352 THE NORTHERN SHRIKE. 
ing season, so that a small orchard may contain a dozen nests, while another 
as good, a little way removed, has none. In the Nooksack Valley, near Glacier, 
Mr. Brown showed me a tiny pasture carved out of the woods, where he had 
found, during the previous season, six nests of the Cedarbird, placed at heights 
ranging from three to six feet above the ground in small clumps of vine maple 
or alder saplings. In Chelan we found them nesting in the tops of the 
solitary pine trees which line the stream. 
The female sits closely upon her eggs, not infrequently remaining until 
forcibly removed. Once off, however, she makes away without complaint, 
and pays no further attention to the incident until the intruder has departed. 
Always of a most gentle disposition, when the nesting season arrives, 
according to Mr. Bowles, these birds richly deserve the name of Love Birds. 
A leaf from his note-book supports the statement: “July 7, 1896. To-day 
I watched two Cedarbirds selecting a nesting site, first one location being 
tested, then another. Finally they decided upon a suitable place and com- 
menced picking both dry and green leaves from the surrounding trees, placing 
them upon a horizontal limb where two or three twigs projected. Almost all 
of these leaves blew off as soon as placed, greatly to the surprise of the birds, 
who solemnly watched them drop to the ground. These fallen leaves were 
never replaced, fresh ones being gathered instead, and these were always 
secured from growing trees. Then one got a long strip of plant silk and, 
placing it on the leaf foundation flew a foot or two away and lit. The other 
bird promptly took away the silk and brought it to its mate, who very gently 
took it and put it back. This operation was repeated again and again. At 
times both held the silk, sitting only an inch or two apart, whereupon the bird 
who was the original finder would, very gently, pull it from the bill of its 
mate and replace it. At the end of fifteen minutes of this loving passage I 
was obliged to retire, and I shall never know whether the plant fiber was 
successfully placed or merely worn out.” 
No. 135. 
NORTHERN SHRIKE. 
A. O. U. No. 621. Lanius borealis Vieill. 
Synonyms.—GreAtT NORTHERN SHRIKE. BUTCHER-BIRD. 
Description. Adult: Upperparts clear, bluish gray, lightest—almost white— 
on upper tail-coverts ; extreme forehead whitish; wings and tail black, the former 
with a conspicuous white spot at base of primaries, the latter with large, white 
terminal blotches on outer feathers, decreasing in size inwardly; a black band 
through eye, including auriculars; below grayish white, the feathers of the breast 
