BiEDS OF Indiana. 973 



is wasted — humanly speaking — on the uninhabited Hudson Bay 

 region. In autumn they begin to reach northern Indiana late in 

 September. Five were reported from Lebanon, September 28, 1894. 

 They were noted at Chicago, 111., September 30, 1896, October 27, 

 1883; Lafayette, Ind., October 17, 1895, November 3, 1894; Bicknell, 

 November 20, 1896; Greensburg, November 30, 1894. Prof. F. H. 

 King examined three specimens, one of which had eaten 50 chinch 

 bugs; the other two, small seeds. 



136. Gknus PIPILO Vikillot. 



*229. (587). Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.). 



Towhee. 



Synonyms, Chewink, Towhee Bunting, Jewee, Joree, Marsh Robin, 

 Ground Robin. 



Adult Male. — Black; belly, white; sides, chestnut; crissum, fulvous- 

 brown; primaries and inner secondaries, with white touches on the 

 outer webs; outer tail feathers, with the outer web and nearly the ter- 

 minal half of the inner web, white; the next two or three, with white 

 spots, decreasing in size; bill, blackish; feet, pale brown; iris, red in 

 the adult, white or creamy in the young and generally in winter speci- 

 mens. Female. — Eich, warm brown, where the male is black; other- 

 wise similar. Young. — Streaked brown and dusky above; below, whit- 

 ish, tinged with brown and streaked with dusky. 



Length, 7.50-8.75; wing, 3.30-3.75; tail, 3.55-4.10. 



Range. — Eastern North America, east of Texas and Dakota; north 

 to Manitoba and Labrador. Breeds from Georgia and lower Missis- 

 sippi Valley north. Winters from Indiana and Pennsylvania south. 



Nest, on ground, or near it; of leaves and shreds of bark, lined with 

 grass and leaves. Eggs, 3-5; white, uniformly and thickly speckled 

 with different shades of rufous; .95 by .70. 



The Towhee is a common resident in southern Indiana north at 

 least to the latitude of Vincennes and Brookville, and some winters 

 over the greater part of the south half of the State. Occasionally, in 

 mild winters, a few winter throughout the State, and even in Michigan. 

 Over the greater part of our territory, however, the bird is best known 

 as a common summer resident. It is distributed everywhere among 

 bushes and thickets. At some seasons it frequents the densest woods; 

 at others, it enters the larger towns. Its well-known call, uttered by 

 both sexes, and variously interpreted, has given it a name ever5rwhere. 

 The female does not sound the final h in cJiewinJc, which is distinctly 



