168 THE TOWHE GROUND-FINCH. 



They perform these journeys almost singly. The females set out before the 

 males in autumn, and the males before the females in spring, the latter not 

 appearing in the Middle Districts until the end of April, a fortnight after the 

 males have arrived. Many of them pass the confines of the United States 

 in their migrations southward and northward. 



Although these birds are abundant in all parts of the Union, they never 

 associate in flocks, but mingle during winter with several species of Sparrow. 

 They generally rest on the ground at night, when many are caught by 

 weasels and other small quadrupeds. None of them breed in Louisiana, nor 

 indeed in the State of Mississippi, until they reach the open woods of the 

 Choctaw Indian Nation. 



I have represented the male and female moving through the twigs of the 

 common briar, usually called the black briar. It is a plump bird, and 

 becomes very fat in winter, in consequence of which it is named Grasset in 

 Louisiana, where many are shot for the table by the French planters. 



Male, 81, 12. 



Breeds from Texas along the Atlantic districts, as well as in the interior, 

 northward to Labrador. Abundant. Migratory. 



Towhe Bunting, Emberiza erythrophthalma, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. ii. p. 35. 

 Fringilla erythrophthalma, Bonap. Syn., p. 112. 



Ground Robin or Towhe Finch, Fringilla erythrophthalma, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 515. 

 Towhe Bunting, Fringilla erythrophthalma, Aud. Orn. Bio£., vol. i. p. 150; vol. v. 

 p. 511. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, robust, narrower than the head, regularly conical, acute; upper 

 mandible almost straight in its dorsal outline, as is the lower, both having 

 inflected edges; the gap-line nearly straight, a little deflected at the base. 

 Nostrils basal, roundish, open, partially concealed by the feathers. Head 

 rather large, neck shortish, body robust. Legs of moderate length, rather 

 robust; tarsus longer than the middle toe, covered anteriorly with a few 

 longish scutella; toes scutellate above, free, the lateral ones nearly equal; 

 claws slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of the hind toe long. 



Plumage rather compact above, soft and blended beneath. Wings of 

 ordinary length, the third and fourth quills longest, the first much shorter, 

 the secondaries short. Tail long, rounded, the lateral feathers slightly 

 curved outwards towards the tip. 



Bill black. Iris bright red. Legs and claws pale yellowish-brown. 

 Head, neck, and upper parts generally, deep black. A white band across 

 the primaries, partly concealed by their coverts; outer edge of first quill 

 white; margins of the last secondaries brownish-white. Lateral tail-feathers 



