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, 



