546 LOaGERHEAD SHRIKE. 



The peculiar bills of these birds give them a hawk-like aspect, yet their other anatomical and osteological 

 features are those of the passerine birds, while their well-executed songs proclaim them to be true Oscines. 



LAIMIUS LUDOVICIANUS. 

 Loggerhead Shrike, 



CoIIurio ludovicianus Baird, Review of American Birds, 1866, 443. 

 DESCRTPTION. 



Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, medium. Sternun), stoutly built. Tongue, thin, horny and acuminate ; 

 •with the end bifid and provided with cilia, which in j'oung specimens extend Jilong the sides. 



Color. Adult. Above, slaty-blue, darkest on the head and lightest on the rump, but never whitish. 

 Line on the forehead, stripe extending through the eye and down on the neck, .wings and tail, black. Outer 

 ■webs of tertiaries, ti[)S of secondaries, basal third of primaries, terminal band on all, excepting the two 

 central tail feathers and under portions of body, including under tail coverts, white. Sides, flanks, axillaries 

 andunder wing coverts, bluish-ash. Young, similar, but browner above and obscurely barred below with 

 dusky, especially on the breast. Nestlings differ in having the two central as well as the other tail feathers 

 tipped with white. The white on the secondaries is marked with yellowish, while there are indications of 

 yellowish barrings alx)ve the terminal markings. Both rows of upper wing coverts are finely barred with 

 yellowish white. The remaining upper and entire lower parts, excepting the throat and abdomen, crossed 

 with fine wavy lines of dusky. • 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known from the closely allied L. borealis by the smaller size and continuous line over the forehead and 

 absence of bandings below ; otherwise the markings of these two species in adult ]ilumage are very similar. 

 The young of the northern species are browner above than the same stage of ludovicianus and the dusky lines 

 below are much more prominent. Distributed as a resident species throughout Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of seven specimens. Length, 'J.20 ; stretch, 12.3.-) ; wing, 3.85 : tail, 3.90 ; bill, 

 .70; tarsus, 1.05. Longest specimen, 9..50 ; greatest extent of wings, 13.20; longest wing, 3.90; tail, 4.00; 

 bill, .75; tarsus, 1.20. Shortest specimen, 3.75; smallest extent of wings, 12.25; shortest wing, 3.75; 

 tail, 3.75 ; bill, .66 ; tarsus, .95. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests. A specimen now before me. whicli was taken in Florida, from a pine tree f^rty feet from the 

 ground, is composed of roots and dried grasses, among which is interwoven cotton that the birds procured 

 from a supply which was taken from a vessel by the wreckers and spread out to dry. It is lined with fine 

 grasses and cotton. Dimensions, external diameter, G inches, internal, 4; external depth, 2.75 inches, 

 internal, 1.50. 



Eggs, four to six in number, oval inform, grayish-white in color, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown 

 and lilac. This marking is often distributed irregularly over the surface, but sometimes the spots are more 

 numerous on the larger end. Dimensions from. .SO by .70 to 1.00 by .75. 



HABITS. 



There was no liird for wliicli 1 looked witlj tireater interest tlian the Loo-crerhead 

 Shrike. The first specimen which I ever saw was perched on the top ol" a stake which 

 stood in a vacant lot near Jacksonville but wliich is now occupied hv houses. The bird 



