FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 
365 
Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones on the 
Plains and eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains from the Saskatche¬ 
wan south to southern Colorado, and from the Missouri west to western 
Montana; winters south to Texas and west to Washington; casually to 
Iowa and Wisconsin. 
Nest. — On the ground, made at times of pine needles and lined with 
grass. 
The towhees of the maculatus group are shy birds of the chap¬ 
arral, and when caught singing on top of a bush, where you can 
study the amount of white mixed with the black and brown of 
their plumage, they are liable to stop short in their song and pitch 
down to the ground with only an aggravating flash of the white 
tail corners. And though you wait patiently, all the reward you 
are likely to get is a nasal whank or a mewing tow-hee as they rattle 
the dead leaves, scratching for worms under the dense cover of 
brush. 
Both their call-notes and songs have a quaint twang that give 
them peculiar zest. One of the commonest songs in general time 
and emphasis may be given as yang', kit-er-er. 
588a. P. m. megalonyx (Baird.). Spurred Towhee. 
Like arcticus , but with tail, tarsus, and hind claw longer, bill larger, 
and coloration darker; upper parts 
black, except for grayish rump; 
white markings much restricted , and 
rufous of sides deeper; middle of 
back and tertials usually without 
white ; white edgings of primaries 
not developed into a patch, and white space on outer tail feather not 
occupying more than half of space beyond coverts (1.10-1.35 long). Adult 
female: darker than female arcticus, streaks on back less conspicuous, 
white tail patch smaller. Young: similar to young of arcticus, but darker. 
Male: length (skins) % 12-8.30, wing 3.29-3.65, tail 3.55-4.39, bill .48- 
.58. Female: length (skins) 7.12—8.09, wing 3.13-3.48, tail 3.42—4.16, bill 
.49-59. 
Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from the 
Rocky Mountains to California and from British Columbia south to Lower 
California and northern Mexico. 
Nest. — On the ground or in a bush, made variously of inner bark, 
leaves, and small sticks, lined with grass. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale greenish or 
bluish, finely specked with brown and lavender, massed around larger end. 
Fig. 458. 
588b. P. m. oregonus (Bell). 
Adult male. — Upper parts mainl 
streaks on back mainly obsolete or 
concealed; wing bars reduced to 
disconnected round white spots, 
white of outer tail feather reduced 
to ‘ thumb mark,’ less than an inch 
in length, outer web mainly black; 
rufous of sides very dark. Adult . 
Oregon Towhee. 
black, white markings inconspicuous ; 
Fig. 459. 
: black replaced by dark sooty 
