TOWHEES 437 



twenty-first. It is essentially a species of the bushy under- 

 growth and thickets, copses and scrub oaks. The general call 

 of content or alarm is "chewink" or "towhee," while E. S. 

 Thompson has worded the song uttered as follows: — "chuck- 

 burr, pill-a-will-a-will-a." Though well acquainted with the 

 habits of several western species of Towhee, the common bird 

 of the east is not known to me save through dead specimens and 

 nests and eggs collected by others, consequently all said here- 

 with is the result of observations of others. 



The nest is placed on the ground at the foot of bushes or 

 shrubbery in the thickets and copses frequented by the species. 

 A nest in my collection was taken near Haverhill, Massachu- 

 setts, May 23, 1895, It was situated on the ground in second 

 growth oaks at the foot of a small bush. The nest was three 

 inches deep outside by one and a half inside, the external 

 diameter was four and the internal two and a half inches. The 

 four eggs measure 1.03 x 0.73, 1.02 x 0.75, 1.00 x 0.73, 1.05 

 X 0.75. The nest is composed of rather substantial strips of 

 bark and dead leaves lined with fine grasses. The eggs are 

 white, thickly speckled and sprinkled with light reddish brown 

 rather uniformly over the entire surface. Other eggs are some- 

 times rather more heavily and boldly spotted than these and 

 with coarser markings about the larger ends. Three to five, 

 more often four eggs are laid in late May in Massachusetts, 

 probably about the first of June in Maine. An occasional 

 nest is said to be placed in bushes, but this is exceptional. 



Regai'ding the habits of the birds, Mr. Minot has recorded 

 the fact that "They search for seeds and insects underneath 

 the leaves and decayed vegetation, which they turn over by 

 scratching, much like hens; when distui'bed, leaving the ground 

 to eye the intruder, but unless pursued, immediately returning 

 to their former occupation." (L. B. & G. B. of N. E. p. 235). 

 This account agrees with my observations of the quite closely 

 related Spurred Towhee of the west. 



