no THE SPURRED TOWHfli. 



No. (15. 



SPl'RRKD lOWIlKE. 



A. O. U. No. 588a. I'ipilo maculatiis niontanus Swartli. 



Synonyms. — Ciikwink. "\ atiukh. 



Description. — Adult male: I lead and neck all amund, chest and ui)|)er|)arts 

 black, glossy anteriorly, duller on back; elongated white sjxits on scapulars, on 

 tips of middle and greater coverts and on outer \veb of cx|)Osed tertials ; edge of 

 wing white and succeeding primaries white on outer web; outermost pair of 

 rectrices edged with white on outer web; the three outenuost i)airs terminally 

 blotched with white on inner web and the fourth pair touched with same near 

 ti]>; breast and belly white; sides, flanks and crissum light ciimamon rufous, 

 bleaching on under tail-coverts to light tawny. I'ill black ; feet brownish ; iris red. 

 Adult female: Similar to male but duller ; black of male replaced by slaty with an 

 olivaceous cast. Length of adult males: 7.50-8.50 ( if;o.5-2i5.9 I ; wing 3.17 (86) ; 

 tail },.()}, ( 100 » ; bill .53 ( 13.5 ) ; tarsus 1.07 ( 2~.~ > ; hind claw .48 ( 12.2 I. Female 

 a little less. 



Recognition Marks. — Standard of "Chewink" size; black, white and cin- 

 namon-rufous unmistakable; heavily spotted with while on scapulars and wing as 

 comparecl with /'. wi. oregonus. 



Nesting. — Kest: on the ground in thicket or at base of small sapling, a 

 bidkv collection of bark-strips, pine needles, coarse dead grass, etc.. carefully lined 

 with tine dry grass; measures 5 inches in width and 3 in depth externally by 2' 2 

 wide and I'j deep inside. F.gf/s: 3-5, usually 4. grayish white or pinkish white 

 as to ground, heavily and uniformly dotted with light redflish brown. .\v. size, 

 .03 X .70 ( 23/) X 17.8). Season: last week in .\|>ril, last week in May and first 

 week in June: two broods. 



General Range. — I'reeding in rpi)er Sonoran and Transition zones from the 

 [■{ockv Mountains to the Cascade-Sierras and in the Pacific coast district of 

 central California, and frf>ni Lower California and Northern Mexico north into 

 llritish Columbia; retiring from northern portion of range in winter. 



Range in Washington. — Common summer resident east of the Cascatles, 

 found in foothills ami mountain valleys up to 3,000 feet; casually resident in 

 winter. 



Authorities. — /'. 111. mec/aloiixx. Brewster, I'.. N. < >. C. \ll. ( >ct. i8<)2, 

 p. 22-. IK Ss'. Ss--. J. 



.Specimens. — (I', of W. ) V'. I'rov. C. 



.\LTIK) of Mexican stock, our western Towiice docs not difTer greatly 

 in aiii)earance from the familiar bird (P. crylhropUtlmlmus) of the Kast : 

 and its habits so closely resemble that of the eastern bird as hardly to rccpiire 

 special descrijUion. The Sjiurred Towhee is a lover of green, tliickety hill- 

 sifles and brushy ilraws, such cover, in short, as is lumped together imder 



