THE GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE. 159 



white hurdered by (kisk\ suluiiaxillary stripe; sides of head and neck and re- 

 maining underpants ashy gray, clearing to white on abdomen, tinged with huffy 

 or brownish on sides, flanks and crissum. Bill blackish above, paler below ; 

 legs brown, toes darker ; irides cinnamon. Young birds arc brown above tinged 

 with greenish and streaked with dusky but with wings and tail much as in adult. 

 Length of adult about 7.00 (177.8); wing 3.15 (80); tail 3.30 (84); bill .50 

 (12.7) ; tarsus .94 (24). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size; rufous crown, white throat; greenish 

 coloration of upperparts. 



Nesting. — "Xcst: in bush or on the ground. Eggs: .90 x .68 (22.8 x 17.2) ; 

 pale greenish or grayish white, freckled all over with bright reddish brown, 

 usually aggregating or wreathing at the larger end" (Coues). 



General Range. — "Mountain districts of western United States, from more 

 eastern Rocky .Mountain ranges to coast range of California; north to central 

 Montana and Idaho and eastern Washington" (Ridgway). South in winter to 

 Mexico and Lower California. 



Range in Washington. — Presumably summer resident in the Blue 

 Mountains. 



Authorities. — |'"(irecn-lailed towhee." Johnson, Rep. Gov. W. T. 1884 

 (1885, 22]. Ridgway, liirds of North and Aliddle America, Part T, 401. T( ?). 



NOT having ourselves encountered this species we are not able to com- 

 ment on Prof. Ridgw'ay's inclusion^ of eastern Washington in the bird's 

 breeding range. The Green-tailed Towhee appears to be essentially a 

 mountain-loving species, and if it ^ccurs within our borders, will he nearly 

 confined to the Blue Mountains of the southeastern corner. 



Mr. Trippe, writing from Idaho Springs. Colorado, says of this bird'': 

 "It arrives at Idaho early in May, and soon becomes abundant, remaining 

 till the close of September or early part of October. It is a sprightly, active 

 little bird with something wren-like in its movements and appearance. It is 

 eciually at home among the loose stones and rocks of a hill-side (where it 

 hops about w'ith all the agility of the Rock Wren), and the densest thickets 

 of brambles and willows in the valleys, amidst wdiich it loves to hide. It 

 is rather shy. and prefers to keep at a good distance from any suspicious 

 object : and if a cat or dog approaches its nest, makes a great scolding, like 

 the Cat-bird, and calls all the neighbors to its assistance; but if a person 

 walks by, it steals away very quietly and remains sileitt till the danger is 

 passed. It has a variety of notes which it is fond of littering: one sounds 

 like the mew of a kitten, but thinner and more wiry; its song is very fine, 

 quite different from the Towhec's and vastly superior to it. It builds its 

 nests in dense clumps of brambles, and raises two broods each season, the 

 first being hatched almut the middle of Jnne." 



a. Birds of Kortti and .Middle .America, Vol. I., p. 401. 



b. Coues, "Birds of the Northwest" (Ed. 1874), p. 177. 



