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 



