THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 315 



The Department of Agriculture has shown that nearly half of his 

 food is animal, fully one-third being noxious insects and seven per 

 cent, earth worms. Of the fruit and berries eaten only one-tenth is 

 cultivated. The cherries, ripening before any wild fruit is available, 

 are the main source of his early summer food. As a protection the 

 planting of Russian mulberries is suggested, as they ripen at the same 

 time as the cherries and are mucli preferred by the birds. 



The shooting of the Robins is ineffective, as it is impossible to ex- 

 terminate them or for the gunner to stay on guard all the time; 

 furthermore, it destroys a bird which is a valuable insect destroyer at 

 all other seasons, and a songster we could ill afford to lose. 



763 Ixoreus naevius (Gmelin). 

 Varied Thrush. 



Adults.— Ijength, 9-10. Wing, 4.90-5.20. Slate above, outer tail feathers 

 with white spots at tip; wings, dusky, with four transverse bands of rusty; 

 below, rusty, with a black breast band ; ear-coverts, black ; line over the eye, 

 rusty. 



Very rare and accidental straggler from the west. 



Dr. Samuel Cabot procured a specimen in Boston, March, 1848, 

 that had been shot in New Jersey,^ while another, taken at Hoboken, 

 December, 1851, is recorded by Mr. G. N. Lawrence.^ 



766 Slalia sialis (Linnaeus). 

 Bluebird. 



PLATE 84. 



Adult male. — Length, 5.75-7. Wing, 4. Above, uniform bright blue ; sides 

 of the face rather duller ; thrfiat, breast and flanks, cinnamon-chestnut ; abdo- 

 men and under tail-coverts, white. In autumn and winter the feathers of the 

 upper surface are veiled with chestnut and those of the lower parts with 

 whitish. 



Adult female. — Above, bluish-gray, becoming bright blue on the rump, tail 

 and outer edges of wings ; below, pale cinnamon rufous on the breast and sides 



* Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., May, 1848, p. 17. 

 == Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist., N. Y., V., p. 221. 



