498 WHITE-EYED TOWNEE. 



with thelowev side of the anterior povtion narrowly edged witli lilaok. Under wing coverts, under tail coverts, and n-issuiis. 

 pale-chestnut. Feet, brown. Bill, blue-black. Iris, white. 



Adult female. With the black replaced by reddish-brown which has a slaty under tint. White as in the males 

 Tlie chestnut is much paler being fully as liglitas that on the under tail coverts. The feathers of the back and top ot 

 head show darker centers. 



Young male. In this stage the- white of the tail only extends over two pairs of feathers. The white markings of the- 

 secondaries are scarcely jjerceijtilile. There is no black margin to the chestnut of the sides. The featliere of the wings and' 

 rump are naiTowly edged with ruEjus. 



Younij female. Strongly overwa.shed with yellowish-rufous above, the white marking's being more or less obscured by- 

 it. The white below is tinged with yellow. 



Nestlings. Similar to the young female but streaked above and below with dusky. The ii-Ls in thLs stage is light- 

 brown, quite different from that of the adult. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There Ls a concealed spot of slaty-white on the throat, indeed all of the under tint is sfety. This species differs fronk 

 "rylhrophthalmus , its nearest ally, in beiug smaller and in having less -white ou the tail. This never extends over more 

 tlian three pairs of the tail feathers and does not occupy the entire width of the outer web, but has a narrow line of lilack 

 next the shaft. The white of the wings is also less extended. The chestnut is much paler but the most noticeable differ- 

 ence in the living specimen is the white eye. The females may be distinguished' at once by the slaty tint of the portions 

 which are black in the males. T!.is is quite different from that of any other species which I have ever examiiie<l. Constant 

 resident in the scrub lands of Florida, (ijorgia, and the Carolinas. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of twenty-seven specimens. Length, 7-70; stretch, 10'21; wing, 3-01; tail, 3-40; liill, -56; tar- 

 sus, -95. Longest specimen, 8-25; greatest extent of wing, 10-50; longest wing, a'HO; tail, 3'70; bill,, '50; tai-sus, 1.00., 

 Shortest specimen, 7 50; .snuiliest extent of wing, i)'47; shortest wing, 3"25-, tail, 3'05; bill, '65; tai-sus, •90'. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nest.i, placed on the grounil. I have never seen a specimen but, judging from the description givea to me by Mr. J. L. 

 Burte)n who f lund one, think tliat it closely resemblas that of the precsding species. 



Eggs, four in number, elliptical in form, creaniy-wliite in color, spotted and dotted with reddish-brown, a little more 

 thickly on tlie larger end. Dimensions from i)5x "70 to I'OOx "75. 



HABITS. 



On Febraary 4, 18G8, I launclicd my bout for the first time on the Indian RivcF 

 which runs along- the coast of Florida for some hundred and fifty miles, parallel to the sea 

 and but a short distance from it. We were bound fm- the canal which connects the body 

 of water, spoken of above, with Mosquito Lagoon. After many adventures and delays we 

 at last succeeded in finding the place and camped on the north side of llaulover Canal. 

 Our tents stood in a little grove and a series of hummocks extended up and down the river, 

 but the remainder of the country Avas covered with scrub composed of dwarf oaks, gall 

 berries, and other bushes. These grew so thickly together that it was exceedingly difficult 

 to make our way through it, but a narrow path extended from our camp to the orange 

 grove of Capt. Dummett who lived about a mile and a half south of us. I was walking along 

 this path one day when my attention was attracted by seeing what appeared, at first, to 

 be a common Towhee gazing at me from the foliage; but on examination I saw that it had 

 white eyes. This was my first acquaintance with the White-eyed Towhee but since then I 

 have found them very abundant in every favorable locality from Southern Florida to the 

 Carolinas. 



This species frequents the scrub, never being found elsewhere. Like the Red-eye 

 they spend the greater portion of their time on the ground, and on still mornings may be 

 heard scratching among the leaves in all directions, for they are very numerous wherever 



