LANIID.E — THE SHRIKES. 423 



Aim\. At San Diego they uested later, about April 20. He speaks of their 

 singing as an attempt at a song, the notes being harsh, like tho.se of a Jay, 

 but not imitative. They catch birds, but do so very rarely, depending upon 

 grasshoppers and other insects. 



The nests of the cxciibiforoldes, so far as I ha\'e had any opportunity to ex- 

 amine them, always exhibit a very marked contrast, in tlie elalioratcness of 

 their structure, to any of the I udovicianus that liave fallen under mv notice. 

 They resemble those of the horccdis in tlieir size and the felted nature of their 

 walls, but are more coarsely and rudely put together. They liave an external 

 diameter of about eight inches, and a height of four. Tiie cavity is also 

 large and deep. These nests are always constructed with much artistic skill 

 and pains. The base is usually a closely impacted mass of fine grasses, lichens, 

 mosses, and leave.s, intermingled with stout dry twigs. ' Upon this is wrou'dit 

 a strong i'abric of fine wood-mosses, flaxen fibres of plants, leaves, grasses, fur 

 of quadrupeds, and other substances. Intertwined with these are a sufficient 

 number of slender twigs and stems of plants to give to the whole a remark- 

 able strength and firmness. This is often still further strengthened by an 

 external protection woven of stouter twigs and small ends of brandies, 

 stems, etc. The whole is then thorouglily and warmly lined with a soft 

 matting of the fur of several kinds of small animals, vegetable down, and a 

 few feathers. 



The eggs, fi\-e or six in number, measure l.UO by .To of an inch, and strongly 

 resemble those of both the horealvs and the ludovicianus. Their ground-color 

 is pale greenish-white, over which are marks and blotches, more or less con- 

 fluent, of lilac, purplish-brown, and light umber. 



Mr. Eidgway, who is familiar with this bird in Southern Illinois, informs 

 me that in that section it is a resident species, being abundant during the 

 summer and by no means rare in the winter. It is there, strangely enough, 

 often called the Mocking-Bird, its similar apjiearance and fondness for the 

 same locality leading some persons to confound these very different liirds. 

 In districts where the true Minuis is not common, young birds of this species 

 are frequently taken from their nests and innocently sold to unsuspecting 

 admirers of that liighly appreciated songster. 



This bird inhabits, almost exclusively, open situation.s, being particularly 

 fond of waste fields where young honey-locusts {Gleditschia triamnthos) have 

 grown up. Among their thorny branches its nests are almost utterly inac- 

 cessible, if beyond the reach of poles. In such localities this bird may often 

 be seen perched in an upright position upon some thorn-bush, or a fence- 

 stake, quietly w-atching for its prey, remaining nearly an hour at a time 

 motionless except for an occasional movement of tlie head. 



The flight of this bird, Mr. Itidgway adds, is (piite peculiar, utterly unlike 

 that of any other bird except tlie Orcoscoptes moiitaaus, whicii it only sliglitly 

 resembles. In leaving its perch it sinks nearly to the ground, describing a 

 curve as it descends, and, passing but a few feet above the surface, ascends in 



