LANIID.E — THE SHRIKES. 423 



April. At San Diego they nested later, about April 20. He speaks of their 

 singing as an attempt at a song, the notes being harsh, like those of a Jay, 

 but not imitative. They catch birds, but do so very rarely, depending upon 

 grasshoppers and other insects. 



The nests of the excubitoroidcs, so far as I have had any opportunity to ex- 

 amine them, always exhibit a very marked contrast, in the elaborateness of 

 their structure, to any of the ludoviciamis that have fallen under my notice. 

 They resemble those of the borealis in their size and the felted nature of their 

 "walls, but are more coarsely and rudely put together. They liave an external 

 diameter of about eight inches, and a height of four. The cavity is also 

 large and deep. These nests are always constructed with much artistic skill 

 and pains. Tlie base is usually a closely impacted mass of fine grasses, lichens, 

 mosses, and leaves, intermingled with stout dry twigs. Upon this is wrought 

 a strong labric of tine wood-mosses, flaxen fibres of plants, leaves, grasses, fur 

 of quadrupeds, and other substances. Intertwined with these are a sufficient 

 immber of slender twigs and stems of plants to give to the whole a remark- 

 able strength and firmness. This is often still further strengthened by an 

 external protection woven of stouter twigs and small ends of branches, 

 stems, etc. The whole is then thoroughly and warmly lined with a soft 

 matting of the fur of several kinds of small animals, vegetable down, and a 

 few feathers. 



The eggs, fi\'e or six in number, measure 1.00 by .73 of an inch, and strongly 

 resemble those of both the borealis and the ludovicianus. Their ground-color 

 is pale greenisli -white, over wdiich are marks and blotches, more or less con- 

 fluent, of lilac, purplish-brown, and light umber. 



Mr. Eidgway, who is familiar with this bird in Southern Illinois, informs 

 me that in that section it is a resident species, being abundant during the 

 summer and by no means rare in the winter. It is there, strangely enough, 

 often called the Mocking-Bird, its similar appearance and fondness for the 

 same locality leading some persons to confound these very different birds. 

 In districts where the true Mimus is not common, young birds of this sjDecies 

 are frequently taken from their nests and innocently sold to unsuspecting 

 admirers of that higlily appreciated songster. 



Tliis bird inhabits, almost exclusively, open situations, being particularly 

 fond of waste fields where young honey-locusts {Gleditschia triacantlios) have 

 grown up. Among their thorny branches its nests are almost Titterly inac- 

 cessible, if beyond the reach of poles. In such localities this bird may often 

 be seen perched in an upright position upon some thorn-bush, or a fence- 

 stake, quietly watching for its prey, remaining nearly an hour at a time 

 motionless except for an occasional movement of the head. 



The flight of this bird, Mr. Eidgway adds, is quite peculiar, utterly unlike 

 that of any other bird except the Oreoscoptes montanus, which it only slightly 

 resembles. In leaving its perch it sinks nearly to the ground, describing a 

 curve as it descends, and, passing but a few feet above the surface, ascends in 



