TOWIJEE. 3 2D 



Gems PIPILO Vikillot. 

 PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMIIS (Lixx.). 



2.SS. Towhee. (•"•■^T) 



A<li(lt inal< : — -Black; Ijelly, white sides, chestnut ; crissuin, fulvoiis-ljiovvn ; 

 primaries and inner secondaiies with white touches on the outer webs ; outer 

 tail feathers with the outer web and nearly the terminal half of the inner web 

 white, the next two or three with white spots, decreasing in size ; bill, blackish ; 

 feet, pale brown ; iris, red in the adult, white or creamy in the youiKj, and 

 generally in winter specimens. Female : — Rich warm brown where the male 

 is black ; otherwise similar. Very yovng birds are streaked brown and dusky 

 above ; below, whitish, tiugetl with brown and streaked with duskj'. Length, 

 male, 8i ; wing, 3i ; tail, 4 ; female rather less. 



Hab. — Eastern United States and Southern Canada, west U) the Plain.s. 



Xest, on the ground, more rarely in a bush or sapling, a rude structure, 

 composed of grape-vine bark, weed stalks, leaves and grass, lined with fine 

 vegetable fibre. 



Eggs, three or four, variable, usually white, thickly freckled with leddisli- 

 brown. 



This species has a more northern range than we have been in the 

 habit of attributing to it, for it was found by Prof. Macoun in the 

 North- West Territory, and Mr. Thompson reports it as common in 

 Southern Manitoba. In Southern Ontario it arrives from the south 

 about the 1st of May, the males coming on a few days ahead of the 

 females. Much of their time is spent on the ground, sci'atching and 

 rustling about among the withered leaves in search of seeds and 

 insects. During the pairing time, the male will frequently i-ise from 

 the scrulj bush to the lower branch of a tree, and sing his original 

 song in his best style, accompanying the performance with many a 

 jerk and flirt of his long handsome tail, which shows to advantage 

 on these occasions. If we sif down to watch his motions for a little, 

 we may be favored with a glimpse of the female stealing through 

 the underbrush, l)ut except under such circumstances she is rarely 

 seen. 



This is one of the species which apparently enters Ontario from 

 the south-west, for on looking at the dates of its arrival at London 

 and Chatham, we find it is always there before it reaches Hamilton, 

 while at Ottawa Mi'. White has not met with it at all. 



During the heat of summer, the loud, ringing Towhee, which 

 has given the birds theii- common name, is discontinued, and they 



