Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 607 



272. Pipilo maculatus arcticus (Swainson). 

 Arctic Towhee. 



Distr.: "Plains of the Platte, Upper Missouri, Yellowstone and 

 Saskatchewan Rivers, west to the eastern slope of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, south in winter to Kansas, Colorado and Texas." (A. O. U.) 



The Arctic Towhee resembles the common Towhee, P. erythroph- 

 thalmus, but differs from it in having the upper plumage dull black 

 (not clear black), tinged with olive on the rump, and the scapulars 

 and interscapulars marked and streaked with white. The female has 

 the upper plumage dusky brown, more or less tinged with olive and 

 the forehead tinged with gray; feathers of the back (interscapulary 

 region) edged with more or less white. 



Length, about 8.15; wing, 3.40; tail, 3.65; bill, .50. 



The Arctic Towhee is an accidental straggler in Illinois and Wis- 

 consin. In a foot-note in his Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. no, 

 Mr. Nelson states: "Through Dr. Hoy I learn that two specimens of 

 P. arcticus have been taken in Wisconsin, one near Milwaukee, where 

 it is now preserved, and a second opposite Dubuque, Iowa. He 

 has seen both specimens and is positive of their identity." 



Another specimen is recorded by Mr. Frank M. Woodruff, who 

 writes: "The only record that I have found of the taking of the 

 Arctic Towhee within our limits is that of Mr. F. S. Dayton, who 

 shot one of these birds in the woods west of North Evanston, Illinois, 

 on October 24, 1898, near the same locality where he obtained speci- 

 mens of Junco montanus three days before. The specimen is in the 

 collection of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, having been donated 

 by Mr. Dayton. It is the skin of atypical adult male." (Birds of 

 the Chicago Area, 1907, p. 144.) 



Kumlien & Hollister state: "One specimen, an adult male, has 

 been shot (by L. K.) in Jefferson County. This specimen was sent 

 to Prof. Sundevall and the record can not be found at present. 

 There was also a specimen — formerly preserved in the old Wiscon- 

 sin Natural History Society collection — which was taken near Mil- 

 waukee about 1867 or 1868. One was noted by Dr. Hoy in a col- 

 lection of birds at Dubuque, Iowa, which had been taken on the Wis- 

 consin side of the river." (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 102). 



