Birds of Oregon and Washington 6 1 



given the common eastern variety of this spe- 

 cies because his usual happy call seems to sound 

 like one of these words. If the family were to 

 be named from the characteristic call of the 

 Oregon variety, it would not receive its present 

 designation. 



The Towhee is sometimes called the ''Ground 

 Robin," because the sides of his breast so closely 

 resemble the Robin's breast in color, and be- 

 cause he so persistently digs and delves under 

 the leaves and about the roots of bushes for the 

 grubs which are his principal food. 



He is a very individual bird, and often seems 

 to go tumbling rather than hopping about in the 

 bushes, hiding in the deepest thickets from your 

 sight, but always keeping you within his own 

 vision. 



His song is given from the highest bush in 

 the clump, or from the top of a low tree, and is 

 sometimes like the musical trill of a large insect. 

 He is distinguished for a very red eye. 



Particular Description. — Male : black head, 

 back, tail and neck ; wings, slightly spotted with white ; 

 breast, white center, reddish-brown sides ; abdomen, 

 white. 



