OF NEW ENGLAND. 151 
bees, large beetles, particularly those called by the boys gold- 
smiths, seem his favorite game. I have taken four of these 
large beetles from the stomach of a Purple Martin, each of 
which seemed entire and even unbruised.” 
“The flight of the Purple Martin unites in it all the swift- 
ness, ease, rapidity of turning and gracefulness of motion of 
its tribe. Like the Swift of Europe, he sails much with little 
action of the wings.” * * *.” 
(d). **His usual note peuo peuo peuo, is loud and musical ; 
but it is frequently succeeded by others more low and guttural.” 
To the above extract I have nothing of interest to add. 
§13. The Vireonida, or vireos (sometimes called ‘“‘green- 
lets” ), possess the following features in common with the Lani- 
ide, or shrikes (§ 14), at least with our subfamily, Laniine. 
Bill rather short and stout, distinctly notched and hooked, 
also well furnished with bristles: tarsus scutellate ; primaries 
ten, but with the first in the Vireonide often spurious, or 
seemingly absent. (Fig. 6.) ji 
The Laniidee differ distinctly in being more than seven inches 
long, in having the ‘sides of the tarsi scutellate behind,” and 
in having long, rounded tails. The bill, moreover, is large 
and stout (not so broad as high, and scarcely twice as long), 
while the feet are comparatively weak. The shrikes might 
well be called ‘‘raptorial passeres,” being notorious for their 
boldness and mode of slaughter among others birds, etc. They 
are unsocial and unmusical, though perhaps mimics. Like the 
vireos, normally they are never seen on the ground, but they 
possess a much stronger flight than their small relatives. They 
build rather bulky nests in the woods, and lay eggs, rather 
coarsely marked, and never (?) with a pure white ground. The 
Butcher-bird is a type (fig. 7). The vireos, on the other hand, 
are small, insectivorous birds, allied in habits to many of the 
warblers. They frequent, for the most part, woodland, and 
are rarely if ever seen upon the ground. They usually flutter 
among the branches in search of their prey, though they occa- 
sionally snap it up in passing from tree to tree. They are 
