102 BIRDS OF ILUNOIB. 



Family LANIID^.— The Shrikes. 



"Chab. Bill very powerful. BtronK. and mueh compresficd. the tip abruptly booked, 

 deeply notehed. nml with ii prominent tooth behind the notch: both miindibles dlntinetly 

 uotehed. the upper with ii dlstlnet tooth behind the lower with the point bent up. TiirsI 

 loncer thiin the middle toe, strouKly seutelhitc. Primaries ten: flr«t primiiry half the 

 soeoud, or shorter (oeeasionally wantlnB). WinRS short, rounded: tail Iouk and much 

 eraduuted. Sides of tarsi with the plates divided on the outside." {Hinl. \. Atn. B ) 



Of this family only a single genus is known in North America. 



Genus LANITJS Lixn-eus. 



Laniiia Lisx. 8. N. ed. 10, 1, 1758. 93. Type L. coHurio LiSN. 



"Gex. Chab. Feathers of forehead stilTened; base of bill, including nostrils, oovered 

 by bristly feathers directed forward. Bill shorter than the head, much compressed, and 

 very powerful. Culmen deeurved from base, the mandible abruptly bent down in a 

 powerful hook with an acute lobe near the tip. Tip of lower mandible bent upwards in a 

 hool;: the gonys very convex. Rictus with long bristles. Legs stout; the tarsi rather 

 sliort, and longer than the middle toe; the lateral eaual; the claws all very sharp and 

 much curved. Wings rounded; the first primary about half the second, which is eoual 

 to the sixth or seventh. Tail longer than the wings, much graduated, the feathers 

 broad." Ulial. y. Am. B.) 



Our two species may be distinguished by the following characters : 



Common Cuasactebs. Above plain gran (brownish In young of L. boreatis) beneath 

 whillsh. with or without darker waved lines or bars: side of head marked with a broad 

 biai-k band, covering lores and uurlculars; wing, and tall black, the former with a white 

 patch at base- ..f primaries, the latter with outer feathers chiefly white. 



1. L. borealiB. Wing more than 4.50 inches; tarsus less than 1 inch. .\ white cres- 

 renlic spot on lower eyelid; lower parts always more or less waved with dusky. 

 Ailiilt: Above line light bluish-gray, the scapulars and upper tHll-coverts nearly 

 white. Voiina: Dull brownish, beneath brownish white waved with dusky; black 

 auricular band indistinct. 



2. L. ludovioianus. Wing less than 4.50 Inches: tarsus more than 1 inch. No white on 

 l.iwer 1 ycliil; lower parts waved with dusky only in young. 



a liiilfiririaniiii. Above deep plumbeous, the upper tail-coverts scarcely or not 



at all lighter than the back; axillars plumbeous, the jugulum and sides 



strongly tinged with the same. 

 ti, ri-riibiloriiles. Above flne light bluish-gray, the upper tail-eoverts more or 



less distinctly paler (sometimes nearly pure white), the jugulum and sides 



scarcely tingeil with grayish. 



