BIRDS OF 



winter tlie berries of tlie poke weed, red cedar and mountain 

 ash afford tliem a bountiful supply of food. Their voice is 

 heard only in a weak call note, easily recognized yet difficult 

 to describe. 



In many individuals the secondaries finish with a hard 

 horny appendage, having the appearance of red sealing-wax. 

 This is not indicative of age or sex, but is most frequently found 

 in the adult male, and in some instances the tail-feathers are 

 similarly tipptnl. I'lic use of these appendages is unknown 

 to us. 



Family LANIID^E. Shrikes. 



Genus LAN I US Linn.eus. 



241. LANIUS BOREALIS (Vieill.). 621. 



Northern Shrike. 



Clear bluish-ash, blanching on the rump and scapulars ; below white, 

 always vermiculated with fine wavy blackish lines ; a black bar along side of 

 the head, not meeting its fellow across forehead, interrupted by a white cres- 

 cent on under eyelid, and bordered above by hoary white that also occupies 

 the extreme forehead ; wings and tail black, the former with a large spot near 

 base of primaries ; and the tips of most of the quills white, the latter with 

 nearly all the feathers broadly tipped with white, and with concealed white 

 bars; bill and feet black. Length, 9-10; wing, 4J ; tail rather more. The 

 young are similar, but none of the colors are so fine or so intense ; the entire 

 plumage has a brownish suffusion, and the bill is flesh-colored at base. 



Hab. Northern North America, south in winter to the middle portions 

 of the United States (Washington, D. C, Kentucky, Kansas. Colorado, 

 Arizona, Northern California). 



Nest, rested on a platform of sticks and twigs in a low tree or bush ; 

 composed of weeds, rootlets, bark strips, moss and fine grass. 



Eggs, 4 to 6 ; the ground color is greenish-gray, but this is almost hid- 

 den by the profuse markings of purple and reddish-brown. 



In Southern Ontario a few individuals of the species are 

 seen everv winter. They arrive from the north in October, and 

 remain with us if the weather is mild, but if it becomes severe 

 about the end of the year the}' disappear and are not observed 

 again until March. They like the open country, usuall}- taking 



242 



