243 KEPORT OF Is'EW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



In spring the Fox* Si^arrow may often be heard in full song, and a 

 splendid song it is, finer in quality than that of any of our other Spar- 

 rows. 



Though common every year during their passage, they seem, some 

 years, to reach us all together, as it were, and for a short time the 

 thickets simply swarm \\ ith them. 1 noticed sucli a flight in March, 

 1906, near Tuckerton, when all the woods and fence rows seemed alive 

 with Fox Sparrows. 



Mr. W. E. D. Scott secured one on January 14th, 1879, at Prince- 

 ton,^ and Mr. S. N. Rhoads and I found several at Cape May, January 

 2Gth-39t]i, 1891. Mr. Baily^ saw twenty-five at Wildwood, December 

 25th, 1902, and Mr. W. B. Evans one at Moorestown the same day.- 



587 Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus). 

 Towhee, Chewink. 



PLATE 60. 



Adult JH aZe.— Length, 7-8.25. Wing, 3.10. Above, including whole head, 

 neck and breast, black ; sides of body, chestnut ; middle of body, white ; outei* 

 web of primaries white at base, making a distinct bar ; tips of primaries and 

 tertials also white ; three outer tail feathers with large white terminal areas, 

 fourth feather often with a small white spot. 



Adult female. — Similar, but black replaced by brown (cinnamon or raw umber). 



Young in first summer. — Above, fulvous brown, streaked and mottled with 

 black ; under parts, buffy, thickly streaked with blackish, except on the throat 

 and middle of the abdomen ; wings and tail as in adults. 



Nest of dead leaves lined with grass, placed on the ground, or rarely in a low 

 bush ; eggs, four to five, white, spotted with brown, .90 x .70. 



Common summer resident. Arrives March 21st (April 19th), de- 

 parts October 20th. Mr. W. L. Baily has recorded one at Wildwood, 

 Cape May county, December 27th, 1903,^ and W. B. Evans one at 

 Moorestown, December 25th, 1907.* 



The Towhee is a bird of clearings or low bushy woodlands, and 

 spends most of his time scratching among the dead leaves. When 

 alarmed he utters the familiar metallic "che wink" and flits about from 



^ Bull. Nutt. Oru. Club, 1879, p. 82. 



2 Bird Lore, February, 1903. 



' Cassinia, 1904, p. 62. 



* Bird Lore. February, 1008, Christmas Lists. 



