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 



