a 
332 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
leaves, and lined with fine stalks of the same and the slen- 
der hair-like tops of the bent grass (agrostis), with a very 
few cow-hairs, though sometimes they make a substantial 
lining of hair. The eggs are four or five in number; and 
their color is a nearly pure white, sometimes with a bluish 
tint. In a large number in my collection from L. E. Rick- 
secker, of Pennsylvania, a few have scattered blotches of 
reddish-brown. Their size varies from .80 by .60 to .70 by 
.O2 inch. But one brood is reared in the season in New 
England. 
About the middle of September, the whole family leaves 
New England, and winters in tropical America. 
PIPILO, V1erLuot. 
Pipilo, Vie1ttot, Analyse (1816) Agassiz. (Type Fringilla erythrophthalma, 
Linn.) 
Bill rather stout; the culmen gently curved, the gonys nearly straight; the com- 
missure gently concave with a decided notch near the end; the lower jaw not so 
deep as the upper, not as wide as the gonys is long, but wider than the base of the 
upper mandible; feet large, the tarsus as long or a little longer than the middle 
toe; the outer lateral toe a little the longer, and reaching a little beyond the base 
of the middle claw; the hind claw about equal to its toe; the two together about 
equal to the outer toe; claws all stout, compressed, and moderately curved; wings 
reaching about to the end of the upper tail coverts; short and rounded, though the 
primaries are considerably longer than the nearly equal secondaries and tertials; 
the outer four quills are graduated; the first considerably shorter than the second, 
and about as long as the secondaries; tail considerably longer than the wings; 
moderatelv craduated externally; the feathers rather broad; most rounded off on 
the inner webs at the end. 
The colors vary; the upper parts are generally uniform black or brown; the 
under white or brown; no central streaks on the feathers. The hood sometimes 
differently colored. 
The essential characters of the genus are in the curved culmen and commissure; 
the strong feet; the outer toe rather longer than the inner; the wings rounded, but 
the primaries decidedly longer than the others; the outer four quills considerably 
graduated, but the first usually not shorter than the secondaries. The graduated 
tail longer than the wings. 
PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMUS. — Vieillot. 
The Ground Robin; Towhee; Chewink. 
Fringilla erythrophthalma, Linneus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 318; Aud. Orn. Biog., 
I. (1832) 151; V. 511. 
