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



glass with beak and feet simultaneously. Then he would pause, sing 

 a few times, and renew the attack. He continued this behavior even 

 after the eggs hatched. On his way to feed the young with a beakful 

 of larvae he usually tarried long enough to make a few sallies. 

 Ultimately he fought with — and smeared — every window in the house. 



**Towhees in captivity consume quantities of water and are avid 

 bathers. Wild birds in suburban areas are frequent visitors to bird 

 baths. In most of our study areas free surface water is scarce, even 

 after heavy rains, because the heavy layer of humus absorbs it. 

 After a very heavy dew the morning of June 17, 1961, I watched a 

 male towhee fly into one cluster of red maple leaves after another and 

 flutter among them. After becoming thoroughly drenched, he flew 

 to a gray birch where he fluffed vigorously and then preened his 

 plumage as it dried." 



Voice. — The towhee is a vigorous songster. R. T. Moore (1913) 

 uses him as the epitome when he comments that the song of the 

 fox sparrow is "quite as strenuous as that of his cousin, the Chewink." 

 While many of its various vernacular names are of course phonetic 

 interpretations of its call, the towhee has a considerable repertoire 

 and it is interesting to note the many observations and interpretations 

 various authors have recorded. 



C. J. Maynard (1896) comments that "when disturbed, it con- 

 stantly reiterates its name of 'towhee' given very decidedly with the 

 accent on the last syUable. This note is oftentimes interpreted as 

 being chewink * * *." E. H. Forbush (1929) provides these descrip- 

 tive terms: "towhee', chewink', joree', wink rrrink; chuck, chuck; 

 'whit-a whit-a-whit' (H. D. Minot); song, 'drink-your-tea' ; dick' you, 

 addle fiddle fiddle, or better yet ^chuck-burr, pill-a-will-a-will-a' (E, T. 

 Seton), most of the force expended on the chuck, the burr on a lower 

 key, and the rest uttered rapidly; also a 'quavering warble difflcult of 

 description' (E. A. Samuels) ; an unusual song jung (low) dee-dee-dee- 

 dee-dee (high) ees-ees (higher) yu-yiX-yii-yii-yiX (low) (F. H. Allen)." 



H. A. Allard (1928) adds his observations of "strange winter 

 singing" of a group of towhees which passed the winter near Chapel 

 HiU, N.C.— 



a strange, squeaky song * * * interspersed with its familiar tur-ee-tur-ee. [I 

 heard] a peculiar bird expression delivered for some seconds in a sweet conversa- 

 tional way, somewhat hushed in quality. * * * an almost indescribable song- 

 babble or warble, the notes uttered in succession, with warbler-hke variations. 

 * * * interspersing his expressions with the familiar well known tur-ee-iur-ee- 

 tur-ee, now uttered in an excited manner. [On March 2, 1904] * * * It was 

 a happy courtship scene, in which brilliantly attired males were trying to win 

 the approval of the female. Again I heard its new, mysteriously soft, affectionate 

 expressions, almost a subdued whispering chant, warbler-like. * * * It is evi- 

 dently his true love-song or murmur, remotely reminding one of the BoboHnk's 



