88 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



lie golden green; the tail is forked and as well as the wings 

 of a deep brownish purple; bill and eyes, black; legs and 

 feet, both of which are extremely small, black; the bill is 

 straight and very slender; belly, a dusky white, mixed 

 with green. The chief ornament of this little bird is the 

 splendor of the feathers of its throat which when placed 

 at the proper angle glow with all the brilliancy of the 

 ruby. These feathers are of singular strength and tex- 

 ture, lying close together like scales and vary when 

 moved before the eye from a deep black to a fiery crim- 

 son and burning orange. The female is destitute of this 

 ornament; her tail is tipped with white and the whole 

 lower parts are of the same tint. The young birds of the 

 first season have the tail tipped with white and the whole 

 lower parts nearly white with a few streaks of ruby tints 

 on the throat. 



The nest is about an inch and a half in diameter, built 

 on the limb of a tree, seldom more than ten feet from the 

 ground. The exterior part is made of lichens matching 

 the color of the branch on which it is situated; the inte- 

 rior is made of plant down and the two are tightly woven 

 together with almost invisible plant fibres. It is built 

 shortly after the first of May. The eggs are two in num- 

 ber, white, one-half by three-tenths of an inch in size. 

 The birds arrive in New Jersey from the south early in 

 May and leave about the end of September. 



As they fly through the air they make a humming 

 noise caused by the rapid vibration of their wings. 



Their cry is a mouse-like squeak. 



They feed on small insects and on honey, gathering the 

 latter from flowers. 



Indigo-bird, or Indigo Bunting. Length, five and 

 one-half inches; bill, two-fifths of an inch, bluish horn 

 color; plumage, above and below, brilliant blue, deeper 

 and inclining to purple on the head; wings and tail, 

 blackish, with blue edgings; younger birds often show a 



