180 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



down and pine needles, finely interwoven. The eggs are 

 three or four in number, white, with brown and black 

 spots, principally near the large end, and four- fifths by 

 one-half an inch in size. 



The birds breed chiefly north of the United States and 

 southward along the higher mountains; they spend the 

 winter in eastern Mexico and southward . In New Jersey 

 they appear in migrations, from April 20 to May 5 and 

 again from September 20 to October 15. 



Their song is varied, of tender cadence, pitched in a 

 higher key than the rest of the Vireos, but rather shrill. 



The food of the birds consists of insects. 



, Red-eyed. Length, six and one- fourth inches; 

 bill, two-fifths of an inch, dusky above, light below; 

 crown of head, slaty gray, with a black and a white line 

 passing over each eye; eye, red; back, tail and wings, 

 olive green; breast, belly and sides, white, the latter 

 slightly washed with olive; feet, lead-colored. 



The nest very much resembles that of the preceding 

 species, but the Eed-eyed Vireo is especially fond of thick 

 white cobwebs, such as cover the eggs of some spiders, in 

 his architecture. The eggs are three or four in number, 

 white, with black and brown spots, principally near the 

 large end, and eight-ninths by one -half an inch in size. 



The birds breed in eastern North America northward to 

 Hudson's Bay and spend the winter in Mexico and south- 

 ward. In New Jersey they are plentiful in summer, ar- 

 riving about the end of April and leaving about October 

 10. 



Wilson Flagg refers to him as a preacher and says that 

 he repeats moderately, with a pause between each sen- 

 tence, You see it f you know it f do you hear me f do 

 you believe it f i ' All these strains are delivered with a 

 rising inflection at the close, and with a pause, as if wait- 

 ing for an answer." 



The food of the birds consists of insects. 



