128 NEW-YORK FAUNA BIRDS. 



towards the tip. Sides of the head whitish, with a broad deep black stripe passing from the 

 nostrils through the eye, and on the sides of the neck. Wings black, with a spot or bar of 

 white on the primaries just below the wing-coverts ; edges and tips of secondaries and coverts 

 whitish. Tail with the outer webs of the lateral feathers, and a part of its inner web from 

 the tip, white ; tips of the remaining tail feathers, except the middle pair, white. Breast and 

 sides with undulating bars of grey. Female, light rusty brown above ; tail black, with a 

 light border. Young, pale ochreous beneath. 



Length, 10-0-10-5. Alar extent, 14-0. 



This bold and ferocious little bird, which is usually known as the Butcher-bird, is found 

 at all seasons of the year in this State, where it breeds, laying 4-6 pale ashy white eggs, 

 thickly marked at the larger end with reddish spots and streaks. From its attempts to imitate 

 the notes of other birds, it is sometimes called Mocking-bird in Canada and the Eastern 

 States. The name of Nine-killer is derived from the popular belief that it catches and im- 

 pales nine grasshoppers in a day. It is exceedingly destructive, waging war upon all birds, 

 and destroying even large ones with great ease. It breeds from Pennsylvania northward, but 

 is found in the winter still farther south. It is found as far north as the 60th parallel of 

 latitude. 



(EXTRALIMITAL.) 



ludovicianus. (Aim. B. of A. Vol.4, p. 135, pi. 237.) Dark slate; beneath white. Frontlet, 



wings and tail black. Four middle tail-feathers black ; the others partly white. Third quill longest. 



Length, 8-0. North-Carolina, Mexico, 

 excubitorides. (Rich. F. B. A. p. 115, pi. 34.) Deep pearl-grey; beneath white unspotted. Bill, 



frontlet and eye-stripe black. Wings short. Tail narrow, wedge-shaped, black with a white border. 



An var. ? Northern regions, 

 elegans. (Id. lb. p. M22.) Clear bluish grey ; beneath unspotted white. Frontlet of the same color 



with the head. 1ft. broad white band across the wing. Second primary longer than the sixth ; 



fourth longest. Tarsus longer than the bill. Northern regions. 



