FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 109 



b. Outer webs of primaries distinctly edged with white at base. 



4. Above black, except on rump, which is tinged with olivaceous. White 

 spots very large, without black border. Inner web of lateral tail-feather 

 with terminal half white, the outer web almost wholly white. Wing, 3 50 ; 

 tail, 3.90 ; hind claw, .39. Female umber-brown, replacing black. ITab. 

 Plains between Rocky Mountains and the Missouri ; Saskatchewan Basin. 



var. arcticus. 

 B. Interscapulars without white streaks. 



5. Above dusky olive ; white spots on scapulars and wing-coverts small, and 

 without black edge. Tail-patches very restricted (outer only .40 long). 

 No white on primaries. Wing, 2.85 ; tail, 3.10. Female scarcely different. 



Hab. Socorro Island, off west coast of Mexico . , . var. carmani.^ 



Pipilo erythrophthalmus, Vieillot. 



GROUND KOBIN ; TOWHEE ; CHEWINK. 



Fringilla erythrophthalma, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 318. — Aud. Orii. Biog. I, 1832, 151 ; 

 V, 511, pi. xxix. Eviberiza erythrojihthalma, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 874. — Wilson, 

 Am. Orn. VI, 1812, 90, pi. liii. Pipilo erythrophthalmus, Vieill. Gal. Ois. I, 1824, 

 109, pi. Ixxx. — Bon. List, 1838. —Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 487. — Aud. Syn. 1839, 124. 

 — Ib. Birds Am. HI, 1841, 167, pi. cxcv. — Bairp, Birds N. Am. 1858, 512. — Samu- 

 els, 333. Pipilo ater, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. XXXIV, 1819, 292. Towhee Bird, 

 Catesby, Car. I, 34. Towhee Punting, Latham, Syn. II, i, 1783, 199. — Pennant, 

 H, 1785, 359. 



Sp. Char. Upper parts generally, head and neck all round, and upper part of the 

 breast, glossy black, abruptly defined against 

 the pure white which extends to the anus, 

 but is bounded on the sides and under the 

 wings by light chestnut, which is sometimes 

 streaked externally with black. Feathers of 

 throat white in the middle. Under coverts 



similar to sides, but paler. Edges of outer six primaries with white at the base and on 

 the middle of the outer web ; inner two tertiaries also edged externally with white. 

 Tail-feathers black ; outer web of the first, with the ends of the first to the third, white, 

 decreasing from the exterior one. Outermost quill usually shorter than ninth, or even 

 than seconda^ries ; fourth quill longest, fifth scarcely shorter. Iris red ; said to be some- 

 times paler, or even white, in winter. Length, 8.75 ; wing, 3.75 ; tail, 4.10. Bill black, 

 legs flesh-color. -Female with the black replaced by a rather rufous brown. 



Hab. Eastern United States to the Missouri River ; Florida (in winter). 



The tail-feathers are only moderately graduated on the sides ; the outer 

 about .40 of an inch shorter tlian the middle. The outer tail-feather has 

 the terminal half white, the outline transverse ; tlie white of the second is 

 about half as long as that of the first ; of the third half that of the second. 

 The chestnut of the sides reaches forward to the black of the neck, and is 

 visible when the wings are closed. 



1 Pipilo carmani, Baird, MSS. ; Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lye. X, 7. (Specimens in collection 

 made by Colonel A. J. Grayson.) 



