312 STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE BULLETINS. 



that he has reared the youn<f taken from the nests, entirely on fruit; "very 

 erratic at Bay City, abundant some years, then entirely absent for a time" (N. A. 

 Eddy). 



Family LANIID/E. Shrikes. 

 Feed on insects, small birds, mice, etc.; on the whole probably our friends. 



(tenus L.\NIUS Linn. 



Batcher Bird, reduced. 



2W5-(i21-(18(>). Lauiiis borealis Vieill. * Northern Shrike; Butcher Bird. 



Rather common; throughout the state; "rare at Ann Arbor'' (Dr. J. B. Steere); 

 '• common at St. Joseph and Albion in winter where it kills English Sparrows, and 

 seen at Palmer from September to April" (O. B. Warren); winter; November to 

 March or April; "'occasionally in winter in Wayne Co.'" (B. H. Swales); "'quite 

 common in winter at Port Sanilac" (W. A. Oldfield); seen at Iron Mountain by E. 

 E. Brewster; "Keweenaw Point" (Kneeland); "this shrike is not known to breed 

 in United States" (Dr. A. K. Fisher); Prof. J. A. Allen thinks it may breed in 

 Upper Peninsula; impales mice, insects, small birds, frogs, etc., on thorns, probably 

 for future use; "kills English Sparrows, and impales insects on barbs of wire in 

 fences" (Dr. W. C. Brownell); Prof. Chas. A. Davis tells me that an observant 

 friend suggests that this habit has arisen because the bird has no talons, so it 

 hangs bird, mouse, or insect up to aid in tearing it to pieces; "all winter at Man- 

 chester, chasing and killing English Sparrows'" (L. W. Watkins); these birds are 

 reported to attract other birds by mimicry and then destroy them; Dr. G. W. Top- 

 ping. Dr. W. C. Brownell, and Mr. J. B. Purdy speak of the nesting of this bird. 

 They must refer to the White-rumped Shrike. 



2(>6-(>'22a-(l88 part). Laiiiiis Iiidoviciaiiiis ex<MiJ)itori(les {Swains.). * White- 

 rumped Shrike. 



Common from April to October; " the common variety in Monroe Co.'* (Jerome 

 Trombley); breeds; nests in April and May in orchards; "common summer resident 

 at Albion and St. Joseph'' (O B. Warren); "'tolerably common at Bay City"' (N. A. 

 Eddy); "nests rarely at Ann Arbor" (Dr. J. B. Steere); eggs four to seven, dirty 

 white specked with , brown. These birds do destroy small birds, but as they 

 destroy so many insects, especially locusts, they are to be considered as beneficial 

 to the farmer. This species is often mistaken for the Loggerhead Shrike. Lnniiti*^ 

 ludoviciantis. which does not occur in Michigan. 



