DUSKY, GRAY, AND SLATE-COLORED 337 



He does destroy numbers of small birds each year, and 

 for this we condemn him ; but, on the other hand, the 

 good he does may outweigh the 

 evil. Jerusalem crickets, grass- 

 hoppers, field mice, and lizards 

 form the largest part of his diet, 

 and it would be difficult to com- 

 pute his value to the farmer. 



Except for the difterence in 

 environment, the nesting habits 

 of the White-rumped closely re- 

 semble those of the California 

 Shrike. In fact, but for location, 

 an expert can scarcely distinguish 622 a. White- 

 the nest and eggs of the one ^^^'^^^° ^*^^^^^- ' 

 from those of the other, and the ''^'^^P-^'n^ their prey on moms.^^ 



sets of different pairs of birds often differ as much as 

 those of the two species. 



622 b. CALIFORNIA SHmKE. — Lajiiiis/udoviciauus 

 gmuhcU. 



Family : The Shrikes. 



Length: 8.00-10.00. 



Adults: Upper parts slate-gray, tiugeil with brownish ; upper tail-cov- 

 erts sometimes abruptly light grayi.sli, or even white, same as the 

 white-rumped shrike ; under parts dull white or grayish, ilarker on 

 sides ; breast usually distinctly undulated or narrowly barred with 

 grayish, and sometimes tinged witii j)ale brown. 



y'aung: Similar to adults, but colors less distinctly contrasted. 



Geogrdphiral Pistribution : California, es[tecially the coast district. 



California Breeding Range : Coast region from Red BlulT to San Diego. 



32 



