Abert's Towhee 395 



an example from near Boulder, shot March 15th, 1895, by H. S. Reed. 

 This is the most northern record. Others are Trinidad and Canon 

 City (Aiken), Puoblo (Beckham), Wet Mountains up to 10,000 feet 

 (Lowe), Apishapa (Aiken collection), Las Animas, Bent co. (Smith), 

 Gaume's Ranche and Caddoa in November (Cary). 



Habits. — The Canon Towhee is a terrestrial bird, 

 delighting in dry, bare, rocky banks and arroyas ; it 

 is shy and difficult to observe. A pair noticed by the 

 writer kept constantly near a barn-yard close to Colorado 

 City all through the winter, and were frequently seen, 

 but always made off at once into some thick oak-scrub 

 close by. The nest has not been taken in Colorado, 

 so far as I know, but Bendire ("Auk," VII., p. 22) gives 

 a good account of their breeding habits in southern 

 Arizona, where they are plentiful. The nest was placed 

 not more than eight feet from the ground, usualty ia 

 mesquite bush ; it was constructed of plant and grass 

 stems and lined with fine material, or horsehair if avail- 

 able ; it was usually deep. Two or even three broods 

 are raised in the year. 



The eggs, usually three in number, are pearl-grey to 

 bluish-white, spotted or blotched with a deep brown, 

 almost black, the spots being generally connected with 

 fine lines and scrolls. They measure "92 x "69. 



Abert's Towhee. Pipilo aberti. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 592 — Colorado Records — Henshaw 75, p. 300 

 Cooke 97, p. 108 ; Oilman 07, p. 157. 



Description. — Male — Oeneral colour above greyish-brown, rather 

 more dusky on the wings and tail ; lores and chin dusky-black ; below 

 cinnamon-grey, becoming more cinnamon and less grey posteriorly, 

 especially on the under tail-coverts ; a few dusky streaks on the throat. 

 Bill greyish-brown, legs brown. Length 8-60; wing 3-60; tail 4-60 ; 

 culmen -60; tarsus 11. 



The sexes are alike ; the young birds are paler and duller in colour, 

 especially below, and have the breast indistinctly streaked with greyish 

 or dusky. 



