350 BIRDS — FRmGILLID^. 



pact, constructed of small twigs and rootlets, and lined with grass. The 

 eggs are four in number, very rarely five, white, thickly spotted with 

 dark reddish-brown, which often forms a ring around the larger end. 

 They vary in size and shape, nearly as much as those of the Cowhird, 

 which they somewhat resemble, and which is sometimes found in the 

 same nest. They measure from .98 to 1.10 in length by from .78 to .80. 



Genus PIPILO. Vieillot. 



Bill rather stout, the lower jaw not so deep as, bnt wider, than the nppcr. Feet large, 

 tarsus about equal to middle toe ; outer toe a little longer than inner, equal to hind toe. 

 Claws stout, compressed, moderately curved. Wings short, much rounded, reaching to 

 end of upper tail-coverts, outer four quills graduated.. Tail longer than wings, gradu- 

 ated externally. 



PiPILO ERYTHROPrHALMUS (L.) V. 

 To-wbe JBunting ; Ch.e"wiiik:- 



FringiUa erylhropnialma, Kirtland,* Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 164. — Kead, Proo, Phila. 



Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 

 Pipilo enjtkroptltalmus, Wheaton, Ohio Agrio. Eep. for 1860, 366; Reprint, 1861, s; Food 



of Birds, etc., Ohio Agrio. Eep for 1874, 566; Reprint, 1875, 6. — Lakgdon, Cat. Birds 



of Cin., 1877, 9; Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1878, 115; Eepiint, 6; Revised List, 



Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 176 ; Reprint, 10. 



Fringilla erijihropthalmus , Linnaeus, S.\ St. Nat , i, 1766, 318. 

 Pipilo enjihropthalmus, Vieillot, Gal. Ois., i, 1824, 109. 



Adult male: black, belly white, sides chestnut, crissum Julvons-brown ; primaries and 

 inner secondaries with white touches on the outer webs; outer tail feathers, with the 

 outer web, and nearly the terminal 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 specimens. Female: rich 

 warm brown where the male is black ; otherwise similar. Very young birds are streaked 

 brown and dusky above, below whitish, tinged with brown and streaked with dusky. 

 Length: male, S-J; wing, 3 J ; tail, 4; female rather less. 



Habitat, Eastern Province of North America to Minnesota, Canada, and Labrador ; 

 west to Kansas and Fort Randall ; replaced in northern Dakota by var. arclims. 



Very common summer resident in Middle and Northern, resident 

 throughout the year in Southern Ohio. Breeds. In the vicinity of Co- 

 lumbus the Towhe is abundant from the middle of March to the middle 

 of November, and I have taken single birds in every month of the 

 year. It frequents thickets and woodland undergrowth. Sometimes 

 when migrating they visit the gardens of the city. The common names, 

 Towhe and Chewink, are imitations of its ordinary note, which is quick, 

 ringing, and somewhat petulant, though not unpleasant. Its song is 

 quite different; mounting like the Chat to the middle branches of a tall 



