Descriptive List 251 



The Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida (Swains.), recorded bv Atkinson as being taken 

 at Chapel Hill, March S, 1S86 (Jour. Eli. Milch. Sci. Soc, 1887, Part 2, p. 73), was later sho\^Ti 

 by Pearson to be a Swamp Sparrow. (Auk, 1898, p. 275.) 



Genus Passerella i Swains.) 



245. Passerella iliaca iliaca (Merrem). Fox Sp.\rrow'. 



Description: Ads. — Upperparts rufous-brown, the feathers margined by cinnamon-brown 

 and without black; upper tail-coverts and tail bright rufous; wings margined with rufous; under- 

 parts heavilv streaked and spotted with rufnus-ljrown and blackish; middle of the belly white; 

 lower mandible yellowish. L., 7.26; \V., 3.39; T., 2.85; B., ..50. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. — Eastern United States, breeding wholly north of the I'nited States. 



Range in North Carolina. — Whole State in winter. 



Tlie Fox Sparrow, the largest and one of the handsomest of our sparrows, is a 

 fairly common winter visitor throughout the State, arriving about November 1, 

 and leaving near the middle of March. While here it is found mainly in lowland 

 thickets and dense woods, where it is usually associated with others of its kind. It 

 is a fine vocalist and seems to show a preference for singing on damp or cloudy 

 days. In some seasons it appears to be much more abundant than in others. 



Genus Pipilo (Vieill.) 



246. Pipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthalmus (Linn.). Towhee. 



Description: Ad. c' ■ — I'pperjiarts Ijhick, sometimes margined with rufous; throat and breast 

 black, belly white, sides rufous; outer welj of primaries with white; tail black, the three outer 

 feathers tipped with white; outer web of the outer feather entirely white; iris red. Ad. 9- — • 

 Upperparts, wings, throat, and breast bright gi-ayish brown; tail fuscous-brown the tliree outer 

 feathers tipped with white; sides rufous, middle of the belly white. Nestlings have the back and 

 underparts streaked with black. L., 8.35; W., 3.31; T., 3.68; B., ..55. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. — Eastern United States. 



Range in North Carolina. — Whole State in winter and diu'ing tlie migrations, breeding near 

 the coast and in the whole mountain region. 



Fig. 200. Towiiee. 



The Towhee or Chewink, most commonly known in this State as " Jorec," " Jo- 

 reeper," or "'Joerigger," is found throughout the mountain region, where it breeds 

 abundantly, and also winters in tlie valleys. It appears to be a common mnter 

 visitor in the rest of the State, arriving about the first of October, and leaving in 

 early ^lay. While some are found all winter, it is nevertheless a more abundant 



