594 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part i 



whole attention, apparently, given to the work in hand. * * * On catching 

 sight of the observer the bird may retreat to the inner fastnesses, its spotted tail 

 becoming conspicuous as it flies. It sometimes becomes quite familiar, and is a 

 characteristic bird visitor to food tables provided in fall and winter. The trill of 

 the male Oregon spotted towhee is much like that of the Nevada, though Dawson 

 * * * says "the damps of ten thousand winters have reduced his song to a pitiful 

 wheeze." The call note is a mewing jo-ree. 



In the fall the species becomes scattered. Individuals are often found associ- 

 ated in flocks with other species such as song sparrows and juncos. Since the 

 Oregon spotted towhee is observably scarcer in winter than at other seasons it 

 seems a fair assumption that some of the birds migrate, but the fact that a large 

 proportion of individuals stay very close to the same area throughout the year is 

 attested by the record of 12 Seattle banded towhees which were trapped and 

 recovered in both winter and breeding season at the same station. * * * 



Gordon W. Gullion wrote Mr. Bent of his experiences with this 

 race in the WiUamette Valley of Oregon, where the birds inhabit 

 "most of the brush piles and blackberry tangles throughout the valley. 

 They always seem to occiu" in pairs, and very seldom is a single bird 

 encountered holding a territory. In fact it rather seems that they pair 

 for life. In the faU of 1946 I banded a pair of towhees at my home. 

 As they were the only banded towhees in the vicinity, it was quite 

 easy to keep tab on their activities. Whenever one was seen, the other 

 would be found close by. They were seen almost daUy from the time 

 of banding untU late December 1947. Then the female vanished. 

 The male remained around about another two weeks, then he too 

 disappeared. Within a few days another and unhanded pair came 

 in and took possession of the territory. Now they are also banded, 

 and they maintain the same sort of constant companionship the first 

 pair exhibited." 



Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) state that in Oregon "The eggs are 

 usually laid in May. Our nesting dates extend from May 3 to June 25, 

 although young of the year are always on the wing before the latter 

 date." 



The measurements of 17 eggs average 23.3 by 18.3 millimeters; 

 the eggs showing the four extremes measure 25.5 by 19.5, 24.5 by 20.0, 

 22.5 by 19.1, and 24.5 by 17.0 miUimeters. 



Distribution 



Range. — Pacific Coast from British Columbia to California. 



Breeding range. — The Oregon towhee breeds, and is largely resident, 

 from southwestern British Columbia (Comox, Chilliwack) south 

 through western Washington to southwestern Oregon (Roseburg). 



Winter range. — Winters south to northwestern California (Trinidad, 

 Willow Creek) ; casually south to central (Colusa) and southern 

 California (San Clemente Island). 



