The New International Encyclopædia/Chewink

CHEWINK′ (imitation of its cry), or Towhee. A large terrestrial finch of the genus Pipilo, represented by several species in North America, of which the common Eastern species, the red-eyed towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), is best known. It is about 8 inches in length, of which the tail is nearly half. The male is black, with a white belly and chestnut sides, and with prominent white markings on the tail. The female is grayish-brown where the male is black. It is a migratory bird, wintering in the Southern States and breeding from Georgia northward. The nest is built on or near the ground, of bark and leaves, lined with grass, and usually most cleverly hidden by an apparently accidental roof of twigs, leaves, etc. Eggs, four or five, white, spotted with rufous. The chewink is an active bird, spending its time mostly on the ground in woods and thickets, scratching about in the leaves in search of its insect prey, and now and then flying to some low branch or convenient fence-rail to utter his melodious ‘chewink’; or, in the spring, to pour forth a short but most musical song. The various names chewink, towhee, joree, etc., are in imitation of its sharp call-note, while ‘ground-robin’ refers to its colors, suggesting those of the American robin. See Plate of Sparrows, and Plate of Eggs of Song Birds.