72 



ORT^ITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 14-^o. 5 



days when everything hereabouts was new and 

 strange to me, too. 



As we neared home along the edge of the 

 Snipe bog an exclamation from ray comrade 

 caused me to turn and there was the "white 

 blackbird"' coming directly towards me. As I 

 fired down she came and my friend cried, "I 

 was sure I shovdd hit him." 



" What, did you shoot, too?" said I. 



"Yes, did you shoot?" said he. 



Our guns had made but one report, so simul- 

 taneous was our action, and there lay the 

 beautiful bird just riddled at close quarters 

 with two heavy snipeloads of eights. I suc- 

 ceeded, however, in making up a very good 

 skin, though it took time and patience. 



When in hand the specimen showed a de- 

 cided brownish work over nearly all the 

 plumage. The eyes were bright pink and the 

 bill and feet also much brighter colored than 

 the normal tint of the species. The tail was 

 also considerably worn. I am still of the 

 opinion that when in first feather this speci- 

 men showed only very faint traces of coloring 

 over the white. Is it not possible that part 

 — possibly all — partial albinos are nearly white 

 at first? The viscera of this specimen were 

 too badly mutilated to be examined well. I 

 searched for intestinal worms which some 

 authorities lead us to suspect are in all albinos, 

 but found none. 



FOOD OF THE LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 



A few days ago I noticed a Loggerhead 

 pounce down in a little patch of grass and 

 shrubs and as he fluttered up again a full-grown 

 Cotton Rat ran out and fell dead almost at my 

 feet. An examination of the specimen showed 

 that the jugular vein had been severed. 

 Though I knew this little bird to be extremely 

 bold and rapacious I have never known it to 

 attack an adult animal of this size and think 

 it probable that he mistook it for some smaller 

 animal when he flew down to attack it and 

 that his success in killing it so easily was 

 more an accident than any actual "trick of 

 fence." 



Be that as it may, the incident set me to 

 thinking, and as there seems to be some 

 interest at present couceiming the food hab- 

 its of its cousin, the northern Butcher bird, 

 I have looked up my old record of this 

 species and give it to the readers of the 

 O. & O. 



In 1886 I dissected twelve specimens of the 

 Loggerhead Shrike and found the food to be 

 as follows : — 



4 Four contained portions of animals plainly 



shown by the hair. 

 2 Two contained portions of birds. Species 



undetermined. 

 1 One contained portions of a Savannah Spar- 

 row. 

 One contained beetles. 

 One contained a grassliopper. 

 One contained head and thorax of a locust. 

 One contained insects. 

 One contained bones. No hair or feathers. 



Thus it appears that eight out of the twelve 

 had been feeding on birds or animals. The 

 only comment I will make is to say that I am 

 surjirised to find such a large percentage of 

 insects. 



NOTE ON THE KILLDEER PLOVER. 



Of late several correspondents have asked 

 me if there was anything to be remarked re- 

 garding the abundance of this bird at this 

 locality during the present season. Up to this 

 month I could not notice any peculiarity about 

 them. Their numbers seemed to be about as 

 usual. But about two weeks ago they dis- 

 appeared entirely. I have seen none since the 

 first week in January anywhere about here. 

 My tramps have extended about twelve miles 

 in all directions. The Snipe seemed to leave 

 about the same time, but to-day they are back 

 in force or even more so, but not a single 

 Killdeer is to be seen or heard. There has 

 been no phenominal weather to cause it. The 

 Snipe often takes such fits and starts, but the 

 Killdeer generally comes and goes quite gradu- 

 ally. Walter Iloxie. 



Accidents Among Birds. 



An article in the March number of the O. & 

 O., by Mr. Gaboon, on the capture of a Tern 

 by a Quahaug and a Duck by a Sea Clam, 

 prompts me to record a few of my field notes 

 bearing upon the subject of accidents among 

 birds. 



Although accidents are probably more num- 

 erous than generally supposed, still, compared 

 to the numbers caused by the direct agency of 

 man, they are of sufficient i-arity for note when 

 obsei'ved. In some portions of the country, 

 notably in the west, many birds are killed by 

 striking telegraph wires during migrations, 

 and many die from like mishaps at the various 

 lighthouses in the maritime sections, as shown 

 by the reports of the keepers to the committee 

 on migrations, appointed by the A. O. U. 



