287 



Fig. 249. The male often stood on guard while his mate was 

 on the nest. 



threatening clouds, he sounds his call notes merrily. This 

 is his early spring song and how different it is from his 

 harsh and discordant notes of the previous autumn. His 

 bell-like calls are now far from unpleasant to our ears and 

 we rejoice in the vocal improvement he iias made. 



The Northern Shrike, cousin "borealis," is an accomplish- 

 ed songster, — a veritable mocking bird of the northland and 

 although we conceded him the palm upon the first hearing, 

 we are none the less proud of our own Loggerhead for the 

 two clear, sweet notes he is capable of producing. The 

 Loggerhead arrives about the middle of March, the males 

 preceding the females by but a few days. 



