516 
GRANIYOROUS BIRDS. 
black, the head and throat inclining to chesnnt ; (as in the young 
male) 3 only of the lateral tail-feathers are marked with white. 
■ — Youngish male with the outer primary partly edged with 
white, and with the narrow white spots on the 3 inner tertials 
partly obsolete, or tinged with brown. 
This is a very common, humble, and unsuspicious 
bird, dwelling commonly in thick dark woods and their 
borders, dying low, and frequenting thickets near streams 
of water, where it spends much time in scratching up the 
withered leaves for worms and their larvae, and is partic- 
ularly fond of wire-worms (or lull ), as well as various 
kinds of seeds and gravel. Its rustling scratch among 
the leafy carpet of the forest is, often, the only indication 
of its presence, excepting now and then a call upon 
its mate ( tow-wee , tow-ivee , tow-weet ,) with which it is al- 
most constantly associated. While thus busily engaged 
in foraging for subsistence, it may be watched and ap- 
proached without its showing any alarm ; and taking 
a look often at the observer, without suspicion, it 
scratches up the leaves as before. This call of recogni- 
tion is uttered in a low and somewhat sad tone, and if 
not soon answered, it becomes louder and interrogatory, 
tow-wee tozvee ? and terminates often with tdweet. They 
are accused of sometimes visiting the pea-fields to feed, 
but occasion no sensible damage. 
In the pairing season, and through the period of incu- 
bation, the male frequently mounts to the top of some 
bush amidst the thickets, where he usually passes the 
time, and from hence, in a clear and sonorous voice, 
chants forth his simple guttural and monotonous notes 
for an hour or so at a time, while his faithful mate 
is confined to her nest. This quaint and somewhat 
pensive song often sounds like, t’sli’d witee te te te 
te te, or 5 hid-ivi tee, tr tr Hr Hr, the latter part a sort of 
quaint and deliberate quivering trill ; sometimes it sounds 
