188 



OROTTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 12 



travellino; by wagon when crossing the great 

 Laramie Plains, in Wyoming Territory. They 

 were all placed within fifty yards of tlie much 

 frequented roadway, and each time I saw the 

 female sitting on the eggs. The old birds are 

 very wliite whicli contrasts with tlie dark 

 ground and causes them to be easily seen. The 

 eggs (two in number) were left on the first ap- 

 proach of danger, when she glides through the 

 grass, and does not expose herself until well 

 away from her eggs, and then commences to 

 feign lameness, which I never saw carried to 

 such perfection by any other bird. I was fooled 

 once into thinking the bird was in a fit, as it 

 laid on its side, apparently in strong con- 

 vulsions. It was within six feet of me, and I 

 was about to pick it up, wlien I saw a young 

 bird close to my feet a()parently about two days 

 old. 



As soon as tlie young are hatched, which I 

 have always found to be two, each old bird 

 takes care of one. 



Food of the Great Northern Shrike. 



BV JOHN C. CAHOON. 



In the .September O. & O. I fiud two articles, 

 one by Mi-. Beiij. F. Mess, and the other by Mr. 

 C. C. Maxwell, regarding the food of the Great 

 Northern .Shrike. 



While both of these gentlemen are certain 

 that the food of the Gre.at Northern .Shrike, in 

 their locality in the winter consists principally 

 of English Sparrows, their knowledge seems to 

 be derived wholly from the fact of seeing these 

 shrikes pursue and kill the sparrows. It does 

 not prove that because a shrike pursues, kills, 

 and mutilates a sparrow or other small bird, 

 that it must necessarily eat it. The fact of flnd- 

 ing many birds impaled on thorns, or caught 

 in the fork of a tree branch, shows that many 

 that are killed are not used for food purposes. 



Mr. Maxwell says, " The winter in Oswego 

 County is severe enough to drive all the bugs 

 and worms out of sight and no doubt the 

 shrikes were driven to eating English Sparrows 

 by hunger, but they did it, nevertheless." All 

 entomologists know that bugs and other in- 

 sects can be found in the bark and stumps of 

 old dead trees, under logs, etc., when every 

 thing is frozen up. I have shot shrikes in the 

 most severe winters, and found their stomachs 

 tilled with insects and other matter (no birds). 



How and where they procured the insects I 

 cannot say, but if they can get them in one 

 locality that's frozen up why not in another? 



Even was a shrike seen eating a bird that is 

 no proof that its next two or more meals will 

 consist of bird meat. In my opinion the only 

 sure way of determining the principal food of 

 the shrike, or any bird, is by a close examina- 

 tion of the contents of their stomachs. 



N. B.— Shot a Great Northern Shrike at East 

 Brewster, Mass., Oct, 17th. Stomach contained 

 parts of a Snow bird and one large white 

 worm. 



The Cuckoo and Tent Caterpillar. 



BV ilENKV HALES. 



The Tent Caterpillar has been very numerous 

 in Northern New Jersey this summer, too much 

 so for the farmers to keep them in check. At 

 the same time the Black-billed Cuckoo was also 

 very abundant, much more so than I ever re- 

 member, I noticed them carry on a deadly war- 

 fare on the tent caterpillar. In one instance I 

 saw the Cuckoo perforate a tent, pull out and 

 swallow five large caterpillars in succession, 

 and I have noticed them many times, engaged 

 in the same useful business. Those who so 

 often condemn the birds for not destroying this 

 pest would do well to observe a little closer as 

 this is not the only species that feeds on them. 

 When small and smooth many species relish 

 them, but when the3' get large and hairy they 

 have not so many enemies; while the Cuckoo 

 swallows them entire, some smaller birds skin 

 off their rough oo.at before swallowing them. 

 It is possible the numbers of cuckoos here, has 

 been encouraged by the profusion of the tent 

 caterpillars. 



Eggs of Spizella pusilla arenacea. 



BY .1. P. N. 



During a trip to Texas, in the spring of 1888, 

 my friend Mr. G. B. Benners was fortunate 

 enough to find two nests of the Western Field 

 Sparrow {SpUMa pusilla, arenacea). Each nest 

 contained four eggs, and one of these sets he 

 has kindly given me. As I am not aware that 

 they have been previously described I desire to 

 place on record their description. The nest 

 was in a small live oak tree, two feet from the 

 ground. The eggs have a light greenish white 

 ground color, and they are speckled with bay. 

 They measure .71 x .53 ; .72 x .53 ; .72 x .54 ; .72 

 X .52. In size and general appearance they 

 cannot be distinguished from eggs of S. pvsilla. 



