152 BULLETIN 19 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



apple tree in an orchard, 15 feet from the ground ; one was 12 feet up 

 in a small tree by the side of a little-used lane, with no attempt at 

 concealment ; and the lowest nest was only 5 feet from the ground in 

 a wild crab-apple tree in a pasture. 



Dr. Miller (1931) lists, in addition to those mentioned above, as 

 among the many types of trees and bushes used as nesting sites by the 

 migrant shrike, oaks, hawthorn bushes, cottonwoods, willows, and wild 

 plum trees, at heights ranging from 4 to 18 feet. Margaret M. Nice 

 (1931) records two nests near Norman, Okla., that were 30 and 40 

 feet above the ground, respectively ; both were in elm trees ; the latter 

 seems to be the record height for this subspecies. Dr. Thomas S. 

 Roberts (1932) states that a pair of these shrikes built a nest in an old 

 grackle's nest and that another pair used an old catbird's nest, in 

 Minnesota. 



Eggs. — The migrant shrike lays four to six eggs, rarely seven. The 

 eggs are practically indistinguishable from those of the species else- 

 where, which have been well described by Dr. Miller under the Cali- 

 fornia shrike. The measurements of 40 eggs average 24.7 by 18.6 

 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 26.4 by 19.5, 

 26.3 by 19.9, 23.0 by 18.6, and 24.0 by 17.6 millimeters. 



Young. — The full account given by Dr. Miller under the California 

 shrike is so satisfactory that it does not seem necessary to say anything 

 here about the incubation of the eggs and the care and development of 

 the young, though some authors have credited the migrant shrike with 

 a shorter period of incubation and a longer altricial period for the 

 young. Probably Dr. Miller's ligures are correct, and doubtless the 

 two races do not differ much in these respects. Apparently two broods 

 are often raised in a season in the north, and probably usually in the 

 south. The male has often been seen feeding the young of the first 

 brood while the female is laying eggs for the second brood. 



Plumages. — A very full account of all the plumages of all the 

 North American shrikes has been published by Dr. Alden H. Miller 

 (1931), to which the reader is referred, as the descriptions are given 

 in too much detail to be quoted here. Dr. Dwight (1900) describes 

 the Juvenal plumage of migrans as follows : "Above, drab-gray, faintly 

 vermiculated and with pale buff edgings ; rump slightly paler. Wings 

 and tail black, a white area at the bases of the primaries, the coverts 

 and tertiaries buff tipped, palest on the tertiaries ; the outer rectrices 

 largely white, the central ones buff, with terminal mottling. Lores, 

 orbital region and auricidars dull black. Below, dull white on chin, 

 abdomen and crissum, washed on breast and sides with very pale 

 buff or drab, vermiculated with dusky subterminal bands on each 

 feather. Bill and feet dusky becoming black." 



The first winter plumage is acquired by a partial postjuvenal molt, 



