LANIID^ — LANIIN^ : SHRIKES. 337 



feeding on insects and such small birds and quadrupeds as they can capture and overpower ; 

 many instances have been noted of their dashing attacks upon cage-birds, and their reckless 

 pursuit of other species under circumstances that cost them their own lives. But the most 

 remarkable fact in the natural history of the shrikes is their singular and inexplicable habit of 

 impaling their prey on thorns or sharp twigs, and leaving it sticking there. This has occa- 

 sioned many ingenious surmises, none of which, however, are entirely satisfactory. They 

 build a rather rude and bulky nest of twigs, and lay 4-G speckled eggs. They are not strictly 

 migratory, although our northernmost species usually retires southward in the fall. The sexes 

 arc; :Uike, and the young differ but little. There are only two well determined American 

 sjK'cies, of nine that compose the genus. 

 60. LA'NIUS. (Lat. lanius, a butcher.) Gray Shrikes. Wing of 10 primaries, and tail of 

 1 2 rectrices, both rounded in shape, and of nearly equal lengths. Point of the wing formed by 

 the 3d, 4th, and 5th quills, the second not longer than the Gth, and the 1st about half as long 

 as the 3d. Tarsus equalling or slightly exceeding in length the middle toe and claw, strongly 

 scutellate in front, and with the outer lateral plate usually more or less subdivided, as is unusual 

 among Oscines. Lateral toes of about equal lengths, their claws reaching to the base of the 

 middle claw ; inner toe cleft nearly to the base, the outer more extensively coherent with the 

 basal joint of the middle toe. Feet large and strong, but without specially " raptorial " 

 development either of the digits or of their claws. Bill large and powerful, compressed, deep, 

 comphitely notched and toothed, and strongly hooked, presenting the full accomplishment of a 

 raptorial character. Rictus ample and deeply cleft, and strongly bristled ; gonys short, only 

 about half the length of the lower mandible. Nostrils circular or nearly so, placed well forward 

 in the nasal fossae, more or less perfectly overhung and concealed by tufts of antrorse bristly 

 feathers. Body stout; neck short; head relatively large. Coloration simple, the black, white. 

 and bluish or grayish tints being unrelieved by red or other bright color. In the amount of 

 the dusky vermiculation of the under parts the species are graded from borealis (most) to excu- 

 bitorides (least or none), and each one is graded from young to old. In all, the general resem- 

 blance to a mocking-bu'd is striking. 



Analysis of Species. 



Large : length 9.00 or over. Black head-stripe broken on under eyelid and across forehead. Always waved 

 below with dusky borealis 186 



Small : length under 9.00. Black head-stripe unbroken across forehead : no white on under eyelid. Adults 

 unwaved below. 



Lighter: much white on rump and scapulars; long white patch on primaries . . . excubitorides 188 

 Darker : little white on rump and scapulars ; short white patch on primaries . . . ludovicianus 187 



186. L. borea'lis. (Lat. borealis, nortliern. Figs. 203, 204.) Great Northern Shrike. 

 Butcher-bird. ^ 9> adult: Above, clear bluish-ash, blanching on rump and scapulars; 

 below, white, always vermiculated trans- 

 versely with fine wavy blackish lines; a 

 broad black bar along side of head, not 

 meeting its fellow across forehead, inter- ^ 



rupted by a white crescent on under eyelid, 

 and bordered above by hoary white that ^ 

 also occupies the extreme forehead ; wings *' ': 



and tail black, the former with a large 

 white spot near base of the primaries, 

 and white tips of most of the quills, the 

 latter with the outer web of the outer 



feather edged, and all the feathers except- Fio. 204. — Butcher-bird (L. borealis), nat. size, 



ing the middle pair broadly tipped, with "■''•*• ''^'- ^ '^•^ 

 white, and with concealed white bases ; bill and feet bluish-black ; eyes blackish. Length 



22 



