RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE 571 



click beetles, scale insects, cicadas, tree hoppers, carpenter ants, sawflies, and tent 

 caterpillars and a great variety of other caterpillars. The chewink is an ex- 

 emplary woodland citizen and should receive our best protection. 



In addition to this rather complete account, many unusual food 

 items have been recorded. G. H. Breiding (1946) quotes A. L. Nelson 

 (in litt.) as informing him of a single record of a towhee eating the 

 drupes of moonseed (Menisperinum canadense) in Maryland, which 

 Breiding notes is claimed to be poisonous to humans. Holly berries 

 were eaten by a towhee observed by G. A. Petrides (1942). E. H. 

 Forbiish (1929) states that Arthur T. Wayne says that when spring 

 arrives in South Carolina, these birds go to the tallest trees and feed 

 upon the buds. E. G. Holt (1918) noted towhees feeding on mulber- 

 ries in a small orchard in Alabama. F. H. Eang (1883) examined 17 

 specimens and found that "five had eaten small seeds; one, wheat; 

 one, oats; one, raspberries; one, seven moths; three, nine beetles; 

 one, ants; one, a wasp; one, an ichneumon; two, three grasshoppers; 

 two, two cockroaches; one, a walkingstick (Spectrum Jemoratum) , and 

 four of its eggs; and one, a larva." T. S. Roberts (1932) quotes Dr. 

 G. H. Leudtke's notes on the behavior of a towhee that remained at 

 a feeding station at Fairmont, Mich., beyond the usual time for fall 

 departure. This bird ate suet, oats, and flax during the period October 

 25-November 1. H. C. Oberholser (1938) adds the boll weevil to 

 the varied insect items included in the diet of this exceedingly bene- 

 ficial species. 



It should be noted that no writer since L. J. P. Vieillot (1819) has 

 reported "acorns" as being an item of diet for the towhee. 



Frederic W. Davis (in litt.) adds the following notes from his obser- 

 vations in Amherst, Mass. : 



"When feeding on the ground the towhee usually progresses by 

 'kick' foraging, scattering the ground debris with its feet to expose 

 potential food as it goes. When insect larvae and other food are 

 plentiful on top of the substrate, the birds resort to 'visual' or 'peck' 

 foraging without scratching the debris aside. Occasionally towhees 

 will attempt short 'flycatching' sallies on the wing, either from the 

 ground or from a perch. In the few instances of this I have seen, the 

 intended prey was always a conspicuous and slow-moving insect, and 

 the bu'd's sallies were too awkwardly executed to be successful. 



"In late May or early June the birds are often seen in highbush 

 blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, eating the blossoms. Arboreal 

 foraging predominates during the first week or two of June, and 

 throughout the month the towhees frequent a variety of deciduous 

 trees to glean larvae from the foliage. Fruits of the aromatic winter 

 green, blueberries, and huckleberries are consumed not only by the 

 adults, but are fed in quantity to the nestlings. One nestling about 



