200 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



yellow crown-spot; young with black head-stripes replaced 

 with brown, but yellow always present, though sometimes 

 pale. Common winter visitant in brushy localities west of the 

 Sierras. (See page 109.) 



California or Brown Towhee. Feet and bill stout; 

 length, 8% inches; plumage almost uniform brown, becoming 

 reddish under the tail ; throat paler, with a margin of faint 

 dusky spots. Abundant resident west of the Sierras. (See 

 page 161.) 



Spurred Towhee (with three races). Length, 8 inches; 

 bill and feet stout, the hind toe bearing an unusually long 

 claw ; whole head and upper surface black or sooty brown ; a 

 few white spots on wings and at tip of tail ; sides bright rufous 

 belly white. Common resident of brushy places and hedges 

 (See page 159.) 



Cliff-Swallow, or Eave-Swallow. Bill and feet small; 

 length, 5}4 inches; under parts white, except for a black 

 breast-spot, and a chestnut-brown throat ; forehead conspicu- 

 ously whitish ; top of head and back dark steely blue. Abun- 

 dant summer visitant, building a gourd-shaped nest on barns 

 and cliffs. (See page 121.) 



Bank-Swallow ( sometimes called Sand-Martin ) . Smaller ; 

 length, 5 inches; upper surface sooty brown; beneath, white, 

 with a dark band across the breast. Common locally as a 

 summer visitant, nesting in holes in bluffs and river banks. 

 (Seepage 117.) 



Cedar Waxwing. Length, 6% inches; head with a tall 

 crest; tail tipped with yellow; some of wing-feathers with 

 bright-red waxy tips ; black stripe on sides of head ; rest of 

 plumage softly tinted with olive-grays and browns. Irregular 



