PP^RCHm-G BIRDS 



they are made of twigs, strips of baric, weeds and coarse ' ^ 



grasses, lined with fine rootlets. Their three or four eggs 

 are laid in April or May' they are light bluish green mark- 

 ed like the others with purplish or brownish black. Size 

 .95X.72. 



.591. la. Anthony's Towhee. Pipilo cri.ssalis senicula. 



Range. — Southern California and south through Lower 

 California. 



A very similar bird to the last but 

 sightly smaller and lighter below. 

 The habits and nesting habits of 

 these birds are in every way identi- 

 cal with those of the California Tow- 

 hee and the eggs cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from those of that variety. 

 They are fully as abundant in the 

 southern parts of California as the 

 others are in the northern. 



Greenish blue 



.'")92. Abert's Towhee. Pipilo aherti. 



Range. — Arizona and New Mexico north to Colorado 

 and Nevada and oast to southeastern California. 



This bird is wholly brownish gray both above and below 



shading into reddish brown on the under tail coverts ; the 

 face is black. They are abundant in the valleys of Arizona 

 and New Mexico, but unlike the preceding species, they 

 are generally wild and shy. They nest in chaparral thick- 

 ets along streams, the nests being constructed similarly to 

 those of the California Towhee, and the eggs are not easily 

 distinguishable from those of that species, but they are 

 usually more sparsely specked and the markings more dis- 



Greenish blue tinct. Size 1.00 X .75. 



592.1. Green-t.\ileu Towhee. Oreospiza chlorura. 



Range. — Western United States, chiefly west 

 of the Rockies from Montana and Washington 

 south to Mexico: wintering in southwestern 

 United States. 



This handsome and entirely different plumag- 

 ed species from any of the preceding would, 

 from appearance, be better placed in the group 

 with the White-throated Sparrow than its pres- 

 ent position. It has a reddish brown crown, 

 the remainder of the upper 

 parts, wings and tail being 

 greenish yellow; the throat 

 is white, bordered abruptly 

 with gray on the breast and 

 sides of head. These birds 

 place their nests on the 

 ground. The nests are built 

 similarly to those of the east- 

 ern Towhee, and the eggs; too. are similar, be- 

 ing whitish, flnelj' dotted and specked with 

 reddish brown, the markings being most numer- 

 ous around the larger end. Size .85 x .65. 



Whitisli 



Green-tailed Towhee 



361 



