80 



OUR SOUTHERN BIRDS 



TOWHEE 



Sometimes this bird is called Ground Eobin; 

 the spirited, erect carriage and handsome black- 

 and-chestnut coloring remind us of the Eobin 's. 

 In the southern mountains he is known as the 

 "Joree bird," from one of his loud, ringing 

 calls; farther north he is called "chewink," from 



another call. 



Towhees are fre- 

 quenters of brush 

 piles and brier 

 patches, where they 

 roost at night and 

 scratch among the 

 leaves like chickens 

 in the daytime. The 

 vivid black and white 

 of the male, with 

 chestnut sides, is 

 easily seen, but the brown female is hardly to be 

 distinguished from the ground. There are more 

 of them with us in winter than in summer, be- 

 cause they are partially migratory, those that 

 live in the Northern states coming south to spend 

 the winter. 



The nest is usually on the ground, but is 

 sometimes set up in a low bush. It contains four 

 or five white eggs dotted over with reddish 



TOWHEE 



Length 8 inches 



