The Spotted Towhees 



overlooks the emphatic testimony of the egg, although the fundamental 

 value of such evidence has been repeatedly pointed out in these pages. 

 Egg-wise and voice-wise, "Oberholseria" chlorura and Pipilo maculatus are 

 much more nearly related than, say, P. maculatus and P. fuscus or cris- 

 salis. Shall we call it Pipilo chlorura? 



No. 67 



Spotted Towhee 



No. 67a San Diego Towhee 



A. O. U. No. 588d. Pipilo maculatus megalonyx Baird. 



Synonyms. — Spurred Towhee. San Diego Spotted Towhee. 



Description. — Adult male in spring and summer: Head and neck all around 

 and breast gloss}' black, the black of remaining upperparts dulling posteriorly, es- 

 pecially upon rump and remiges; the scapulars heavily marked with longitudinal spots 

 of white, included or else occupying entire outer web of feathers; median and greater 

 wing-coverts tipped with white, with touches also on outer web of primaries midway, 

 and on tertials near tip. Outer pair of rectrices narrowly margined and broadly tipped 

 with white; succeeding pair less broadly tipped; third pair with included sub-apical 

 spot; underparts centrally pure white, the sides and flanks tawny, the tips of posterior 

 flank-feathers tawny, the anal region and under tail-coverts lighter, ochraceous; the 

 line of demarcation from abdomen sometimes touched with black; tibia black, with 

 more or less white tips; axillars whitish; wing-linings mingled blackish, white, and 

 pale tawny. Irides red; bill black; feet and tarsi dark brown. Fall and winter speci- 

 mens have feathers of upperparts slightly washed or tipped with pale tawny, especially 

 upon rump. Female in spring: Similar to male, but duller, the black veiled with 

 olivaceous gray, the ground-color strongest on throat and chest and persisting centrally 

 on pileum and notaeum; the white tips of scapulars, rectrices, etc., more restricted; 

 the tibiae dusky. Immature birds present a highly streaked appearance, not un- 

 suggestive of a female Redwing (Agelaius phceniceus): Upperparts blackish, mar- 

 gined with cinnamon-buff, the ochraceous element becoming almost clear, cinnamon- 

 brown, on head and hind-neck; the white spotting of adult much restricted; under- 

 parts mingled blackish, whitish, and cinnamon-buff, the white element strengthening 

 on abdomen, the ochraceous prevailing on flanks and crissum; the throat, chest, and 

 sides of breast finely streaked. The comparison of one of these juvenals with that of 

 the Brown Towhee (P. crissalis) is highly instructive, and points clearly to a common 

 ancestry. Length of males about 201.6 (8.00); av. of 10 M. V. Z. specimens (after 

 Swarth): wing 84.6 (3.33); tail 96.4 (3.795); bill 27.2 (1.07); tarsus 27.2 (1.07); hind 

 toe and claw 21.3 (.84). 



Recognition Marks for Pipilo maculatus. — Black, white, and tawny colora- 

 tion distinctive. As compared with the easterly races of maculatus, megalonyx shows 

 clearer black upon the back and restriction of white spotting. 



Nesting. — Nest: Placed on the ground, or, rarely, very low in bushes, and 

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