110 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



A young bird has the prevailing color reddish-olive above, spotted with 

 lighter ; beneath brownish- white, streaked thickly with brown. 



The description above given may be taken as representing the average of 

 the species in the Northern and Middle States. Most specimens from the 

 Mississippi Valley differ in having the two white patches on the primaries 

 confluent ; but this feature is not sufticiently constant to make it worthy of 



2135 ^ 



2135 



Pipilo erythrophthalmus. 



more than passing notice, for occasionally western specimens have the white 

 spaces separated, as in the majority of eastern examples, while among the 

 latter there may, now and tlien, be found individuals scarcely distinguishable 

 from the average of western ones. 



In Florida, however, there is a local, resident race, quite different from 

 these two northern styles, which are themselves not enough unlike to be 

 considered separately. This Florida race differs in much smaller size, very 

 restricted white on both wing and tail, and in having a yellowisli-white in- 

 stead of blood-red iris. Further remarks on this Florida race will be found 

 under its proper heading (p. 708), as P. erytlirophthalmus, var. alleni. 



Specimens of erytlirophthahnus, as restricted, from Louisiana, as is the case 

 with most birds from the Lower Mississippi region, exhibit very intense 

 colors compared with those from more nortliern portions, or even Atlantic 

 coast specimens from the same latitude. 



Habits. The Ground Robin, Towhee, Chewink, Charee, or Jofeet, as it is 

 variously called, has an extended distribution throughout the eastern United 

 States, from Florida and Georgia on the southeast to the Selkirk Settlements 

 on the northwest, and as far to the west as the edge of the Great Plains, 

 where it is replaced by other closely allied races. It breeds almost wherever 

 found, certainly in Georgia, and, I have no doubt, sparingly in Florida. 



This bird was not observed in Texas by Mr. Dresser. It has been found 

 in Western Maine, where it is given by Mr. Verrill as a summer visitant, 

 and where it breeds, but is not common. It arrives there the first of May. 

 It is not given by Mr. Boardman as occurring in Eastern Maine. In Massa- 

 chusetts it is a very abundant summer visitant, arriving about the last of 

 April, and leaving about the middle of October. It nests there the last of 



