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- 



