THE BIRD BOOK 
587. Towhee. Pipilo erythrophthalmus 
erytliropht h alvius. 
Range. — North America east of the Plains, 
breeding from the Gulf to Manitoba. 
The well known Towhee, Ground Robin or 
Chewink is a bird commonly met with in east- 
ern United States; it frequents thickets, 
swamps and open woods where they nest gen- 
erally upon the ground and sometimes in 
bushes near the ground. The nests are well 
made of grasses, lined with 
fine grasses and rootlets, 
and the eggs, which are laid 
in May or June, are pinkish 
white, generally finely 
sprinkled but sometimes 
with bold markings of light 
reddish brown, with great 
variations. Size .90 x .70. Purplish white 
Towhees are noisy birds and at frequent inter- 
vals, while they are scratching among the 
leaves for their food they will stop and utter their familiar “tow-hee” or “che- 
wink” and then again will mount to the summit of a tree or bush and sing their 
sweet refrain for a long time. 
Towhee or Chewin k 
587a. White-eyed Towhee. Pipilo erythrophthalmus alleni. 
Range. — Florida and the Atlantic coast to South Carolina. 
This variety is like the preceding except that the eyes are white instead of 
red. There is no difference between their nesting habits and eggs, except that 
they much more frequently, and in some localities, almost always, nest in trees. 
588. Arctic Towhee. Pipilo maculctus arcticus. 
Range. — Great Plains, breeding from northern United States to the Saskat- 
chewan. 
This species is similar to the eastern Towhee but has the scapulars and 
coverts tipped with white. They nest abundantly in suit- 
able localities in Montana and North Dakota and more com- 
monly north of our borders. Like the eastern Towhee, they 
nest on the ground under the protection of overhanging 
bushes, the nests being made of strips of bark and grasses 
and lined with fine rootlets. Their three or four eggs, which 
are laid during May, June or July, are pinkish white, pro- 
fusely speckled with reddish brown; very similar to those 
of the eastern Towhee. Size .92 x .70. 
588a. Spurred Towhee. Pipilo viaculatus montan us. 
Range. — Breeds from Mexico to British Columbia, west of the Rockies. 
Similar to the last but with less white on the back. The nesting habits and 
eggs are like those of the Towhee, but in some localities the nests are most 
often found in bushes above the ground. 
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