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 



