds breed along the Atlantic coast from Maine to
North Carolina and in the winter are distributed along
the coast of the South Atlantic States. In New Jersey
they are very abundant in the salt water marshes and
along the Delaware.

Their song is short, gasping and husky, described by
Dr. D wight as licsee-e-oop.

They feed on sea food with scraps of shellfish and drift.

Two other Sharp- tailed Sparrows occur in the United
States: the Acadian Sharp tail, replacing the present
bird on the coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,
and the other. Nelson's Shaiptail, of the fresh water
marshes of the upper Mississippi valley. Both occur in
New Jersey during migrations. They closely resemble
the common Sharptail but are rather smaller. The
Acadian is duller all over, with olive tints below and with
no light streaks above, while the Nelson's is brighter color-
ed; the breast bright bufi:', with scarcely any spots, and
the light streaks above very bright and nearly pure white.

Spari'OM'^ Sivanip. — Length, five and three-fourths
inches; extent, eight inches; bill, half an inch long, dusky
above and bluish below; crown, bay, in young birds and
in winter streaked with black and gray; forehead, black;
throat, white; a gray line over the eye and a black line
behind the eye; back, black, skirted with bay; breast,
light ash, in winter sutt'used with a brownish tint; middle
of belly, white; rump, grayish brown, sometimes streak-
ed with black; sides, pale grayish brown; tail, grayish
brown; wings, brown, with black spots, long feathers

162 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

edged with bay ; legs, brown. The young are spotted with
dusky below.

The nest is built on the ground or in a tussock in
swamps, of coarse grasses, roots, leaves and l)ark, lined
with finer grasses and sometimes with hair. The eggs
are four or five in number, of a white or a bluish white
color, with brown spots and frequently brown blotches, and
three-fourths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the Eastern United States from the
Middle States northward and winter from the southern
border of the Middle States southward. Some breed and
some winter in New Jersey but they are more plentiful
here during the spring and fall migrations.

Their song is a lisping tweettireet-t^veet. very short.

Their food consists of grass seeds, wild oats and insects.

Sparroti'^ Tree^ or Jf Vnter Chippy.— luength, six
and one-third inches; extent, nine and a half inches;
bill, two -fifths of an inch, black, except the lower
part of the base, which is yellow; head, a bright
bay, sometimes with gray edgings, a gray line over
the eye and a bay line behind it; back, dark brown,
with streaks of ba3% black and light bulf ; breast, grnyish
white, with faint black and bay spot in the centre; mid-
dle of belly, white; rump, grayish brown: sides, grayish
brown, lighter than rump; tail, forked, black, with out-
side edge bulfy white; wings, dark brown, tipped with
white, forming two bands across the middle; legs, brown-
ish clay; feet, brownish black.

The birds nest on or near the ground, the nest being-
built of grasses, roots and hair. The eggs are either four
or five in number, of a pale green or a greeuish blue with
brown spots, and three-fourths by three-fifths of an inch
in size.

The birds breed in the far north and in winter are dis-
tributed throughout the eastern United States; in New

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 163

Jersey they are very plentiful, frequently in large flocks,
between October 15 and April ir>.

Their song, heard generally in February and March, is
like that of a Canary, but finer and not so loud; Bur-
roughs says that it is ''a soft, sweet note, almost running
into a warble."

The food of the birds consists of seeds of weeds and
grasses.

Sparrow^ T'espcr^ Grass Finch^ or Bay-ivinged
Hunting. — Length, five and three-quarter inches; ex-
tent, ten and a half inches. The upper parts are an ashy
brown, mottled with deep browm or black; wings, dusky,
edged with brown and with white tips to small feathers;
outer feather on tail, wiiite on outside edge and tipped
with white, the next tipped and edged for half an inch
with the same, the rest dusky, edged with pale brown; bill,
two-fifths of an inch in length, dark brown above, palerbe-
low; around the eye is a narrow^ circle of white; the upper
part of the breast is buffy white, thickly streaked with
pointed spots of black that pass along the sides; belly,
white; legs and feet, flesh-colored.

The nest is built on the ground of coarse grasses, lined
with finer grasses and long hairs. The eggs are either
four or five in number, of a bluish white or a grayish
white, spotted with bi'own, and four-fifths by three-fifths
of an inch in size.

The birds breed from Virginia to Nova Scotia, passing
the winter in the southern part of New Jersey and south-
ward; migiants arrive about the middle of April and re-
turn about the first of November.

The song, generally heard early in the morning and
again towards evening, is loud, clear and ringing, com-
pared by Mabel Osgood Wright to chewee-cheiceecheivee,
t ira-lira-lira-lee .

The food of the bird consists of seeds with some berries
and insects.

164 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Sparrau'^ If* hite-Crawncfl. — Length, six and three
quarter inches; bill, half an inch, dusky above, flesh color
below; crown, jet black, with a broad central white stripe
and a narrow one over each e3^e; back, mottled brown and
gray; rump, grayish brown: tail and wing, dull brown,
the latter crossed by two white bars: below, gray; center
of belly and thi-oat, white. Young V)irds have the head
brown above. A rare migrant in New Jeisey, breeding
north of the United States, with much the same habits as
the following.

Sparrow^ 1%'hitc Ihroateti^ or Petibofly Bird.
— Length, six and three-quarter inches; extent, nine
inches; hill, half an inch in length, bluish horn color;
head, a yellow line before the eye, centre of crown a
white stripe and on each side of this a nuich wider black
stripe, white stripe from the eye backwnrds alonj;side of
head and a white patch on the throat ; back, brown with black
streaks and a light edge of gray; breast, ash; belly, white;
rump, grayish brown; sides, grayish brown: tail and
wings, grayish brown, the latter yellow at the bend and
crossed by two bars of white; legs, flesh -color. The
voung V)ird has the head In-own instead of black and
white, and the white throat is more obscured.

The nests are built on the ground or in low bushes, of
grasses, roots, moss and bark, lined with finer grass.
The eggs are either four or five in number, of a bluisli
white with brown spots, and four-fiftlis by three-fifths of
an inch in size.

The birds breed along the northei-n l)order of the United
States northward and along the high mountains south-
ward and in the winter are distributed throughout the
eastern United States from about the middle of New Jer-
sey southward.

Their song, which is plaintive, remarkably sweet and
clear, is heard all winter.

Their food consists of seeds, principally those of alders
and weeds.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY, l<i5

^pavrou'^ \' ellou'-u'iHgeil. See Grassliopper Spar-
row.

Spirit Duck. See Buffle-head Duck.

Sprii^titil. See Pintail Duck.

SUike MPriver. See Bittern.

Summer M^uck. See Wood Duck.

Sttmmcr YYHotrhirtt. See Yellow Warbler.

Swallow^ Bank^ or Sand .?lr#r/«ii.— Length, live
and a half inches; extent, ten inches: bill, one fifth of an
inch, black; plumage above generally sooty brown; throat,
white; breast with brownish gray band; belly and sides,
w^hite; tail, forked, brown, the exterior feathers slightly
edged with gray; wings, brown, the wings aiul tail being
darkej- than the back; feet, dark.

The birds nest in colonies in clay or sandy banks; mak-
ing holes or tunnels from twelve to eighteen inches in
length, at the extremity of which is the nest, made of
grass and feathers. The eggs are from four to six in
number, white, and two-tliirds by one-half inch in size.
There ai-e two broods each season.

The birds bi-eed tliroughout the whole of North America
and spend the winter in the West Indies, Central America
and soutliwards. Some remain all summer to breed in
New Jersey, l)ut they are more plentiful here during mig-
rations, from August I." to Septend)ei- 1 and again from
April >^ to 2(1.

Their song is a gladsome twitter.

Their food consists of insects, generally taken on the
wing.

Sti'allotr. Barn. — Length, seven inches; extent, thir-
teen inches; biU, one fourth of an inch, black; throat.

166 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

dark chestnut red; back, steel-blue; breast and belly,
lighter chestnut; tail, forked, the outer featliers an inch
and a quarter longer than the next pair; color of tail,
brownish black, with white spots on exterior feathers, and
reflections of green; wings, above black with reflections of
green; legs, dark brown. The young birds are lighter be-
low, duller above, and with the outer tail feathers only
three-eighths of an inch longer than the next pair.

The birds nest in barns or any convenient building,
the nest being made of mud and grass and lined with finer
grass and feathers. The eggs are from four to six in
number, white, with brown spots, and three-fourths by
one-half inch in size.

The birds breed throughout the whole of North Amer-
ica and spend the winter in Mexico and southward. They
are very abundant in New Jersey from April 10 to Sep-
tember 1.

Their song is a pleasant twitter.

Their food consists of insects generally taken on the
wing near the ground.

Swallotv^ Chimney. See Chimney Swift.

Swallow.^ Cliffy or Have Swallow. — Length, five
and a half to six inches; extent, ten to eleven inches; bill,
one-fifth of an inch long, black; forehead, buff, forming
a crescent -shaped frontlet; crown, steel-blue; throat and
sides of head, chestnut, the former with a steel blue
central spot, a brownish gray band around the hind neck;
back, steel-blue, with indistinct white streaks; breast,
brownish gray; belly, white; tail, nearly square, dark
brown, with greenish lustre; rump, chestnut; wings,
dark brow^n, glossed with greenish; feet, brown.

The location of the nest depends a great deal on cir-
cumstances. When near human habitations the birds
build their nests under the eaves of houses or other build-
ings; in uninhabited parts they nest under cliffs; when the

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 16T

nests are found under eaves they are of a gourd-shape
with the opening near tlie neck. The nests are very-
fragile, made of mud with a httle straw and Uned with
feathers. The birds breed in colonies and raise two broods
a year. The eggs are either four or five in number,
white with brown spots, and four-fifths by one-half inch
in size.

They breed throughout the whole of North America and
spend the winter in Mexico and Central America. They
are regular but not very abundant in Xew Jersey, princi-
pally along the coast and in river valleys, some breeding
and summering in the southern part of the state, but
most abundant during migrations; those that spend the
summer in the state arrive about the first of May and
leave about the first of September.

Their cry is nearer a squeak than a twitter.

They feed on insects, taken on the wing and destroy a
great many flies.

!Sit'aflotf\ Kave, See Cliff Swallow.

Sivalloit\ Kouj^h'trinsed. — This bird very nuich re-
sembles in ap[)eaTance and hal)its the Bank Swalknv. It
is a trifle larger and it does not always nest in banks, but
frequently under bridges, railroad trestles and in stone
walls. The principal difference between the two is that
the Rough-winged is ashy on the under surface, shading
gradually to white on the middle of the belly; with no
white throat and sharply defined breast l)and which
characterize the Bank Swallow. The old birds have the
tips of the outer webs of the outermost wing feather
bent backwards and stiffened, forming a series of little
hooks, which are very perceptible if the fingei- is rubbed
nlong tlie outer edge of the feather towards the tip.
Its eggs munber from foui" to eight, are white in color,
and three-fourths by one-half an inch in size. They breed
from Connecticut and New Jersey southward, arriving

168 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

about April 25 and leaving about September 1, spending
the winter in Mexico and the south.

Sivallou\ S€€i. See Common Tern.

Swalloii'^ Tree^ or White-bellied Swallow. —

The upper parts all steel, blue, greenish in the autumn;
the under parts pure white. The length of the birds is
six inches. The young are sooty brown above, with no
metallic reflections. Some breed in bird boxes when con-
venient, but many still prefer a hollow tree or an aband-
oned Woodpecker hole, disdaining the commodities of
civilization. The nest is made of grass and feathers.
The eggs ai-e from four to seven in number, generally six,
white, three-fourths by one-half inch in size. The birds
breed in the Middle States and northward, being found in
spring and summer along the New Jersey coast and in
the pine barrens. They spend the winter in Florida and
the West Indies southward to Central America. Mig-
rants arrive in New Jersey between April 20 and May 15
and again between August 15 and September 1. Their
song is a warbling twitter. Their food consists princi-
pally of insects, taken on the wing, but during migrations
they also feed on bayberries.

Swallow^ JW^Iiite-bellicd. See Tree Swallow.

Swan^ V^histUng. — This bird is of rare occurrence
in New Jersey, a specimen being occasionally seen along
the coast in winter. It is fifty-five inches in length and
the entire plumage is white; the bill and feet are black.
It builds its nest on the ground in high northern latitudes
and in the winter is of frequent occurrence along the
coast of the south Atlantic States.

Swift^ Chimney. — Length, four and a half inches; ex-
tent, twelve inches. The plumage is of a sooty brown,
except the chin and line over the eye, which are of a dull

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 169

white; the bill is only one-seventh of an inch in length,
hard and black; legs, dull black; thighs, naked and of the
same tint; claws, very sharp; the wings when closed ex-
tend an inch and a half beyond the tip of the tail, which
is rounded and consists of ten feathers, the shafts of which
are produced, forming sharp spines.

In wild regions the nest is built in a liollow tree, but
wherever there are any settlements, in a chimney. It is
a basket-like contrivance, made of dead twigs snapped from
trees and glued together with the saliva of the bird and
similarly fastened to the side of the chimney. The eggs
are from four to six in number, white, and four-fifths by
one-half inch in size.

The birds breed and are distributed from Virginia to
Canada, coming to New Jersey about the middle of April
and leaving for the Southern States shortly after the
first of October.

Its song is a rolling twitter.

The food consists of insects, invariably caught on the
wing. The birds feed more frequently in the late after-
noon and early evening.

Tanaget'^ Scarlet, — Length, seven and one-foui'th
inches; extent, twelve inches; bill, half an inch. The
plumage of the male is a bright scarlet, excepting the
wings and tail, which are a jet black, and the under part
of the wing, which is white. In the female the upper
parts are an olive green, the wings and tail a dark slate,
indistinctly edged with green, and the under parts yellow
olive. The feet are of a deep horn color. In autumn
and winter the male assumes a dress exactly like that of
the female, except that the wings are blacker. The red
dress is again acquired in early spring or late winter.

The nest is flat and apparently carelessly built and gen-
erally found near the end of a limb of a pine or oak, the
birds very seldom leaving the woods for the purpose of
breeding. The nest is made of twigs and stalks and lined

170 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

with tendrils and finer vegetation. The eggs are three or
four in number, greenish blue, with brownish spots, and
nine-tenths by two-thirds of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the Eastern United States north-
ward from New Jersey and spend the winter in the West
Indies and Mexico and southward. Migrants pass
through from May o to 1^ and from September 10 to
October 10.

The song is rather harsh, not very melodious and still
not unpleasant when heard in the woods.

Their food consists of fruits and berries, but they also
take large numbers of beetles, larvae of insects, wasps,
hornets, bumble bees and other large-winged insects.

Teal^ Blu€'iving€d. — Length, sixteen inches; extent,
twenty-five inches; bill, one and three-fifths inches, dark
slate; head, dark gray, with purplish reflections; crown,
blackish; chin, black; white vertical band on each side of
the head in front of the eye; back, dark slate, the feathers
with buff edgings; breast, belly and sides, light brown,
tinged with cinnamon and with dusky spots and mottling;
tail, dark l)rown, pointed, reaching two inches be-
yond the closed wings; wings, slaty, with a grayish blue
band and a bright green spot, between which the feathers
are tipped with white; legs and feet, yellow. In the fe-
male the crown is slate, with an indistinct edge of gray,
the sides of the head and the neck are light brown with
black spots and the green spot on the wings is a darker
hue. The number of eggs is from six to twelve, of a
cream color, one and nine-tenths by one and three-tenths
inches in size. They breed throughout the whole of
northern North America and are found mainly on fresh
water, being most plentiful in New Jersey in September
and April. They spend the winter in the south as far
down as the West Indies and northern South America.
Their food is principally vegetable, the seeds of reeds and

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 171

wild oats, although they also take insects and tadpoles.
Their flesh is delicate and highly esteemed for the table.

TciU^ (wreen^winged. — Length, fourteen and a half
inches; extent, twenty-four inches; bill, one and one-
third inches, black; head, bay; sides of head, green; chin,
black; upper back, barred line with lines of black and white;
lower back, dark slate; breast, light brown with black
spots; belly, white; sides, with white and black lines; tail,
brown ; wings, slaty, a white bar near the bend and spot
of purplish black and rich green on the middle preceded
by a rusty bar; feet, gray. The female has the top of the
head dark slate with brown edges, the throat and sides of
the neck white with black spots and the back dai'k slate
edged with gray. The eggs are from six to twelve in
number, cream colored, and one and four-fifths by one
and one-fourth inches in size. The birds breed throughout
the northern United States and spend the winter south as
far down as Cuba. They are more plentiful than the pre-
ceding, especially in the spring and fall migrations, rare on
the coast and more numerous in large rivers. Their food
and flesh are similar to those of the preceding.

Teeter. See Spotted Sandpiper.

Tern., jBlack. — Length, ten inches; extent, twenty-
two inches; bill, one inch. In summer the back, wings
and tail are a slate color and the rest of the ])lumage
black; in the winter the under parts and forehead are
white and the back, wings and tail a light gray. The
nest is a closely woven and compact contrivance, made of
reeds and grasses in the marshes. The eggs are tw^o oi-
three in number, of a light brown with darker brown
markings and one and one-third by one inch in size.
They breed through the northern interior of temperate
North America and spend the winter in the Gulf and
South Atlantic States. They occur in New Jersey only

172 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

during the fall migrations. Their food consists princi-
pally of dragon flies and aquatic insects.

Tern^ Common^ JW'ilson^s Tern^ or Sea SiVitllow.

■ — Length, fifteen inches; extent, thirty inches; bill, one
and two-fifths inches long, straight, sharp pointed, crim-
son-red at the base and black at the eud; top of head,
black; throat, white; back, gray; breast and belly, pale
gray; tail, pale lead, edged on the sides with gray, forked;
Avings, gray, with silvery white edgings; legs and feet,
orange red. In winter the front part of the head and the
under parts are white.

There is no pretense whatever of building a nest, the
eggs being deposited in dry drift grass where the female
covers them during the night and in stormy weather, the
rest of the hatching being done by the sun. The eggs
are three or four in number, of an olive brown, with
brown and purple spots, and one and three-fifths by one
and four-fifths inches in size.

The birds breed along the Atlantic coast as far north as
Canada and spend the winter in the South Atlantic states
along the coast. They were formerly very abundant in
New Jersey and their history here is an able answer to the
argument of persons who claim that the killing of birds
does no harm. Years ago the coast of New Jersey was a
favorite breeding ground for these birds until the edicts
of fashion in millinery demanded their feathers; by 188:5
they had been almost exterminated and no nests were
found; then a stringent law was passed prohibiting their
kilhng and now they are again beginning to breed in this
state; they are quite numerous during migrations,
due undoubtedly to prohibitory legislation against their
slaughter passed in other states.

Their food consists of fish.

Tern^ JForster'^s, — This bird very much resembles the
common Tern, being about the same size; the principal

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 173

difference is that in Forster's Tern the outer web of the
tail feathers is lighter than the inner and that the breast
and belly are pure white; the eggs of Foster's Tern are a
little larger. It breeds in temperate North America,
pi-incipaliy on large inland waters, and spends its winters
in South America. It is a rare migrant in New Jersey.

Tern^ fwull-billeft^ or •llarsh Tern. — Length, foui
teen and a half inches; extent, thirty-four inches; bill,
one and two-fifths inches, black and heavy; top of head,
black; back, light silv^er gray: breast and belly, white;
tail, forked, white; wings, pale gray with silvery edge;
feet, black. In winter the top of the head is white. The
eggs are deposited in dry drift grass, from three to five in
number, cream with brown spots, and one and four-fifths
by one and one fourth inches in size. The birds breed
from Brazil to Long Island and previous to their slaughter
for millinery purposes were plentiful along the New Jer-
sey coast, where they are rare now. They spend tlie
winter in southern Mexico and southward. They do not
depend on fish for food but take large nund)ersof insects,
capturing them on the wing.

Tern^ Lteasl. — Length, nine inches; extent, twenty
inches; bill, one and one-tenth inches, yellow, tipped
with black; forehead, white; back and tail, light gray;
breast and belly, white; wings, gray, with slaty black
edges to the outer feathers: feet, orange. In the winter
the top of the head is while, si>()tted with hlack and the
bill is dusky. They breed on sandy beaches, the eggs be-
ing three or four in number, cream with brown spots, and
one and one-fourth by nine tenths inches in size. Tliey
breed fiom the South Atlantic coast to Massachusetts and
spend the winter along the Gulf coast and the coast' of
Mexico. They were foiinerly very numerous in'New^^Jer-
sey but now no longer breed here and are seen only dur-
ing migrations. They were practically exterminated in

174: THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY.

1883, when the breeding birds were killed off for millinery
purposes, leaving the young to starve to death. Like the
preceeding they vaiy a fish food with insects of all kinds.

Tern^ •JMarsh. See Gull -billed Tern.

Tertt^ n'ilson-s. See Common Tern.

Thistle-bird. See Goldfinch.

Thritsh., •Mlice^s, See Gray-Cheeked Thrush.

Thrush^Blarkbird . See Rusty Blackbird.

Thrush,, ISrotrti. See Brown Thrasher.

Thrush,, Goldeu-croivueil. See Ovenbird.

Thrush, Oruy-eheeked. — Length, seven and a half
inches; bill, one-half inch in length, slender. Above,
brownish olive, nearly uniform, though tail and wings
are a trifle brighter; below, white, shading into a hght
huff on the l)reast; breast and fore part of the abdomen
spotted with olive brown; sides of the head, whitish with
whitish streaks on the ear coverts and white spot before
the eye; legs, light flesh color. The birds breed in low
bushes and shrubs, making a nest of grasses, leaves, bark
and lining it with finer grasses. The eggs are four in
number, greenish blue with brown spots, and one inch by
three-fourths in size. It breeds north of the United
States and spends the winter in Mexico and the south.
In New Jersey it is transient, not very numerous, occur-
ring about the middle of May and again between Septem-
ber 20 and October 10. Torrey gives its song as weeo,
iree-o, tit-li ivee-o. It feeds on berries and insects.

Thrush,, Hermit. — Length, seven and one- fifth inches;
extent, eleven inches; bill, half an inch long, black above,

THE BIRDS OF XEW JERSEY. lY5

gray below; above, brown, tinged with olive; tail, bright
rufous or chestnut; below as in the preceding species.

The nest is built on the ground, of moss, leaves and
grass and lined with tendrils and pine needles. The eggs
are either three or four in number, of a greenish blue,
with brown spots, more numerous near the large end,
and six sevenths by one- third of an inch in size.

It breeds in the northern Cnited States northward and
southward along the Allegliany mountains and spends
the winter in the lower Middle and Gulf States. In the
southern part of New Jersey it is a regular though not
numerous winter resident.

Its song is flute-like, very sweet and melodious, but
not very loud. Burroughs compares it to () spheral,
spheral, O hoi//, holy, O, clear airay, clear tip, clear up,
and the same author says: "If we take the quality of
melod}* as a test, the Wood Thrush, the Hermit Thrush
and the Veery Thrush stand at the head of our list of
songsters.'"

The food of the bird consists of wild berries.

Thrush^ Olive-haeked., or Swainson^s Thrush. —

Exactly like the Gray-cheeked Thrush in its markings,
but distinguished by the brighter buft" of the breast, and
by a bright buff suffusion on the sides of the head, cover-
ing all the marks which are whitish in the Gray-cheeked;
feet, pale brown. It nests in bushes and small trees, the
nest being built of grasses, moss and bark, lined with
finer grasses and tendrils. The eggs are three or four in
number, of a greenish blue with brown spots, and nine-
tenths by two-thirds of an iiicli in size. It breeds north
of the United States, excepting along the higher moun-
tains and spends the winter in the Gulf States and south-
ward. In New Jersey it is fairly abundant during mi-
grations, from May '> to May 25 and again from Septem-
l)er ir. to October 1.".. Its song is Hke that of the Wood

176 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Thrush, but not so lively and more melancholy. Its
food consists of insects and berries.

Thrush^ Swainson''s. See Olive-backed Thrush.

Thrush^ ff*il.soM's, or \*eevy. — Length, seven and
a half inches; bill, half an incb; above, uniform tawny
brown; below, white; breast and sides of throat, pale buff,
faintly spotted with brown. This bird is distinguished
from all the other Thrushes by the paleness of the spots
on the breast and the fact that they do not extend back
on the fore part of the belly; feet, light.

The nest is built on or near the ground, of sticks, bark,
twigs, roots and leaves and lined with leaves, small roots
and tendrils. The eggs are from three to five in number,
of a greenish blue, and five-sixths by one-third of an inch
in size.

The birds breed from the middle of New Jersey north-
ward and spend the winter in Mexico and the south.
They breed and spend the summer in Northern New Jer-
sey; migrants pass through from May 5 to May 25 and
again from September 1 to September 20.

Their song is considered one of the finest heard and is
compared by Professor Ridgvvay to taweel-ah-taweel-ah,
tivil-ah, twil-ah.

Their food consists of insects and berries.

Thrush^ If'ooff. — Length, one and one-third inches;
bill, three-fifths of an inch, dark brown; tawny biown
above, becoming very bright on the head and shading in-
to olive brown on the tail; below, pure white, with round
black spots extending back to the flanks; ear coverts,
streaked black and white.

The nest is built on saplings in low trees and bushes
and is compactly woven of leaves, roots, sticks and tendrils,
lined with mud and this lined with fine roots. The eggs
are from three to five in number, greenish blue in color,
and one inch by three-fourths of an inch in size.

Xj^g,

u

WOOD THRUSH.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 177

The birds breed in the eastern United States, as far
north as Massachusetts, and spend the winter in Cuba
and southward. They are not very plentiful in New Jer-
sey, where they arrive about the first of May and leave
about the first of October.

Mabel Osgood Wright, in "Birdcraft," Macmillan &
Co., says of the Wood Thrush: "He is an exquisite vocal-
ist, the tones having a rare quality of rolling vibrance,
and, often as he utters his plaintive notes, each one full
and deliberate, the song seems like the music of a flute
and an aeolian harp strung in the trees. Uoli, he begins
and after pausing continues, aeolee, (the last syllable hav-
ing the harp quality), noU-iioJ i -aeoJee-Iee. First softly,
then modulating, reiterating sometimes for an hour to-
gether; but compassing in these few syllables the whole
range of pure emotion.'"

The food of these birds consists of insects and berries.

Tilt'itp. See Spotted Sandpiper.
Tinker. See Razor-billed Auk.

Titlark^ or JRipit. — Length, six and one- third inches;
bill, half an inch, dark; white or buff line over eye; back,
brownish gray; breast and sides, buff' or buffy white,
streaked with dark slate on the sides of the throat and
across the breast; tail, brownish gray, the outer feather
with the terminal half white and the next slightly tipped
with white; wings, dark Inown, with a somewhat lighter
band across the middle; feet, brown.

The nest is built on the ground and is composed of
grasses. The eggs are from four to six in number, of a
dull white thickly s])eckled with biown, and four-fifths by
three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the far north and in the winter go
south as far as the southern United States. They are
very abundant, generally in flocks in New Jersey, fi-om

178 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

the first of November to the middle of March, especially
near the coast.

Their cry is a weak dee- dee when flushed or when
on the wing.

Their food consists of insects and the larvae of insects.

Titmouse^ Ttiftetl^ or Crested Tit. — Length, six
inches; extent, seven and a half inches; bill, half an
inch long, black; a sharply-pointed and high crest
on the head. The color of the plumage on the upper
parts is blue gray, the tail and tips of the wings be-
ing darker; the under parts are white, tinged with ashy,
the sides washed with rusty brown; feet, lead-colored.

The nests are built in hollow stumps, abandoned Wood-
pecker holes and occasionally in bird boxes, and are made
of leaves, moss and bark and lined with feathers and
hair. The eggs are from five to eight in number, cream
colored with brown spots, and seven-tenths b}^ one half
an inch in size.

The birds breed and are distributed from the middle of
New Jersey southward and are very numerous in the
southern part of this state.

Mr. Nehrling compares their ^ougiohee dJf-dee-dle-dee-
dle-dee, and at other times peto-peto-peto-dayteedaijtee.

Their food consists of the larvae of insects.

ToH'hee. See Chewink.

Torehbinl. See Blackburnian Warbler.

Trainp. See English Sparrow.

Tri-cotor. See Red-headed Woodpecker.

Turnstone^ €Uilicoback^ or Brunt Bird. — Length,
nine and a half inches; extent, nineteen inches; bill, one
inch long; head, white, the crown streaked with black;
sides and front of the neck, black; chin and throat, white;

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 179

back and upper part of wings, rusty brown, with
broad black bands; sides of the breast, white, the upper
part reaching around on sides of neck, black; belly and
rump, white; tail, white, with black band at the end tip-
ped with white; wings, brown and black and edged with
white and with white bar. In printer there is less brown
in the plumage and the black feathers on the head, neck
and breast have white edges.

The nest is a mere dej^ression in the ground lined with
dead leaves. The eggs are four in number, very variable
in color, from a pale green to a cream, spotted with gray,
black and brown, and one and two-thirds by one and one-
sixth inches in size.

The birds breed in the far north and spend the winter
in South America. They are numerous along the New
Jersey coast in May and again from August 1 to Septem-
ber 15. They are generally seen in small companies or
singly and never in large flocks.

They feed on the spawn of the king-crab or horse -shoe
crab and also on insects and small shellfish; they obtain
the latter frequently by turning over stones, using both
bill and breast for that purpose.

Tyrant Flycfitcher. See Kingbird.
J^eery. See Wilson's Thrush.

l^trco, Blu€'headed^ or Solitary T*ir€o, — Length,
five and three-fifths inches; bill, one-fourth of an inch,
white eye-ring; top and sides of head, bluish gray, shading
gradually into olive green on the back; breast and belly,
white; sides, white, witli greenish yellow tinge; tail,
dusky; wings, dusky, some of the long feathers edged
with white and with white tips on the smaller feathers,
forming two bars across the wing. The head of the fe-
male is not so bright.

The nest, a pocket-like contrivance, hanging from the
forked branch of a tree, is composed of tendrils, plant

ISO THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

down and pine needles, finely interwoven. The eggs are
three or four in number, white, with brown and black
spots, principally near the large end, and four-fifths by
one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed chiefly north of the United States and
southward along the higher mountains; they spend the
winter in eastern Mexico and southward. In New Jersey
they appear in migrations, from April 20 to May ."» and
again from 8epteml)er 2(» to October 1.").

Their song is varied, of tender cadence, pitched in a
higher key than the rest of the Vireos, but rather shrill.

The food of the birds consists of insects.

J'ireo^ Red-eyed. — Length, six and one-fourth inches;
bill, two-fifths of an inch, dusky above, light below;
crown of head, slaty gray, with a black and a white line
passing over each eye; eye, red; back, tail and wings,
olive green; breast, belly and sides, white, the latter
slightly washed with olive; feet, lead-colored.

The nest very much resembles that of the preceding
species, but the Red eyed Yireo is especially fond of thick
white cobwebs such as cover the eggs of some spiders in
his architecture. The eggs are three or four in number,
white, with black and brown spots, principally near the
large end, and eight-ninths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in eastern North America northward to
Hudson's Bay and spend the winter in Mexico and south-
ward. In New Jersey they are plentiful in summer, ar-
riving al)Out the end of April and leaving about October
10.

Wilson Flagg refers to him as a preacher and says that
he repeats moderately, with a pause between each sen-
tence, You see if .''—Jjon knotr it / — do ifou hear me / — do
you believe it .'' "All these strains are delivered with a
rising inflection at the close, and with a pause, as if wait-
ing for an answer."

The food of the birds consists of insects.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. iSl

I*ir€o, Solitary/. See Blue-headed Vireo.

I'irco, Warbling. — Length, five and four-fifths
inches; bill, three-tenths of an inch; head and neck, ash;
dusky line over eye; back, tail and wings, gray olive
green, the wings with darker edges; breast, belly and
sides, white, with distinct yellow tinge, deeper on the
sides.

The nest is the same as that of the Blue-headed Vireo.
The eggs are three or four in number, white, with black
and brown s]>ots, |)rincii)ally near the large end, and
four-fifths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed from eastern North America to Hud-
son's Bay and spend the winter in eastern Mexico.

Their song is a pleasant warble from a tree top, occas-
ionally marred by a few scolding notes. Wilson Flagg
compares the song to briy-a-dier, briy-a-diei-, briy-a-cUer,
brigate.

The food of the birds consists of insects.

I'trco, H*ltile-eyed. — Length, live and one-fourth
inches; bill, three-tenths of an inch, dark lead colored;
eye, white; yellow eye-ring and spot before the eye;
throat, white; head and back, olive green; belly, white,
with a strong tint of yellow on the sides; tail, olive green,
Avith grayish tinge; wings, olive green with grayish tinge,
yellowish white tips forming double wing bar; feet, dark
lead.

The nest is similar in construction to that of the Blue-
headed Vireo, but is built near the ground, generally in a
bush, and contains a good deal of green moss in its make-
up. The eggs are either three or four in number, white,
with black and brown specks more plentiful iicai' the large
end, and thiee-fourtljs l)y one-half an inch in si/e.

The birds breed throughout the eastern L'nited States
and spend the winter in eastern Mexico and southward.
They are to be found during the summer all over New

183 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Jersey, but are especially numerous in the pine barren
swamps in the southern part of the state.

The White-eyed Vireo is the Mockingbird of his kind,
his song being an imitation of the notes of all the others,
intermixed with a great deal of scolding. He scolds
whenever any danger threatens or he is disturbed and
when nothing troubles him he scolds himself.

The food of the bird consists of insects.

f^trco, YelloiV'thronted. — Length, six inches; bill,
one-third of an inch in length; white eye-ring; throat,
bright yellow; cheeks, yellow; head and back, bright olive
green; breast, bright yellow; belly, white; rump, gray;
tail, grayish brown, edged with white; wings, grayish
brown, tipped with white, forming double wing bar, some
of the feathers edged with white.

The nest is very similar in construction to that of the
other Vireos, but is generally covered with yellowish or
gray lichens on the outside. The eggs are either three or
four in number, white, with brown and black spots more
plentiful near the large end, and four-fifths by three-fifths
of an inch in size.

The birds breed from the Middle States north and spend
the winter in Mexico and southward. They are compar-
atively scarce in New Jersey during the summer, appear-
ing about May 2 and leaving about the middle of Septem-
ber.

The song of the birds, frequently delivered while on the
wing, is, however, generally heard from the tree tops; its
intonation is rather harsh and like most of its tribe, it
seems fond of scolding.

The food of the birds consists of insects.

\*irginia JX^ightittgale. See Cardinal-bird.

Viilture^ Turkey. — Length, two and a half feet; ex-
tent, six feet, two inches; bill, two and one-fourth inches;

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 183

head and neck, naked; wrinkled skin of the head and
neck, reddish; the plumage is a brownish black.

The birds nest on the ground or among the debris of
rotten logs or stumps, almost invariably in swamps. The
eggs are from one to three in number, of a dirty white,
with brown and purple blotches principally near the large
end, and two and three- fourths by two inches in size.

The birds breed and are distributed throughout the
southern Middle States southward, a small number also
wintering regularly in the southern part of New Jersey,

Their cry is a low hissing sound.

Their food is exclusively carrion and they never feed on
live animals or vegetable matter.

ff*wrftlci% Bay^hreasletl. — Length, five and two-
thirds inches; extent, twelve inches; bill, one-third of an
inch; forehead, cheeks and sides of head, black; a buff
patch on each side of the neck; crown, bright chestnut;
throat, light chestnut, extending down the whole side of
the body: back, gray, with black streaks; low^er breast
and belly, huffy white; tail, forked, brownish black with
white spots; wings, brownish black, with two white bars;
legs and feet, dark ash. In the female the colors are
duller. In fall the bird is quite different, being olive
above, streaked with black, the under parts are yellowish
white and the breast and sides have a chestnut tinge.
At this season the Bay-breasted and Black-poll Warblers
are very similar to one another.

The birds nest in trees, generally in evergreens; the
nest is made of grass and tendrils, lined with hair and
plant dowm. The eggs are either foui" or five in number,
rough on the surface, white, with liglit markings of
brown, and three-fourths by one-half incli in size.

They breed from northern New England to Hudson's
Bay and spend the winter in Eastern Mexico, and south-
ward to Colombia. They are regular migrants in New
Jersey, but generally scarce, although in some years more

184 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

abundant; they are more numerous in the fall than in the
spring; they occur in New Jersey from May 10 to May 20
and again from September 10 to October 1.

Their song, according to Mr. Langille, is "a very soft
warble, somewhat resembling the syllables tse-chee, tse-
chee, tse-chee, tse-chee, but far too liquid to admit of ex-
act spelling."

Their food is composed of insects and larvae, which
they gather from the branches of trees.

WVii*6lc#', Black fiHfl U/*hit€^ or Black and lW*hit€
Creeper. — Length; five and one-fourth inches; extent,
seven and one-fourth inches; bill, one-third of an inch,
black, slightly curved; crown, black, with a white stripe
in the center and another behind the eye; throat and
breast, streaked with black and white; cheeks, black;
back, black and white streaked; belly, white in the
middle, black stripes on sides; tail, black, white on outer
quills; wings, black, with two white bars and some white
edging; legs and feet, dusky; claws, very sharp.

The nest is generally well hidden, on the ground, ad-
joining rock, log or stump; it is made of bark and grasses,
lined with fine tendrils and hair. The eggs are either
four or five in number, white, with brown spots, the lat-
ter generally forming a wreath near the large end, and
two-thirds by one -half ah inch in size.

The birds breed in eastern North America as far north
as Hudson's Bay and spend the winter in the Gulf States
and the West Indies as far southward as South America.
In New Jersey they are common, especially in the southern
part, but more numerous during migrations; they occur
in migrations from April 25 to May 15 and again from
August 10 to October 5.

Their song is thin and wiry, very seldom heard and
somewhat resembles tschivee-tschwee-tschwee.

The food of the birds consists of insects and larvae,

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. lS5

generally gathered from tree trunks and the under sides
of branches and twigs.

Warbler^ Black antt li'eUoiv. See Magnolia Warb-
ler.

Warbler^ Blnckburnian^ or Torrh Bird. —

Length, live and one-fourth inches; extent, nine inches;
bill, one-third of an inch, brown; head, the crown is
black, with an orange spot in the centre and a yellow
stripe passing in a line over the eye; throat and fore
breast, fiery orange; back, black, streaked with white;
belly and sides, white, tinted with yellow and streaked
with black; tail, slightly forked, black, the inner vanes
white, except at the tip; wings, black, with large white
patch; legs, brown; feet, dusky. In the female the up-
per parts are oHve, streaked with black, and the orange
color is duller. In the fall plumage the orange is re-
placed by pale yellow, while the upper parts are like the
female.

The nest is well hidden in trees, generally evergreens,
and is made of twigs and grasses, lined with tendrils and
finer grasses. The eggs generally number four, although
as many as six have been found; they are grayish or blu-
ish white, with spots and blotches of brown, and two-
thirds by one-half an inch in size.

The birds bi-eed fi-om northern New England northward
and southwaid on the Alleghanies and spend the winter
in the Bahamas and northern South Amciica. They are
common in New Jersey during migrations, occurring
from May 5 to May 15 and again from September 15 to
October 1.

Their song is a warble with very little variety, sound-
ing something like wee-see, wee-see, wee-seek, occasionally
with a Isee-fsee-fsee.

Their food is composed of insects and lai-vae, generally
gathered from the higher branches of trees.

186 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

JVarbler, Black^capped. See Wilson's Warbler.

JVarbler^ Black-poll.— Length, five and a half
inches; extent, eight and a half inches; bill, one-third of
an inch, the upper half black and the lower yellow, with
bristles at the base; crown and hind head, black; cheeks,
white; back, olive gray, with black streaks; breast, white,
with black streaks on the sides, rump, ashy; tail, black,
with white spots on the outer feathers; wings, black,
edged with ash and crossed by two white bars; legs and
feet, reddish yellow. In the female the upper parts are
an olive green with black streaks; under parts, white with
a yellow tinge; sides of throat, neck and body, with black
streaks. Fall plumage of the male similar to the spring
female.

The nest is large, considering the size of the bird, and
is built in evergreens, spruce preferred. It is made of
twigs, moss and lichens, lined with grass and fine roots.
The eggs are either four or live in number, white, with
brown spots, and seven-tenths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed from northern New England to Alaska
and spend the winter in the Bahamas and northern
South America. In New Jersey they are abundant in
migrations, occurring from May 10 to June 1 and again
from September 20 to October 15.

Their song is very wiry, and still soft, sounding like
tree-tree-tree rapidly repeated.

Their food consists of insects, generally taken on the
wing.

ff^wrfelcr, Black-throated Blue, — Length, five and
one-fourth inches; extent, eight inches; bill, one-third of
an inch, black, with bristles at the base; throat and sides
of head, black, the black extending down tlie sides of
the body; back, grayish blue, spotted with black in some
specimens; breast and belly, white; tail, dusky blacky
with white spots and edged with blue; wings, dusky

THK BIRDS OF NEW JB5RSBY. 187

black, with a large white spot ou the middle, and edged
with blue; legs and feet, dirty yellow. In the female the
upper parts are an olive green, the white wing patch is
very small and the under parts are a soiled yellow.

The nest is bailt close to the ground, in thick brush in
dense woods or swamps; it is made of bark, grasses and
pine needles and is lined with fine roots. The eggs are
from three to five in number, of a soiled white, with brown
spots, and two-thirds by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed from northern New England northward
and spend the winter in Florida and southward. In New
Jersey they are very common during migrations, occur-
ring from May 5 to May 20 and again from September 10
to October 10.

Their song is a zwee-zwee-zwee, their call note z-ip z-ip.

Their food is composed of insects, generally taken on
the wing.

lW*arbler, Black'thronted fwreen. — Length, five
and one-tenth inches; extent, eight inches; bill, one-fourth
of an inch, black; cheeks, bright yellow; line over eye,
bright yellow; chin, throat and fore breast, black, continued
in a stripe down the sides; back, olive green, in some
specimens spotted with black; belly, white, in some
specimens tinged with yellow; tail, dusky black, edged with
ash, the two outer feathers largely white, the next with
a white spot; wings, dusky blaok, with two white wing
bars; legs and feet, brownish yellow. In the female the
black on the throat and on the breast is mixed with yel
low, and some fall Ijirds have the black markings but
dimly outlined.

The nest, built in evergreen trees, over fifteen feet
from the ground, is made of twigs and moss, lined with
fine roots and grasses. The eggs are four in number,
white, with brown spots, and two-thirds by one-half an
inch in size.

The birds hve^A in northern New York and in New

188 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

Euglaucl and northward and in the higher Alleghanies,
and spend the winter in the West Indies and southward.
They are common migrants in New Jersey, occurring from
May 2 to May 15 and again from September 1 to October
10.

Their song, generally heard from tiie tops of trees, is
likened by Mabel Osgood Wright to an interrogative Will-
you-co-me, will-you-co me, ivill-you ?

Their food consists of insects.

If^#ir&lcr, Blue-ivinged. — Length, four and three-
fourths inches; extent, seven inches; bill, one-third of an
inch, bluish black above, lighter below; crown, bright
yellow, a black line through the eye; back and rump,
bright olive green; breast, belly and sides, bright yellow;
tail and wings, bluish gray, the wings with two wing
bars, which in some specimens are tinged with yellow.
In the female the under parts are less bright and the yel-
low on the head is confined to the forehead.

The nest is built on the ground or in a tussock or bunch
of grass, of bark and leaves, lined with finer grasses and
tendrils. The eggs are from four to six in number, white,
with light brown spots, and two-thirds by one-half an
inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States southward
of middle New Jersey, and spend the winter in east-
ern Mexico and Guatemala. In New Jersey they are
abundant during migrations, appearing between April 25
and May 5, all leaving about the first of September.

Their song, according to Mr. Chapman, is a sivee-cJiee,
the fonner inhaled, the latter exhaled.

The birds feed on insects, generally gatliered from
branches of trees in thick woods or in undergrowth, al-
though they also visit gardens, orchards and willow trees.

If*«r6ler, Catuidian. — Length, five and two thirds
inches; extent, eight and a half inches; bill, one-third of

THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY. 180

an inch, black, with bristles at the base; crown, spotted
with black on blue-gray ground; a line from the bill to
the eye, bright yellow ; sides of the neck, black; back, blue-
gray; breast, belly and sides yellow, with a string of longi-
tudinal streaks across the breast; tail, gray, whitish un-
derneath; wings, gray; feet, flesh colored. The female
has no black on the head or the sides and the necklace on
the breast instead of black is dusky.

The nest is built in mossy banks or under and between
roots of trees; it is made of bark, twigs and pieces of wood
wrapped in leaves and woven with grasses. The eggs
are either four or five in number, white, with brown
spots more numerous near the large end. and two-thirds
by half an inch in size.

The birds breed in northern New York and New En-
gland and northward, southward along the Alleghanies.
They spend the winter in Eastern Mexico and southward.
In New Jersey they are very common migrants, occurring
between May 10 and May 20 and again from August 20 to
October 1.

Mr. Nehrling says that their song is "a fine sibilant
chirp, reminding one of a Canary's song, but bioken and
incomplete, and Mr. Thompson writes it mp-it-clte, riqj-
it-che, rup-it-ch itt-lt-lH.

The food of the bird consists of insects.

Warbler^ Chestnwt-sUfefi. — Length, five and one-
eighth inches; extent, eight inches; bill, one-third of an
inch, dusky; crown, bright yellow; a black line behind the
eye and a black spot in front of it reaching to the side of
the throat; throat, white; back, gray, streaked with black
and with a dark greenish maigin; inmp, olive; breast and
belly, wliitf; sides, chestnut, coming downwards from
the side of the throat along the neck and reaching to the
flanks; wings, black, with yellowisli wiiite wing bars; legs
and feet, ash. The female is duller in color. The fall
dress presents a far difl"eient appearance, being a yellow-

190 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

ish olive green on the upper parts and only showing a
trace of chestnut on the sides.

The nest is built in bushes, of bark and the stems of
leaves, lined with tendrils and fine roots. The eggs are
either four or five in number, white, with numerous
brown spots, generally forming a wreath near the large
end, and seven-tenths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States and Can-
ada and spend the winter in the Bahamas and eastern
Mexico as far southward as Panama. They breed in the
mountains in New Jersey and are very plentiful in migra-
tions, occurring from May 5 to May 15 and again from
September 10 to September 25.

Their note is a feeble chirp or twitter.

They feed on insects, generally gathering them from
opening buds and leaves, although they also take earth-
worms and ants and occasionally a few seeds.

If Virftlcr, Connectieul. — Length, five and two-fifths
inches; extent, eight inches; bill, one-third of an inch,
the upper part brown and the lower whitish; head and
neck, bluish gray; white eye-ring; back, olive green;
breast, bluish gray; belly, yellow^ ; sides, tinged with olive
green; tail, olive green; wings, olive green; legs, pale flesh
color. In the female and young of the year the upper
parts are all an olive green and the breast is a pale brown.

The nest is made of grass on the ground. The number
of the eggs is four, white, with few brown spots, and
three-fourths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in Manitoba and spend the winter in
northern South America. In New Jersey they are occas-
ionally seen in weedy fields near the edge of woodlands
between September 14- and October 2, but are very rare
in spring.

Their song resembles the teacher -teacher of the Oven-
bird.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. lOl

If* arftlcr, Golden^winged. — Length, five and one-
fifth inches; extent, eight inches; bill, one-third of an inch;
crown, bright yellow; white line over the eye; black
patch about the eye and one on the throat, separated by
a white stripe; back, bluish gray; lower breast, white;
belly, white; sides, gray; tail, bluish gray, with white
spots; wings, bluish gray, with large yellow patch. In
the female the yellow on the crown is less bright and the
patch on the sides of the head and throat is gray.

The nest is built on the ground or near it, of bark and
leaves, lined with finer bark and tendrils, interwoven
with leaves. The eggs are from four to six in number,
white, with brown spots, and two-thirds by one-half an
inch in size.

The birds breed throughout Eastern North America
north of middle New Jersey and a few^ summer in the
northern part; they spend the winter in Cuba, eastern
Mexico southward to Colombia. They are more numer-
ous in New Jersey during the spring migrations, from
May 12 to May 16, but are not a common species.

Their song resembles that of the Blue- winged Warbler,
but the notes are more drawn out and of equal length.

Their food is composed of insects.

W^wrfrlcr, Mtooiled, — Length, five and two-thirds
inches; extent, eight and a half inches; bill, one-third of
an inch, bristles at the base; forehead and cheeks, bright
yellow; crown, black, hood-shai)ed, connecting with the
breast which, together with the throat, is also black; back,
bright olive green; breast and belly, rich yellow; tail, olive
green with wiiite spots on the outer feathers; wings, olive
green. The female is somewhat duller in coloration an<l
has a smaller black hood or none at all.

The nest is built in damp woods, in the crotch of a
bush or sapling, of skeleton leaves, bark and roots, lined
with tine grasses. The eggs are four or five in number,

192 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

white or cream, with small brown spots, in some forming
a wreath near the large end.

The birds breed in the southeastern United States,
northward as far as southern New England and are com-
mon summer residents in the cedar swamps in the south-
ern part of this state. They spend the winter in Mexico
and Panama.

Their song is variable, yet tuneful and sweet and their
call note, very frequently uttered, ^ cheep.

Their food consists of insects.

IfVfrft/cr, Kentucky. — Length, five and two-fifths
inches; extent, eight inches; bill, one-third of an inch;
yellow line from back of the eye to the bill; crown and
sides of throat, black, the hind head spotted with blue
gray; back, olive green; breast, belly and sides, rich bril-
liant yellow; tail and wings, rich ohve green; legs, pale
flesh color. The female is but slightly duller in color.

The nest is large, considering the size of the bird, built
on the ground or in a tuft of rank grass. It is made of
twigs and roots, wrapped with leaves and lined with small
roots and hair. The eggs are four or five in number,
white or soiled white, with large brown spots, and three-
fourths by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the Eastern United States, rarely
farther north than New Jersey and seem to be scarce in
the southern part of the state. They spend the winter in
Cuba, eastern Mexico and southward to Panama.

The song, in which it indulges frequently and at great
length, is loud and delivered in threes, tiveedle-tweedle-
hveedle.

Their food consists of insects.

lfVi»'6l«r, •magnolia^ or Black and \*eUow
IW'arbler. — Length, five and one- eighth inches; extent,
seven and a half inches; bill, one- third of an inch, dark;
crown, bluish gray; forehead and cheeks, black; a white

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 193

line behind the eye; throat, yellow; back, black, with
olive green margin; rump, yellow; breast, rich yellow,
with large black stripes which extend down the sides;
belly, rich yellow; tail, slightly forked, jet black; with
white patches near the middle; wings, dark, with large
white patch; legs, brown; feet, dark. In the female the
back is dark green and the cast of the plumage is duller.
Both male and female are brighter in spring than in fall,
and the young birds have the throat grayish and the
black streaks confined to the flanks.

The nest is built in an evergreen tree, of twigs and
skeleton leaves, lined with fine roots. The eggs are
from three to five in number, white, with brown spots,
the latter forming a wreath near the large end, and two-
thirds by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in northern New England as far north
as Hudson's Bay and spend the winter in the Bahamas,
Cuba and Central America. In New Jersey they are
common in migrations, occurring from May 10 to May 20
and again from September 10 to September 20.

Mr. Langille describes their song as ''a loud, clear
whistle, which may be imitated by the syllables chee-to,
chee-to, chee-tee-ee, uttered rapidly and ending on the fall-
ing inflection."

The food of the birds is composed of insects.

IfVirftlcr, JHyrtle^ or WlloiV'runipeil l^Wirhler.

Length, five and two-thirds inches; extent, eight inches;
bill, three-tenths of an inch, black; head, bluish gray or
slate color, with yellow patch on the crown; throat,
white; back, slate color, streaked with black; rump, yel-
low; breast, white, streaked heavily with black, with a
yellow patch on each side; belly, white; sides, white,
streaked with black; tail, slate color, with white spots;
wings, slate color, with two white bars; feet, black. In
the female there is less black below^ and the upper parts
have a distinctively brownish tinge, while the yellow

194 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

markings are obscure. The fall plumage of the male is
similar.

The nests are built in evergreen trees, of leaf skeletons
and tendrils, lined with grass. The eggs are four or five
in number, w^hite or soiled white, with brown spots, and
seveji-tenths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed mainly north of the United States and
many spend the winter as far south as Panama, being dis-
tributed throughout the southern Middle States at this
season. Although a number winter in New Jersey they
are more numerous here during migrations, from April
25 to November 1.

Their note is a mere chirp.

Their food is composed of insects, but in the fall and
winter they also eat quantities of bay berries and the ber-
ries of the poison sumach.

If*«rft/^i', »^'€tshi'iil€. — Length, four and three-
fourths inches; extent, seven inches; bill, one-fourth of an
inch, dusky, tapering to a fine point; top and sides of
head, slate color; a small chestnut spot on the crown;
back, rich olive green; breast and belly, bright yellow,
whitish posteriorly; tail, slightly forked, dark olive,
broadly edged with olive green; wings, brownish, edged
with olive green; legs, ash; feet, dirty yellow.

The nest is built on the ground of pine needles and
grasses, lined with finer grasses and moss. The eggs are
four or five in number, white, thickly dotted with brown,
and three-fifths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in Canada as far north as Hudson's Bay
and spend the winter in eastern Mexico and southward to
Guatemala. In New Jersey they are regular during mi-
grations, occurring between May fi and May 15 and again
between September 15 and October 1.

Wilson says that their "notes very much resemble the
breaking of small twigs, or the striking of small pebbles
of different sizes smartly against each other for six or

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 195

seven times, and loud enough to be heard at a distauce of
thirty or forty yards. It was some time before I could
ascertain whether the song proceeded from a bird or an
insect."

The food of the birds consists of insects.

Ifwrftlcr, Palvn. — Length, five and one-fourth
inches; extent, eight inches and over; bill, five-eighths of
an inch; crown, chestnut brown, with a yellow streak
over each eye; back, duller brown, faintly streaked with
dusky; wings and tail, brown, the latter with white spots
on the outer feathers; under surface, yellow, with chest-
nut streaks on the sides of the neck and breast; duller in
fall.

There are two varieties of this bird, the eastern one be-
ing more properly called the Yellow Palm Warbler.
The Western Palm Warbler differs in having the under
surface buffy white, the yellow showing only on the
feathers under the tail.

Both birds occur in New Jersey during migrations, but
the former is much the more plentiful. The birds breed
far northward and winter in the Southern States and
Mexico.

The birds differ from all the other small Warblers in
their habit of wagging the tail up and down like the Tit-
lark and Water Thrush.

JVarhler^ Parula^ or Blue \*elloiv-hiick€d If •«#•-
hler. — Length, four and three-fourths inches; extent, six
and a half inches; bill, one- third of an inch, black above,
flesh-color below; head, l)lue; a small touch of white
above and below the eye; throat, yellow; back, blue, with
a triangular or crescent-shaped greenish yellow patch in
the middle; breast, yellow, with brownish or chestnut
band across it, which is generally dusky in the middle;
belly, white; tail, dark slate, with two white spots; wings,
dark slate, edged with blue and with two white bars; legs

106 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

and feet dark brown. In the female the breast band is
frequently absent.

The nest is a delicate contrivance hung from a slender
branch, made of filmy moss of the kind known as Span-
ish or beard moss. The eggs number either four or five,
white, with brown spots more numerous near the large
end, two-thirds by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States and Can-
ada and spend the winter in southei-n Florida and south-
w^ard. They breed in large numbers in the middle
and southern part of New Jersey, especially in the cedar
swamps. Migrants occur from April 30 to May 20 and
again from September 10 to October 1.

Mr. Nehrling describes their notes as shrill and wiry,
somewhat resembling chirr-irr-irr-eelt.

The food of the birds consists of insects and caterpil-
lars, generally gathered in the tops of trees from young
leaves and blossoms.

J%^arhler^ ^#i#€'. — Length, five and a half inches; ex-
tent, nine inches; bill, one third of an inch; yellow eye-
line; throat, yellow; back, olive green; breast and belly,
yellow, suffused with olive on the sides, the lower part of
the belly white; tail, forked, olive green, with white spots
on the outei- feathers; wings, olive green, with two dull
white bars. In the female the upper parts have a brown-
ish cast, the under parts are a dirty white and the breast
is tinged with yellow. Young birds show scarcely a trace
of yellow.

The nest is found in evergreen trees, the bird rarely
leaving pines or hemlocks for breeding; it is built of bark,
leaves and tendrils. The eggs are four or five in number,
white or soiled white, with numerous brown spots, gener-
ally forming a wreath near the large end, and seven -
tenths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States from the
Southern States to Ontario and New Brunswick and spend

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 197

the winter in the Southern States and as far south as tlie
Bahamas. They are very common throughout the pine
barrens of New Jersey during the summer, arriving as
early as March 3o.

Minot describes their song as a "dehcately trilled
whistle," and Wilson says that it is a ''simple reiterated
cliirrup continued for four or five seconds.'"

The food of the bird consists of the seeds of the pine
and of insects; the latter it generally takes while moving
along the trunks or limbs of trees Creeper-fashion,
although it also pursues them into the air or to the
ground.

JW'arbler^ jP#v«#n>.— Length, four and three fourths
inches; extent, six and a half inches; bill, one-fourth of
an inch; sides of neck, black; yellow line over eye and a
short one below it: back, olive green, spotted with chest-
nut; breast and belly, bright yellow: sides, bright yellow,
streaked with black; tail, olive green, with large white
spots on the outer feathers; wings, olive green, with two
yellow wing bars. The female has little or no brown on
the back.

The nest is an exquisite piece of workmanship and very
light. It hangs from a branch in a bush or thicket and
is made of fine shreds of plant fibre, bark and fine tendrils;
it is lined with small roots and luiir. The eggs are either
four or five in number, white, with numerous brown spots,
forming a wreath near the large end, and two-thirds by
one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States as far
north as southern New England and spend the winter in
southern Florida and the West Indies. They art very
plentiful throughout the summer in the pine barrens in
New Jersey; migrants occur fiom May lo to May I."i and
again from September 1 to September ir».

The song of the l)ird is quaint and curious, consisting

198 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

of wee repeated three times and followed by zee repeated
six or seven times.

The food of the birds consists of small caterpillars and
winged insects.

IM^arhler^ \f*ilson'>s. — Length, five inches; bill, one-
fourth of an inch, bristles at the base; forehead, yellow;
crown, glossy black, the upper parts olive green and the
lower, yellow. The female lacks the black cap. The
bird builds a nest on the ground, of leaves and grass,
lined with finer grasses and hair; the eggs are four or
five in number, white, with brown spots, and three-fifths
by oue-h^lf an inch in size. It breeds mostly north of
the United States and spends the winter in eastern Mexico
and Panama. It is not very common in New Jersey, oc-
curring during migrations only, between May 12 and May
20 and again between August 26 and October 10. Its
food is composed of insects, generally taken on the wing.

^n^arbler^ Wiorm-eating. — Length, five and a half
inches; extent, eight inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch,
black above, flesh-colored below; crown, black, with a
central buff stripe and another over the eye; line behind
the eye, black; back, olive green; breast, belly and sides,
buff, paler on the belly and throat; tail, olive green; wings,
olive green, edged with dusky brown; legs and feet, pale
clay.

The nest of the bird is built on the ground of roots,
leaves and bark. The eggs are four to six in number,
white, with brown spots, and two-thirds by one-half an
inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States, but not
abundantly further north than the middle of New
Jersey, and spend the winter in Cuba, southern Mexico
and Panama. They arrive in New Jersey about May 7
and leave about September 1.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 199

Their song resembles that of the Chippiug Sparrow,
but is weaker.

The food consists of insects, principally spiders and
caterpillars.

IfVrrfrlci', Yellow^ or Summer ITelloiv-hini. —

Length, five and one-tenth inches; extent, seven inches;
bill, one-third of an inch, lead-colored; head, bright
yellow; back, rich greenish yellow; breast, belly and
sides, rich yellow, streaked with reddish brown; tail,
slightly forked, dark slate, with yellow spots; wings, rich
greenish yellow, edged witli lighter yellow; legs, pale
clay; feet, light brown. The female is greener on the
back, the wings are dark slate and there is little or no
brown on the breast and sides.

The bird builds its nest in shrubs or in trees, fruit-
trees preferred; the nest is made of large quantities of
plant down, with grasses and hair. The eggs are either
four or five in number, bluish white, with numerous
brown spots, the latter frequently forming a wreath near
the large end, and seven-tenths by one-half an inch in size.

The birds l)reed throughout eastern and northern
America and spend the winter in Mexico and northern
South America. They arrive in New Jersey about May 1
and leave about the first of September.

The song of the bird resembles the syllables .street-street-
sweet-sweeter.

The food of the birds consists of insects.

H*arhler^ \'ello»r-hacki>d Blue. See Parula Warb-
ler.

IfVrrfel^r, Yellow ReU-Poll. See Palm Warbler.

llVirfelcr, Yelloir-Rumpeil. See Myrtle Warbler.

Water ThruHh.-— Length, six inches; extent, nine
and a half inches: biJ], one-third of an inch, dark l»rown;

200 THE BIRDS OF NEAV JERSEY.

head, dark brown; a yellowish line over the eye; back,
dark brown; throat, breast, belly and sides, white, with a
pale yellow tinge, streaked and spotted with black; tail
and wings, dark brown; legs, flesh colored; feet, dark.

The nests are built in the most inaccessible places in
swamps, in mossy banks or under the roots of fallen trees ;
they are made of moss, lined with skeleton leaves and fine
roots. The eggs are either four or five in number, white
or cream, with brown spots, most numerous near the large
end, and three-fourths Ijy three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the northern United States and
northward and spend the winter in the Gulf States and
the West Indies and southward to northern South Amer-
ica. In New Jersey they are transient, but frequently
occur in considerable numbers between May 5 and 20 and
August 3 to September 1.

The song is frequently described as resembling the run-
ning water and purling brooks near which it is fond of
living. Wilson says: "They are eminently distinguished
by the loudness, sweetness and vivacity of their notes,
which begin very high and clear, falling with an almost
imperceptible gradation till they are scarcely articulated."

The food of the bird consists principally of aquatic
insects. It lives nmch on the ground, walking along with
a continual wagging of the tail up and down in the man-
ner of a Sandpiper.

JWater Thrush^ Ijouisiana, — This bird is very sim-
ilar to the foregoing, being only about a quarter of an
inch longer; it has a white fine over the eye, and the
throat and middle of the belly are not streaked or spotted
with black, while the lower parts lack the yellow tinge
of the preceding.

The bird breeds in the eastern United States not north-
ward of the Delaware and Hudson valleys and is very
scarce in this state. It spends the winter in the gulf

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 201

states, the West Indies and southward to Central
America.

Of its song Mr. Frank M. Chapman (Handbook of Birds
of Eastern North America, Appletou & Co. ) says: "As a
songster the Water Thrush is without a rival. His song
is not to be compared with the clear- voiced carol of the
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, the plaintive chant of the Field
Sparrow, or the hymnlike melody of the true Thrushes;
it is of a different kind. It is the untamable spirit of the
bird rendered in music. There is an almost fierce wild-
ness in its ringing notes. On rare occasions he is inspired
to voice his passion in a flight-song, which so far exceeds
his usual performance that even the memory of it is thril-
ling."

Jf^ater Jf*agtaU.—See Water Thrush.

IWViter W*itch, See Pied -billed Grebe.

IW* hip-poor-will. — Length, nine and a half inches;
extent, nineteen inches; biU, one-third of an inch, dusky,
bent a little at the point, bristles at the base very long,
exceeding the tip of the bill by three-quarters of an inch.
The plumage above is variegated with black, pale cream,
brown and rust color, sprinkled and powdered with min-
ute streaks and spots; the upper part of the head is a light
brownish gray, marked with a central streak of black
with others radiating from it; the tail is rounded, black,
irregularly barred and mottled with whitish gray or
cream; the three outer ones with the terminal third white
in the male; the wings are dark brown, barred on the outer
webs with rusty; a narrow semi-circle of white passes across
the throat; the breast and belly are irregularly mottled
and streaked with black and yellow ochre; the legs and
feet are of a light flesh-color, seamed with white. The
female is about an inch less in length, and the bar across
the throat is a brownish ochre; the cheeks are a brighter
brownish orange and the streak over the eye is lighter.

202 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

The birds make no attempt whatever to bviild a nest,
the eggs bemg placed on the ground or in some leaves,
but always in a dry place. The eggs are two in number,
white, with lilac markings and gray spots, and. one and
one-fifth by four-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds breed from the plains to the sea coast and
from Virginia to Nova Scotia and spend the winter in the
Gulf states, Mexico and Guatemala. They arrive in New
Jersey about the middle of April and leave about the first
of October.

Their cry is wliip-poor-iviU, generally repeated five
times and in the evening, frequently far into the night;
when near the bird an introductory cluck may be heard
between the notes.

The food of the birds consists of insects, generally
caught on the wing.

It is often confused with the Night Hawk, but is quite
distinct, being recognized by its brown and buff coloration,
instead of black and white and by the long bristles at the
base of the bill, which are wanting in the Night Hawk.

J^^histler. See American Golden-eye.

JWidgeon. — Length, from nineteen to twenty-two
inches; extent, from twenty-six to thirty inches; bill, one
and two-fifths inches, slate colored; the crown is white or
buff in the middle, the sides being a glossy green,
sprinkled with black; cheeks and throat, yellowish white,
with fine black bars; back, grayish brown, with narrow
wavy black bars; belly, white; sides, very light bay, with
narrow wavy black lines; tail, pointed, brownish ash;
wings, brownish ash, with white patch near the shoulder
and a large glossy green spot. The eggs number from
seven to twelve, are of a cream color, and two by one and
a half inches in size. The birds breed north of the United
States and spend the winter in Cuba and Guatemala.
They occur in New Jersey from the latter part of October

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 208

to November 15. They are very fond of wild celery and
when feeding on this are considered an excellent bird for
the table.

W^illcf. — Length, sixteen inches; extent, thirty-three
inches; bill, two and one seventh inches, black; head, neck
and back, pale gray brown, spotted with black; breast,
white, barred with dark brown; rump, grayish brown,
some of the feathers edged with gray; sides, white, barred
with dark brown; tail, white, with brownish black bars;
wings, grayish brown, with white bar and tipped with
white; legs, blue; feet, blue, half -webbed. In winter the
birds are half gray above and the lower parts are pure
white. The female is a little larger than the male.

The nest is a depression in the ground or sand, gener-
ally near the sea shore, and lined with rushes and coarse
grasses. The eggs are generally four in number, greenish
white or brown, spotted with brown or purple, and two
by one and a half inches in size, very thick near the large
end.

The birds bi'eed throughout temperate North America
to New England and Nova Scotia and spend the winter in
the West Indies and South America. Formerly they
were very plentiful in New Jersey and bred all along the
sea coast; a few may still breed in Cape May county, but
they are generally seen during migrations, occurring be-
tween April 20 and May 15 and again between July IT
and September 15.

Their cry is a shsirp pill-will -ivillet.

Their food is composed of shellfish, marine worms and
other aquatic insects.

IP ooflcoclc. — Length, male, ten and a half inches; ex-
tent, sixteen inches. Female, length, twelve inches; ex-
tent, eighteen inches. The bill is of a brownish flesh
color, black towards the tip, the upper part ending in a
slight knob, and about two and a half inches in length;

204 THE BIRDS OF NEAV JERSEY.

forehead, line over the eye and whole lower parts, reddish
tawny; sides of the neck, inclining to ash; between the
eye and tlie bill a streak of dark brown; crown, from the
forehead to the eye backwards, black, crossed by three
narrow bands of brownish white; cheeks, marked with a
bar of black, variegated with light brown; back, deej)
black, each feather tipped or marbled with light browji,
with numerous fine zigzag lines of black crossing the
lighter parts; a streak of light gray down each side from
the shoulder; tail, black, each feather marked along the
outer edge with small spots of pale brown and ending in
narrow tips of pale drab color above and silvery white be-
low; lining of the wings, bright rust; legs and feet, pale
reddish flesh color. In the female the bill is nearly three
inches in length; the black on the back is not quite so in-
tense and the sides under the wings are slightly barred
with dusky.

The nests, which are built in April, are rudely construc-
ted of withered grass and leaves; they are located on the
ground and frequently at the root of some old stump.
The eggs are either four or five in number, of a dull clay
with numerous brown spots, especially near the large end,
and some of a very pale purple, an inch and a half by one
inch in size, tapering suddenly towards the small end.

The birds breed and are distributed throughout the
eastern United States and Canada, but are very rarely
seen in New Jersey in the winter months, even in the
southern part of the state. Tliey arrive here about the
middle of March and leave for further south about the
first of November.

Their cry is a quack when rising from the ground, but
changing to a murmur as the bird ascends; when on the
ground the bird frequently utters a p'tul, p'tid, peetit,
peerit.

The food of the bird consists of aquatic worms and the
larvae of insects.

WOODCOCK.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 205

Ifloodpecker, Ooivny. — Length, six and tliree-quar-
ter inches; extent, twelve inches. It is the smallest,
most active and most numerous of Woodpeckers. In
plumage it is a miniature of the Hairy Woodpecker, the
only difference being that the outer tail feathers are
white and barred with black instead of pure white.

The nest is similar to that of the Hairy Woodpecker
but smallei', the eggs are from four to six in number,
white in color and three-fourths by three-fifths of an inch
in diameter.

It breeds and is distributed throughout the whole of
eastern North America.

Its cry is a short, sharp peek, peek, with a rattling cry.
Like all Woodpeckers it beats a rattling tattoo.

The food of the bird is composed of insects and vegeta-
ble matter. Government reports of analyses of 140
stomachs indicate that the contents were 74 per cent, in-
sects, 25 vegetable and 1 sand, ants predominating
among the insects. The charge that this Woodpecker
bores a tree for the purpose of sucking the sap, and thus
destroys the vitality of the tree, has been completely dis-
proven, the boring being merely done for the purpose of
obtaining insects and larvae.

l%*oodp€ehet\ Golden- lf\ng€d, — See Flicker.

lM\}odpe€keii'^ littirtji.—J^engih, nine inches; extent,
fifteen inches. The crown is black and the line under
and over the eye white; the eye is placed in a black line,
which widens as it descends to the back: hind head,
seal let, sometimes mixed with black; the nostrils are
hidden under long white hairs thrown forward and up-
wards; the bill is a bluish horn color, grooved, wedged at
the end, straight, and about an inch and a quarter long;
touches of black, proceeding from the lower part of the
bill, end in a broad black stripe that joins the black on
the shoulder; the back is black, divided by a broad stripe

206 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

of white, the feathers composing which are somewhat
loose and uuwebbed, reserabhng hairs, whence its name;
the rump and the shoulders of the wings are black; the
wings are black, tipped and spotted with white; the tail
consists of ten pointed feathers, the four middle ones
black; the next partially white; the two exterior ones
white and tinged at the tip with a brownish burnt color;
the whole under side is pure white; the legs, feet and
claws are light blue, the claws very large and strong.
The female wants the red on the hind head.

The nest is built in May in a dead or hollow tree or
limb; the bird digs out a hole, cutting directly into the
tree some six or eight inches and then obliquely down-
wards from twelve to twenty inches. The eggs are from
four to six in number, of a clear white color, and one by
three- fourths of an inch in size.

The birds breed and are distributed throughout the
eastern United States as far south as North Carolina.

Their cry is an unbroken tremulous roll, with consider-
able interval between strokes.

The food of these birds consists principally of insects
and larvae; it is an exceedingly useful bird for the de-
struction of insect life. The mischief it does is two-
fold, first by eating fruit and secondly by distribu-
ting the seeds of sumac, poison ivy and other objec-
tionable plants, these seeds, on account of their hard
covering, passing through the alimentary canal of the
bird without losing their vitality. Government reports
of analyses of 82 stomachs indicated that the contents
were 68 per cent, insects, 31 per cent, vegetable and 1
per cent. sand. One-third of the insects were ants and
one-third beetles, the latter mostly of the wood-boring
kind, together with large quantities of plant lice, cater-
pillars and similar insects.

IVioodpecker, Red-bellied. — Length, nine and a half
inches; extent, seventeen inches; bill, one and one-tenth

WOODl'I^XKICUS.

THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY. 207

inches; top of the head and back of the neck, scarlet;
back, transversely barred with black and white; breast
and belly, dull ash, with a red tinge in the middle; tail,
white and black; wings, black and white in bars and
spots. The female has the crown gray and the scarlet is
confined to a crescent-like patch on the back of the neck
and a little about the nostrils. The birds nest in holes in
trees as do the woodpeckers, the eggs being from four to
six in numl)er, one inch by three-fourths of an inch in
size. It is a resident of the Southern States and occasion-
ally a specimen straggles into New Jersey.

W^ytodpecker^ Heil-hettded. — ^^Length, nine and three-
fourths inches; extent, seventeen inches; bill, one and
one-fifth inches; whole head, neck, throat and fore breast,
crimson red; back, black, with steel-blue gloss; rump,
white; lower breast and belly, white, sometimes tiuged
with red in the middle; tail, black, tipped with white;
wings, black, with steel-blue gloss, the eight inner feath-
ers white on their terminal half. The young birds lack
all trace of red; above, bluish black, strongly edged with
gray; rump, white; below^, dull wiiite, mottled with black-
ish on throat and breast; wiiite portion of wings barred
with black. The birds nest in holes in trees, the eggs
being from four to six in number, and one inch by three-
fourths of an inch in size. They breed in the eastern
United States but are scarce in New Jersey, seldom com-
ing east of the Delaw^are or Hudson rivers.

l\'oodpefket\ ^'fllow-belliefl. See Sapsucker.

IIV«?#i, Carolina, — Length, five and a half inches; ex-
tent, seven inches; bill, three-fifths of an inch, the upper
part bluish black, the lower light blue; a white line over
the eye. The upper parts are a bright rusty brow^n,
white, downy spots being concealed in the rump feathers;
the wings and tail are barred finely with black; the under

208 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

parts are a light reddish buff, becoming whitish on the
throat; the legs and feet are flesh-colored.

The birds nest in holes in stumps and trees or in any
convenient crevice about buildings; the nest is very large,
considering the size of the bird, and is made of grasses,
leaves and feathers, lined with finer grasses and
hair. The eggs are from four to six in number,
white or cream, with brown spots, the latter frequently
forming a wreath near the large end and three-fourths
by three-fifths of an inch in size.

The birds remain all the year in southern New Jersey
but in the northern part of the state occur only as acci-
dental stragglers.

Their alarm note is a loud chirrup, with the accent on
the former syllable, while the song is aptly compared by
Wilson to siveet William, siveet William.

The food of the birds is composed of insects and larvae,
especially those found in damp places near water.

W*r€it, Mouse. — Length, four and a half inches; ex-
tent, five and three-fourths inches. The whole upper
parts are of a deep brown, conspicuously barred with
black on the wings and tail and indistinctly on the back;
rump, with concealed spots of white; under surface,
white, shaded with brown on throat and sides and barred
with black on the flanks and under the tail; legs and feet,
light clay-colored; bill, black, long, slightly curved, sharp-
pointed.

The birds breed preferably in a bird box, abandoned
kitchen or farming utensil, or in any crevice about human
habitation; if none such afford it will find a crevice in the
woods, an owl's hole, or anything affording shelter. The
nest is built during the first part of May and is composed
of crooked roots and sticks and is Imed with feathers.
The eggs are from six to eight in number, of a reddish
brown, covered with minute spots of a darker color, some-
times forming a wreath near the large end, and three-

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 209

fifths by one-half an inch in size. There are two broods
•each season.

The birds are at home all over the United States; they
arrive in New Jersey about the first of May and leave
shortly after the first of October.

Their song is a sudden, frequently repeated and ab-
ruptly ending roulade; the alarm note is chit-chit chit-
chit.

Government reports show that 08 per cent, of
the food is aiuraal matter and 2 per cent, grass,
sand and bits of wood; one-half of the animal food is
•composed of grasshoppers and beetles and the other half
of caterpillars, bugs and spiders.

ff^rc#t, Mjong-billeil •Wtirsli. — Length, live and one-
fourth inches; extent, seven inches; bill, one-half an inch,
dark above, light below; centre of head, brown, blackish
on the sides; white line over the eye; back, black, with
white streaks; shoulders, brown; breast, white; rump,
brown; sides, white, washed witii light brown; tail and
wings, brown, barred with w^hite and black; feet, brown.

The nest, large for a bird of this size, is spherical in
form, resembling a ball fastened to reeds or bushes; the
entrance is from the side. It is made of grasses, sedge
and reed stalks and lined with finer grasses. The eggs are
from five to nine in number, of a light brown, with deep-
er brown spots, and two-thirds by one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed throughout eastern North America
and spend the winter in the Southern States; they are
very plentiful in the cattail svvamps along the rivers and
ooast and a few remain all the year in Cape May county.
They rarely occur above tidewater.

Their song resembles that of tlie House Wren, but is at
times wiry and harsh.

The food of the birds consists of insects, principally
those frequenting swamps and rivers.

IfVcM, Short-hilh'fi •Jtarsh. — Lengtii, four inches; ex-

210 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

tent, six and a half inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch; the
upper parts streaked with white, black and dark yellow-
ish brown; the wings and tail are barred and the under
parts are white, with a light buff tinge on the breast, sides
and under the tail. The nest in construction is similar to
that of the Long-billed Marsh Wren, at times liuilt be-
tween reeds, but more frequently found on the ground or
in a hummock in marsh. The eggs are from six to eight
in number, white, and two-thirds by one-half an inch in
size. The breeding location is similar to that of the Long-
billed Marsh Wren, but the birds are scarce in New Jer-
sey; a few winter in the southern part of the state; they
may breed occasionally, but they mostly occur during mi-
grations. Their song is a chep-chep-chep-de-de-de-d€'

WVcw, If •micr. — Length, four inches; extent, five
and one half inches; bill, one-third of an inch. The bird
is light brown beneath and a dark brown on the upper
parts; wings, tail and back, barred with dusky; on the
rump there are white spots concealed in the plumage, and
the lower breast and the sides of the belly are heavily
barred with black; the tail and bill are short. Its short,
erect tail and dark color below distinguish it from the
House Wren, which it resembles in general coloration.

The nest is built in brush or among the roots of trees,
of twigs and moss, lined with feathers and hair. The eggs
are from five to seven in number, white or cream,
speckled finely with reddish brown, and seven-tenths by
one-half an inch in size.

The birds breed from the northern United States north-
ward and spend the winter in the Eastern States. In
New Jersey they are quite common between September
25 and April 1.

Their song is very strong and musical, but seldom heard
in this state. ^ The alarm note is a series of sharp cries.
chick-chick-chick.

THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 211

The food of the birds is composed of larvae and insects
such as are generally found in watei y })laces. roots of
bushes and piles of old timber.

Y'elloW'hird. See Goldfinch.

\'eUoW'fnrd^ Summer. See Yellow Warbler.

Y'eUoW'hanuner. See Flicker,

\*ellow-l€gH.^ €rrcfff€Jr. -Length, fifteen inches; extent,
twenty inches; bill, two and one-fifth inches. Upper sur-
face, black, mottled with white, assuming a definite
streaked appearance on the head and neck and more spot-
ted on the back and shoulders; rump, white, barred with
black; tail, barred black and white; long wing feathers,
black; under surface, white, streaked with black on the
neck and throat, passing into arrow-shaped marks on the
breast and transverse bars under the wings and tail;
middle of belly, white; legs and feet, yellow. In winter
much grayer above and the markings below indistinct.

The nest is a mere depression in the ground, lined with
a little grass. The eggs are four in niunber, grayish
white, with brown and lilac spots more numerous near
the large end, and one and seven-tenths by one and three-
tenths of an inch in size.

The birds breed in the northern part of North America
and spend the winter in the south Atlantic states south-
ward as far as South America. They are common in
New Jersey during migrations, occurring from April 20
to May 10 and again from July 15 to October 1.

Their food consists of small shellfish, insects and
worms.

ireUoW'legs^ Summer.— The plumage of this bird re-
sembles that of the Greater Yellowlegs in almost every
particular, but it is a considerably smaller bird, being
eleven inches in length. Its eggs are one and one-half

212 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY.

by oue aud one-sixth inches in size. It breeds in northern.
North America and spends the summer in ^he south At-
lantic states southward to South America. It is common
during migrations on the coast and occasionally found in-
land, occuring between April 30 and May 10 and again
between July 15 and October 10. When taken along the
sea coast its flesh generally has a sedgy flavor, but when
taken inland it is esteemed palatable.

\*eUow-1hroat^ •JfMarylnnd. — Length, five and one-
third inches; extent, eight and 'one-half inches; bill, two-
fifths of an inch; black; a broad black band across the
forehead and on the cheeks, bordered with gray above;
back, olive green; throat and breast, bright yellow; belly,
white; sides, white, with a brown tinge; tail, olive green
above, with yellow feathers below; wings, brownish olive;
feet, fiesh-colored. In the fall the birds are browner
above, the belly is a deeper yellow, the sides are a deeper
brown and the black mask is scarcely discernible. The
female never has black on the forehead or on the cheeks.
[For illustration see facing page 28.]

The nest, which is large for a bird of this size, is built
on or near the ground, of bark, grasses and leaves, lined
with skeleton leaves and small roots. The eggs are from
three to five in number, white, with brown spots, more
numerous near the large end, and seven-tenths by one-
half an inch in size.

The birds breed in the eastern United States northward
to Canada and spend the winter in the south Atlantic
states, the West Indies, Mexico and southward to Pana-
ma. In New Jersey they are abundant from April 25 to
October 12.

Their song is generally written ivichitij-unchitij-wicliitjj-
zuichity.

The food of the birds is composed, of insects.