THE BIRD BOOK 



587. TovviiEE. Pipilo eri/thro'phthalmus 



cry thro [jhtlialmus. 



Range. — North America east of the Plains, 

 breeding from tlie Gulf to Manitoba. 



The well known Towhee, Ground Robin or 

 Chewink is a bird commonly met witli in east- 

 ern United States; it frequents thickets, 

 swamps and open woods where they nest gen- 

 erally upon the ground and sometimes in 

 bushes near the ground. Tlie nests are well 

 made of grasses, lined with 

 fine grasses and rootlets, 

 and the eggs, which are laid 

 in May or June, are pinkish 

 wliite, generally finely 

 sprinkled but sometimes 

 witli bold markings of light 

 reddish brown, with great 

 variations. Size .90 x .70. 

 Towhees are noisy birds and at frequent inter- 

 vals, wliile they are scratching among the 

 leaves for their food they will stop and utter their familiar "tow-liee" or "che- 

 wink" and then again will mount to the summit of a tree or bush and sing their 

 sweet refrain for a long time. 



Purplish ^vllitG 



'Ccwliee or Clie\\'ink 



587a. ^\'niTE-KVED Towiike. I'ipilu fri/tliroplithulmus alleni. 



Range. — Florida and the Atlantic coast to Soutli Carolina. 



This variety is like the preceding except that the eyes are white instead of 

 red. Tliere is no difference l)etween their nesting liabits and eggs, except that 

 they much more frequently, and in some localities, almost always, nest in trees. 



588. Arctic Towiiee. I'ivilo iiuu-iiltJiis aniwus. 



Range. — Great Plains, Ijreeding from northern United States to the Saskat- 

 c;hewan. 



This species is similar to the eastern Towhee but has the scapulars and 

 coverts tipped with white. They nest abundantly in suit- 

 able localities in Montana and North Dakota and more com 

 monly north of our borders. Like the eastern: Towhee, they 

 nest on the ground under the protection of overhanging 

 bushes, the nests being made of strips of bark and grasses 

 and lined with hue rootlets. Their three or four eggs, which 

 are laid during May, ,Tune or July, are pinkish white, pro- 

 fusely speckled with reddish brown; very siniilar to those 

 of the eastern Towhee. Size .92 x .70. I'inklsh white 



,08811. kSi'UHKED Towiiee. Pipilo iiHuiddtus inonitinus. 



Range. — Breeds from Mexico to British Columbia, west of the Rockies. 



Similar to the last but with less wliite on the back. The nesting habits and 

 eggs are like those of the Towhee, but in some localities the nests are most 

 often found in bushes above the ground. 



36S 



