THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 143 



with black, the four middle feathers bordered for half 

 their length with lines of white; lower part of the breast 

 lined with semi-circular lines of white on a light ash 

 ground; center of belly, white; sides under the wings, 

 deep olive, broadly barred with black and white; legs, feet 

 and naked parts of the thighs, yellowish green. The fe- 

 males and young of the third season have the throat 

 white, the breast pale brown and little or no black on the 

 head. 



The birds build their nests in May of marsh grass in 

 reeds near the water or in swampy sinkholes of quicksand 

 meadows. The eggs are from eight to fifteen in number, 

 of a creamy white, with brown spots, and one and a 

 quarter inches by nine-tenths in size. 



The cry of the birds is crek-crek, or kerwee, kerwee, 

 generally heard at sunset or in the evening. 



Their food consists of small shellfish, worms and some 

 vegetable matter. 



South-southerly. See Old Squaw Duck. 



Sparrow^ Chipping, Chippy, or Hairhird. — 



Length, five and one-third inches, extent, eight inches; 

 bill, one-third of an inch, black, lower mandible yellow 

 at the base; forehead, black, a short gray line in the 

 middle; top of head, chestnut brown, a gray line over the 

 eye and a black line behind it; throat, white; back, 

 streaked with black, light brown and chestnut; belly, 

 white; rump, dark ash; tail, dull brown, edged shghtly' 

 with whitish, slightly forked; wings, dull brown, edged 

 with buff and chestnut ; legs and feet, pale flesh color. The 

 female has less black on the forehead and the brown is of 

 a duller cast, while the young birds have the crown 

 striped with black and during their first summer are 

 streaked with black below. 



The nest is a well-built contrivance, generally found 

 near human habitations, in the vines on the piazza or the 



