2o8 



LANIIDyE : SHRIKES. 



sion of this Fauna along the higher points of the Al- 

 leghany Mountains, through the Middle and some of 

 the Southern States. Its nesting in the mountains of 

 Pennsylvania is sufficiently attested, and it will doubt- 

 less be found to breed in the highest parts of Massa- 

 chusetts as well as in Maine. In 1875, ^^'- Brewer 

 catalogued it as "resident " in northern New England. 

 Dr. Coues having subsequently confirmed the accu- 

 racy of the record. Dr. Brewer was led, with singular 



Fig. 53. — Great Northern Shrike. (Natural size.) 



perversity, to challenge his own statement in the fol- 

 lowing terms: "It is perhaps too soon to decide in 

 regard to the presence or absence of borcalis in the 

 breeding season within the United States, but the more 

 the subject is examined, the more conclusive appears 

 to be the evidence that there are no data in support 

 of certain opinions so positively pronounced on the 

 affirmative side " (Pr. Bost. Soc, xx, 1879, P* 267). 

 This is remarkable language from one who had him- 

 self furnished an instance of the fact here denied, show- 

 ing that the controversial had gotten the better of the 

 scientific spirit. (See Coues, B. Col. ValL, 1878, p. 

 561 ; Brewer^ Bull. Nutt. Club, iv, 1879, P- 120.)' 



