'- Synopsis of the Birds 



on the other. Attack the most powerful of the feathered 

 tribe, which they drive from their nests. Live in families. 

 Build in trees and bushes ; lay 5 — 7 eggs. Flight short, 

 rapid and irregular : wag the tail. Voice loud, stridulous : 

 imitate the song of other birds. 



Found in all parts of the globe, except South America. 

 Resemble the Accipitres, especially in habits ; notwithstand- 

 ing allied to Corvus, but much more closely to Turdus, 

 Myiothera, and other small, feeble birds. 



92. Lanius septentrionalis, Gm. (li) Light slate ; beneath 

 white, undulated with brown ; frontlet whitish; wings and tail 

 black ; tail feathers, excepting the two middle ones, partly 

 white ; third primary longest ; fourth equal to the second.* 



Great American Shrike or Butcher bird, Lanius excubitor, 

 Wils. Am. Orn. i. p. ?4. pi. 5. Jig- I Lanius borealis, Vieill. 



Inhabits north of both continents : in winter only in Penn- 

 sylvania : rather rare. 



93. Lanius ludovicianus, L. Dark slate ; beneath white ; 

 frontlet black ; wings and tail black ; tail feathers, four mid- 

 dle ones excepted, partly white ; second primary longest ; 

 first and fifth equal. f 



Logger-head Shrike, Lanius carolinensis, Wils. Am. Orn. 

 Hi. p. hi.pl. ::.fig.B. Lanius ardosiaceus, Vieill. 

 Inhabits the southern states. 



20. MYIOTHERA. 



Turdus, Lanius, L. Gm. Lath. Briss. 

 Myiothera, 111. Cuv. Temm. Ranz. Myrmecophaga, Lacep. 

 Myrmoihera, Tamnophilus, Vieill. 



* In Lanius excubitor of Europe, the second is longest, and the fourth 

 considerably shorter. 



f In Lanius excubitor, and Lanius sententrionalis, the first primary is 

 equal to the sixth 



