LANIUS.—AMPELIDA. 215 
to April, and suggested that they migrated to the high central plains in summer ®, 
Prof. Sumichrast speaks of this Lanius as probably resident in the plateau of Mexico ; 
and in the State of Vera Cruz, he says, it is seldom found at a lower elevation than 
3000 or 2600 feet. He adds that he did not remember ever to have met with a 
single specimen in the hot region!°; but this was written before he found it near 
Tehuantepec city 2. 
There are no records of L. /udovicianus nesting in Mexico; but its breeding-habits in 
North America are well known. On this point, and on the habits of American Shrikes 
generally, as well as on the synonymy of the species, Dr. Coues has written an elaborate 
account, which we recommend to our readers as well worthy of their study 14. 
Fam. AMPELIDZ*, 
AMPELIS. 
Ampelis, Linnzus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 297 (type A. garrula, L.); Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 403. 
The long wings, the first primary being almost obsolete, and the second nearly the 
longest in the wing, the short tail, and the short prorect supernasal feathers, as well as 
the peculiar wax-like elongation of the rhachis of several of the secondary quills, and 
the silky plumage, serve to distinguish Ampelis from the genera which follow. 
Ampelis cedrorum, the species which here concerns us, is peculiar to the Nearctic 
Region, and only visits our country in winter. It has two strictly congeneric allies, 
one of which, 4. garrula, is also found in the Nearctic Region, but is equally if not 
better known as an inhabitant of the Northern Palearctic Region, and as an occasional 
winter visitant to the British Islands. The third species, A. phwnicoptera, is peculiar 
to Japan. . 
1. Ampelis cedrorum. vo 
Bombycilla cedrorum, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. i. p. 88, t.57'; Gundl. Orn. Cub. p. 807. 
Ampelis cedrorum, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 299°; 1858, p. 802°; 1859, p. 363°; 1864, p.173°; Baird, 
U.S. Bound. Surv. ii. Birds, p.117; Rev. Am. B. i. p. 407°; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 13°; 
Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. 111"; Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 480’; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. 
N.H. i. p. 548"; Dugés, La Nat. i. p. 141"; Baird, Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B.i. p. 401"; 
Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4. p. 18%; Coues, B. Col. Vall. i. p. 470". 
Ampelis americana, Wils. Am. Orn. i. p. 107, t. 7. f.17”. 
Bombycilla americana, Licht. Preis-Verz. mex. Vég. p. 1, cf. J. f. Orn. 1863, p.56™"; Jones, Nat. 
in Berm. p. 29”. 
Bombycilla carolinensis, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 337”. 
Ampelis carolinensis, Gosse, B. Jam. p. 197”. 
* The Central-American species of this family belong to Prof. Baird’s group B, containing his subfamilies 
Ampeling and Ptilogonatine, the former comprising the genus Ampelis, the latter Ptilogonys and Phawnopepla, 
to which we add Phaznoptila, an aberrant form. 
