LANIID.E — LANIIN.E : SHRIKES. 371 



0.75. Young : Colors much less pure and clear. Above, grayish-brown, scarcely or not 

 whitening on scapulars, tail-coverts, and ftjrehead. The younger tlie browner, sometimes 

 almost with a rusty tinge ; grayer accord- 

 ing to age. Below brownish-white (the 

 younger the browner), the wavy dark mark- 

 ings stronger than in the adult. The bar 

 along the head poorly defined, merely dusky, ^ 

 or quite obsolete. Wings and tail brown- 

 ish-black, with less white than in the adult. 

 Bill ])lumbeous-brown, flesh-colored at base 

 below. At a very early age, the upper parts 

 are probably vermiculated somewhat like 

 the lower, as in the same stage of L. liido- 

 ricianus : but this state I have not observtnl. . 



' nat. 



In old age, the dusky vermiculation of the 

 under parts is much diminished, but I have ne 

 coupled with the particular character of the head-markings, the large size, and comparatively 

 short tarsi, will always distinguish the species from L. ludovicianus or excubitorides. N. Am., 

 northerly; in winter, usually extends S. to about 35°. The castle of this ''feudal baron and 

 brigand bold " is built in a bush or low tree with a basement of sticks, upon which is matted 

 and felted a thick warm superstructure of bark-strips, grasses, and soft vegetable substances : 

 eggs 4-6, about 1.10 X 0.80, rather elliptical in shape, so profusely speckled, scratched, and 

 marbled with reddish, brownish, and purplish shades that the greenish-gray ground color is 

 scarcely perceptible. 



L. liidovicia'nus. (Lat. ludovicianus, of Louisiana. Fig. 235.) Loggerhead Shrike. 

 Adult ^ 9: Above, slate-colored, slightly whitish on upper tail-coverts and ends of scapulars; 

 below, white, sometimes a little ashy-shaded, but no wavy black lines, or only a few slight 

 ones; white on wings and tail less extensive than in horealis or excubitorides; black bridle 

 meeting its fellow across forehead, not interrupted by white on lower eyelid, scarcely or not 

 bordered above by hoary white. Smaller: length 8.00-8.50 ; wing and tail each 4.00 or little 

 more ; tarsus at least 1.00, thus relatively longer than in borecdis ; bill about 0.50. Young : 

 dift'criiig from the adult much as young borecdis does, and decidedly waved below, as in that 

 species : but the size and other characters are distinctive. Eastern and Southern U. S., resi- 

 dent, common ; in its typical manifestation it is characteristic of the S. Atlantic States, and is 

 known to occur in the Bahamas ; but specimens more like ludovicianus than excubitorides 

 occur N. to New England and W. to the Great Plains. 



L. 1. excubitori'des. (Lat. excubitor, a sentinel; Gr. ei8os, eidos, resemblance; i. e., like the 

 European L. excuhitor.) White-rumped Shrike. Common American Shrike. Adult 

 ^ 9 : Leaden-gray or light slate-color, whitening on scapulars and upper tail-coverts. Be- 

 neath white, slightly shaded with French gray on sides, but without dusky vermiculation. 

 A narrow stripe across forehead, continuous with a broad bar along side of head, embracing 

 eye, black, .slightly, if at all, bordered with whitish. Lower eyelid not white. Wings and 

 tail black, with white markings, much as in the last species. Bill and feet plumbeous-black. 

 Length under 9.00 ; extent 12.00-13.00; wing and tail, each, about 4.00; bill 0.66: tarsus 

 1.00 or more. Young: Vermiculated beh)W with dusky, upon a brownish ground, about to 

 the same extent as is seen in very old examples of L. boreaUs. General tone of upper parts 

 less pure than in the adult; scapulars and tail-coverts not purely white; black bar of head less 

 firm, but as far as it goes maintaining the characters of the species. At a very early age, the 

 upi)er parts, including the whitish of scapulars and tail-coverts, are finely vermiculated with 

 dusky waves. The ends of the quills, wing-coverts, and tail-feathers often have rusty or rufous 



