NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 399 



California this species Is a constant companion of tlie California Thrasher, fre- 

 quenting the dense beds of chapparal and the scrub bushes which line the mountain 

 canons. The birds nest early in April, and fresh eggs may be found until the middle 

 of May. The nest complement is generally four, often five, sometimes only three. 

 The situation of the nest, according to Mr. Shields, is quite variable, sometimes it 

 is' placed on the ground, occasionally in crevices of vine-covered rocks, in hollow 

 trunks of trees, etc., but the favorite nesting place is a thick, scrubby bush from 

 three to five feet above the ground. Prof. Evermann found young birds as early as 

 April 3 in Ventura county. The nest in that region is usually built in a sage, grease- 

 wood, or cactus, one to five feet from the ground. Occasionally, however, it is placed 

 in live oaks, ten to fifteen feet up, and composed of twigs, bark and grass, lined with 

 rootlets. A large series of the eggs of this species is before me. In their general 

 appearance they resemble the eggs of the Red-winged Blackbird, being of a blue, 

 spotted and blotched with varying shades of dark and light purple, in some the color 

 is not distinguishable from black, except in a strong light. The markings are 

 chiefly or wholly at the larger ends and sometimes in the shape of scrawls and daubs. 

 Ten eggs measure .87x.72, .90x.73, .92x.71, .92x.73, .94x.74, .95x.70, .95x.73, .97x.73, 

 .99X.71, .99X.73 inches. 



591c. ANTHONY'S TOWHEE. Pipilo fuscus senicula Anthony. Greog. Dist. — 

 Southern California and Lower California, south to Lat. 29°. 



The general habits, nesting and eggs of this subspecies are identical with thoea 

 of the California Towhee. The average size of eight eggs is .87x.74 inches. 



* 



592. ABERT'S TOWHEE. Pipilo aberti Baird. Geog. Dist. — ^Arizona and 



New Mexico north into Southern Utah and Colorado. f 



This very large and long-tailed species, known as the Gray Towhee, is abundant 

 in all suitable localities of Arizona and New Mexico. One of the most abundant 

 birds throughout the valleys of the Gila and Colorado Rivers. Its favorite resorts 

 are the dense chapparal thickets along streams. Said to be a very shy species keej^ 

 ing close within its retreats upon the approach of an intruder. The nest is rather 

 loose and bulky, usually built in bushes near the ground and again in trees. Mr. 

 Stephens found one in a bunch of mistletoe at a height of at least thirty feet. The 

 nest is made of strips of bark, twigs and leaves, with finer lining of the same ma- 

 terials. The eggs are three or four in number and look exactly like those of the 

 California Towhee — pale greenish-blue or bluish-white, speckled, spotted and 

 splotched about the larger end, sometimes sparsely over the whole surface with 

 dark brown. Average size l.OOx.74. A set of three eggs in my cabinet, taken by 

 Dr. Chas. Carter, U. S. A., in Pinal county, Arizona, on April 21, 1885, exhibits the 

 following sizes: l.Olx.75, 1.02x.75, l.OOx.74 inches. 



593. CARDINAL. Oardinalis cardinalis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern United 

 States; west to Kansas, Nebraska; south to Texas and Florida; north to the Middle 

 States; rare in New York, casual in Connecticut, accidental in Massachusetts; rep- 

 resented by varieties in the Southwest. ^^ « 



Commonly called Redbird or Cardinal Grosbeak, and by some Virginia Nightin- 

 gale or Virginia Cardinal. It is not migratory but resident nearly wherever found, 

 and is distributed throughout the eastern part of the United States from the latitude 

 of Ohio southward. The nest of this species is placed in a variety of situations, 

 usually from three to ten feet above the ground in & dense thicket, which is its fa- 

 vorite nesting site. I have found the nest placed on the top rail of a fence in the 



