FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 365 



Distribution. Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones on the 

 Plains and eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains from the Saskatche- 

 wan south to southern Colorado, and from the Missouri west to western 

 Montana ; winters south to Texas and west to Washington ; casually to 

 Iowa and Wisconsin. 



Nest. On the ground, made at times of pine needles and lined with 

 grass. 



The towhees of the maculatus group are shy birds of the chap- 

 arral, and when caught singing on top of a bush, where you can 

 study the amount of white mixed with the black and brown of 

 their plumage, they are liable to stop short in their song and pitch 

 down to the ground with only an aggravating flash of the white 

 tail corners. And though you wait patiently, all the reward you 

 are likely to get is a nasal whank or a mewing tow-liee as they rattle 

 the dead leaves, scratching for worms under the dense cover of 

 brush. 



Both their call-notes and songs have a quaint twang that give 

 them peculiar zest. One of the commonest songs in general time 

 and emphasis may be given as yang' ', kit-er-er. 



588a. P. m. megalonyx (Baird.). SPURRED TOWHEE. 



Like arcticus, but with tail, tarsus, and hind claw longer, bill larger, 

 and coloration darker ; upper parts 

 black, except for grayish rump ; 

 white markings much restricted, and 

 rufous of sides deeper ; middle of 



back and tertials usually without j>i g 453. 



white ; white edgings of primaries 

 not developed into a patch, and white space on outer tail feather not 

 occupying more than half of space beyond coverts (1.10-1.35 long). Adult 

 female: darker than female arcticus, streaks on back less conspicuous, 

 white tail patch smaller. Young : similar to young of arcticus, but darker. 

 Male : length (skins) 7.12-8.30, wing 3.29-3.65, tail 3.55-4.39, bill .48- 

 .58. Female : length (skins) 7.12-8.09, wing 3.13-3.48, tail 3.42-4.16, bill 

 .49-.S9. 



Distribution. Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from the 

 Rocky Mountains to California and from British Columbia south to Lower 

 California and northern Mexico. 



Nest. On the ground or in a bush, made variously of inner bark, 

 leaves, and small sticks, lined with grass. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale greenish or 

 bluish, finely specked with brown and lavender, massed around larger end. 



588b. P. m. oregonus (Bell). OREGON TOWHEE. 



Adult male. Upper parts mainly black, white markings inconspicuous ; 

 streaks on back mainly obsolete or 

 concealed ; wing bars reduced to 

 disconnected round white spots, 

 white of outer tail feather reduced 



to ' thumb mark,' less than an inch Fj 



in length, outer web mainly black ; 

 rufous of sides very dark. Adult female : black replaced by dark sooty 



