TOWHEE (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). 



Length, about 8j inches. Male mostly black, 

 belly white. Female brown. Outer tail feathers 

 white tipped. 



Range: Breeds in the United States from Sas- 

 katchewan and southeastern Canada south to Cen- 

 tral Kansas and northern Georgia; winters from 

 southeastern Nebraska and the Ohio and Potomac 

 southward. 



The towhee is a frequenter of second-growth and 

 of scrub, and when the visitor enters such pre- 

 cincts he is pretty sure to hear the challenging cry, 

 "chewink," and to catch sight of the bird as it 

 hurriedly dashes into some brushy thicket as if in 

 mortal terror. The flight is hurried, jerky and 

 heavy, as though the bird was accustomed to use 

 its wings only in emergencies. This is not far from 

 being the case, as the towhee sticks close to mother 

 earth and uses its great strength and long claws to 

 advantage in making the leaves and rubbish fly in 

 its vigorous efforts to uncover the seeds and in- 

 sects upon which it relies for food. The towhee 

 thus literally scratches for a living as no other of 

 our birds does, except possibly the brown thrush, 

 and the lazy man may well pass by the industrious 

 ant and go to the towhee for inspiration. No one 

 waxes enthusiastic over its musical ability, but the 

 song is given with such right good will that it is 

 sure to satisfy the hearer as, no doubt, it does the 

 bird himself. Seton interprets it to a nicety with 

 the phrase "chuck-burr, pill-a-will-a-will-a." The 

 towhee includes in its bill of fare beetles and their 

 larva?, ants, moths, caterpillars, grasshoppers and 

 flies, and also in Texas the boll weevil. Wild fruit 

 and berries complete the list. 



ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius). 



Length, about 7\ inches. Our only oriole with 

 black and chestnut markings. Female grayish olive 

 green. 



Range: Confined to eastern North America. 

 Breeds from North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, 

 Michigan, southern Ontario, central New York and 

 Massachusetts south to northern Florida, the 

 Gulf Coast and southern Mexico, west to central 

 Nebraska and western Kansas; winters from south- 

 ern Mexico to northern Colombia. 



Though clad in modest garb (for an oriole) and 

 in no respect a rival of the Baltimore, the orchard 

 oriole has merits of his own. As his name implies, 

 he is a lover of orchards, and I have always asso- 

 ciated him with the glory of apple orchards in full 

 bloom and with the delicious perfume with which 

 the air is heavy. Amidst such surroundings, the 

 black and chestnut livery of the orchard oriole 

 marks him as one of the princes of our bird world. 

 Gardens and parks also know him well, and he is 

 not averse to swinging his nest from the trees that 

 shade the farmer's house. His nest betrays his 

 connection with the family of weavers, but his skill 

 does not equal that of the Baltimore and he is con- 

 tent with a smaller pensile basket made chiefly of 

 grasses. His song, like his dress, is modest, but it 

 is exceedingly sweet, and one who hears it is sure 

 to pause in his walk and wish that it were longer 

 and given more frequently. 



The orchard oriole is chiefly insectivorous, as in- 

 deed are all of our species. 



CALIFORNIA BROWN TOWHEE (Pipilo 

 crissalis and varieties). 



Length, about 9 inches. The long tail and brown 

 plumage with white belly distinguish these ground- 

 and thicket-loving birds. 



Range: Southwestern Oregon, through Cali- 

 fornia to northern Lower California. 



The brown towhees, of which the California 

 form is a good type, are characteristic of the brushy 

 canyons of the far west, where they skulk and hide 

 among the shrubbery and cactus much as do the 

 common eastern towhees. Their powers of wing 

 are not great and their long tails and heavy bodies 

 render their flight awkward in the extreme. On 

 the ground, however, they run with great ease and 

 speed. In California brown towhees are common 

 in the parks and gardens, and in every way are 

 very much more familiar than the related towhee 

 of the east. Like its eastern cousin, it is much 

 addicted to scratching among leaves and rubbish, 

 for which work its stout legs and claws are par- 

 ticularly adapted. The thin "tchip," which is the 

 call note, seems out of all proportion coming from 

 such a stout, vigorous body. The birds of this 

 group are not fine songsters, but their simple ditties 

 are pleasant to hear in the waste places where they 

 are generally found. 



The brown towhee is much more of a vegetarian 

 than an insect eater, and in California Professor 

 Beal found that 85 per cent, of its yearly food con- 

 sists of fruit, grain and weed seeds. 



BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula). 



Length, about 1\ inches. The combination of 

 black and orange marks this bird from its fellows. 



Range: Breeds from central Saskatchewan and 

 the southeastern provinces of Canada south to 

 northern Texas, Louisiana and northern Georgia, 

 west to Montana, Wyoming and eastern Colorado; 

 winters from southern Mexico to Colombia. 



Lord Baltimore was signally honored when one 

 of our finest birds was christened with his name be- 

 cause it chanced to carry the family colors, black 

 and yellow. Orioles are a tropical group and the 

 luxuriant tropical forests are bright with the 

 gleaming colors of many species of these beautiful 

 birds. Only a few have found their way into the 

 temperate zone, but not one of the tropical species 

 is garbed in more tasteful dress than this exotic 

 which has adopted the elms and sycamores of the 

 temperate zone for its summer home. When chill 

 November winds have stripped our shade trees of 

 their foliage then are revealed the long, pendant 

 nests, wrought with so much skill and patience by 

 Madame Oriole, and we begin to realize how many 

 of these birds summer with us. Suitable material 

 for the oriole nest is none too easily found, and the 

 weaver is not so fastidious that she will not accept 

 strings and yarn of any color which are hung out 

 for her convenience; so that at the end of the oriole 

 season the bird lover who is willing to co-operate 

 with a pair of Nature's weavers may fall heir to a 

 nest made to order, so to speak. 



The oriole is as useful as it is tuneful and orna- 

 mental. Caterpillars constitute the largest item of 

 its fare, including many not touched by other birds. 

 It eats also beetles, bugs, ants, grasshoppers and 

 spiders. Particular mention must be made of the 

 boll weevil, of which the oriole is a determined foe. 

 The small amount of fruit taken by the oriole, in- 

 cluding cherries, is insignificant when compared 

 with the long list of harmful insects it destroys. 



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