342 BIRDS 



bles, though it is somewhat smaller, has less white on the 

 plumage of the wings and tail, and the iris is brownish- 

 yellow or yellowish-white instead of red. 



The Florida towhee, as the white-eye is frequently 

 called, spends much of its time on the ground, under the 

 shade of the dwarf palm, where it scratches among the 

 leaves. In general it is a shy and retiring bird and is sel- 

 dom seen far from its wooded retreats. It is so frequently 

 seen among the saw-palmettos that it is often called the 

 palmetto chewink, or towhee. "This southern towhee 

 does not associate with the northern towhee, which winters 

 in the south. The latter selects haunts of much the same 

 nature as those in which it passes the summer, the former 

 in heavy growths of scrub palmetto." 



The call note of the white-eyed towhee sounds much like 

 the syllables jo-ree, with the accentuation on the last sylla- 

 ble. Regarding its song, Mr. J. C. Maynrad says that it 

 does not sing in winter, " but by the first of March the males 

 may be seen on the highest boughs of the small live oaks, 

 pouring forth their song, which is lower and sweeter than 

 that of the red-eye. This outburst of song is the prelude to 

 the breeding season, and soon the birds are busily engaged 

 in constructing their nests." 



Mr. Oliver Davie says that the white-eyed towhee has 

 been found breeding as far north as South Carolina. Its 

 nest consists of coarse weeds, pine needles, and grass, and is 

 lined with finer grasses. It seems to nest both in pine trees, 

 at heights from three to fifteen feet above the ground, and 

 in the dense clumps of saw-palmettos. It has also been 

 stated that the nest is sometimes built on the ground. 



