WHITE-WINGED SHRIKE. 565 



that extremity only in the meridian of the warm and sandy 

 plains of the Saskatchewan, which enjoy an earlier spring 

 and longer summer than the densely wooded country lying 

 between them and Hudson's Bay. Its manners are similar 

 with those of L. borealis. It feeds much on grasshoppers 

 which abound in the plains. Mr. Drummond found its nest 

 the beginning of June, in a willow bush ; it was constructed 

 of the twigs of a wild species of wormwood and dried grass, 

 and finished w4th a lining of feathers. The eggs 6 in 

 number, were of a pale yellowish-grey, with many irregular 

 and confluent spots of oil-green, interspersed with others of 

 a smoke-grey. 



Length of the species 9J inches : of the tail 4; bill from above, 

 7^ lines ; tarsus 1 inch. — The head, back, and lesser wing coverts, 

 deep pearl-grey ; the exterior edges of the scapulars and tail coverts 

 paler, approaching to greyish- white. A black band commences at 

 the nostrils, unites with its fellow at the base of the upper mandi- 

 ble, and, becoming broader as it passes backwards, terminates obtuse- 

 ly on the side of the neck ; it also includes the whole of the upper 

 and under eye-lids, and separates the grey color of the upper parts 

 of the head from the white of the lower parts. The primaries and 

 their coverts are umber-brown ; all the former, except the first or 

 spurious one, have a white space next their quills half an inch in 

 breadth ; the tips pale, except the 2 next the secondaries, which are 

 terminated by a white border. Secondaries and their coverts black- 

 ish-brown, tipt with white. Tail blackish-brown, with a broad white 

 border, the 2 centre feathers wholly blackish-brown, the adjoining 

 one on each side of them having a minute white tip ; and the outer 

 one having the whole of its exterior web, and two thirds of its inner 

 web white, whilst the others have an intermediate quantity of 

 white. — Below unspotted white, with a tinge of grey on the flanks, 

 and of broccoli-brown on the linings of the wings. Bill greenish- 

 black. Legs dark resinous-brown. The bill rather shorter and 

 broader at the base than that of L. horealis. but with a sharper ridge 

 and a more slender acute point ; the lateral tooth very acute. The 

 wings short, extending within 2^ inches of the end of the tail, 3d 

 and 4th primaries longest ; 2d scarcely shorter than the Cth. Tail 



48" 



