66 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



These birds appeared here at the close of the long northeaster- 

 ly storm which occurred last month — at least a month earlier than 

 their usual time for appearing in states south of us. It seemed 

 singular that they should thus come to us in the teeth of a strong 

 gale that had been blowing eight or ten days almost incessantly, 

 but Mr. Beckett explained the circumstance by supposing that they 

 were wafted hither on the upper current of the air which blew in an 

 opposite direction. Many of the Tanagers died with the cold soon 

 after their appearance here. 



Mr. Beckett described the change of plumage which takes 

 place in the Scarlet and Summer Tanagers from young to the adult 

 bird and from one season to another. 



THIRD PAPER. 



Portland Daily Advertiser, January 17 , 1S53. 



Mr. Beckett stated that he had rather a singular specimen of 

 the feathered race to present to the notice of the meeting, the great 

 American Shrike or Butcher Bird, the Lanius borcalis of Vieillot — 

 singular for the strength of its neck, head and beak, contrasted with 

 the smallness and slenderness of its legs and claws, singular for its 

 habit, singular for its intrepid courage. 



There were two varieties of the Lanivs family pertaining to our 

 country, the Great American [Great Northern] and the Loggerhead 

 Shrike. 



The Loggerheads inhabit the most southern sections of our 

 country, while the Great Shrike takes to colder regions. So far 

 as his observation went, few, if any, of the Loggerheads came to 

 New England. They are quite common at the south and are 

 treated with friendliness on account of their destructiveness to 

 field mice. 



The Lanius borcalis is very rare south of New York. He was 

 inclined to believe, indeed, that they were not very plentiful 

 anywhere. In our own immediate section he had only met with 

 them for the past two years, and within that time had seen but few 

 individuals. They came to us during the fore part of the winter, 



