IOO Land Birds of New England 



LITERATURE: 



A Naturalist's Rambles. C. C. ABBOTT. 



In Nesting-Time. OLIVE THORNE MILLER. 



A Rambler's Lease (Art. "A Bird's-Nest Hunter.") BRADFORD 



TORREY. 



49. TOWHEE; CHEWINK 



SWAMP ROBIN; GROUND ROBIN 



(Pipilo erythrophthalm us . ) 



Male: upper parts black, wings and tail marked with white; 

 throat and forebreast black ; remaining part of breast and belly 

 white in the middle and chestnut at the sides. Beak large, 

 conical, black ; feet horn color. Bird about half way in size 

 between a robin and a sparrow ; tail very long. Female : upper 

 parts brown, wings and tail marked with white ; throat and 

 forebreast brown ; remaining part of breast and belly white in 

 the middle and chestnut at the sides. Rather smaller than 

 male. 



THE towhee arrives about the first of May, and 

 remains until early October. He may be sought in 

 marshy thickets, where he is most likely to be found 

 scratching the ground, or overturning the leaves in 

 search of insects, somewhat as does a hen. They 

 are rather shy birds, and it is not always easy to get 

 a sight of them. 



The nest is placed on the ground in low, wet 

 woods, or in scrub, i.e., bushy second growth, con- 

 sisting chiefly of oaks and birches. Eggs are laid 

 about the end of May. 



