192 BIEDS OF ILLINOIS. 



FAMILY LANIID2E. THE SHEIKES. 



"CHAB. Bill very powerful, strong, and much compressed, the tip abruptly hooked, 

 deeply notched, and with a prominent tooth behind the notch; both mandibles distinctly 

 notched, the upper with a distinct tooth behind, the lower with the point bent up. Tarsi 

 longer than the middle toe, strongly scutellate. Primaries ten ; first primary half the 

 second, or shorter (occasionally wanting). Wings short, rounded; tail long and much 

 graduated. Sides of tarsi with the plates divided on the outside." (Hist. N. Am. .) 



Of this family only a single genus is known in North America. 



GENUS LANTCTS LINNAEUS. 



Lanius LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 93. Type.i. collurio LINN. 



"GEN. CHAB. Feathers of forehead stiffened; base of bill, including nostrils, covered 

 by bristly feathers directed forward. Bill shorter than the head, much compressed, and 

 very powerful. Culmen decurved from base, the mandible abruptly bent down in a 

 powerful hook with an acute lobe near the tip. Tip of lower mandible bent upwards in a 

 hook; the gonys very convex. Kictus with long bristles. Legs stout; the tarsi rather 

 short, and longer than the middle toe; the lateral equal; the claws all very sharp and 

 much curved. Wings rounded; the first primary about half the second, which is equal 

 to the sixth or seventh. Tail longer than the wings, much graduated, the feathers 

 broad." (Hist. N. Am. B.) 



Our two species may be distinguished by the following characters : 



COMMON CHABACTEBS. Above plain gray (brownish in young of L. borealis) beneath 

 whitish, with or without darker waved lines or bars; side of head marked with a broad 

 black band, covering lores and auriculars; wing, and tail black, the former with a white 

 patch at base of primaries, the latter with outer feathers chiefly white. 



1. L. borealis. Wing more than 4.50 inches; tarsus less than 1 inch. A white cres- 

 centic spot on lower eyelid; lower parts always more or less waved with dusky. 

 Adult: Above fine light bluish-gray, the scapulars and upper tail-coverts nearly 

 white. Young: Dull brownish, beneath brownish white waved with dusky; black 

 auricular band indistinct. 



2. L. ludovicianus. Wing less than 4.50 inches; tarsus more than 1 inch. No white on 

 lower eyelid; lower parts waved with dusky only in young. 



a ludovicianus. Above deep plumbeous, the upper tail-coverts scarcely or not 



at all lighter than the back; axillars plumbeous, the jugulum and sides 



strongly tinged with the same. 

 /3. excubitorides. Above fine light bluish-gray, the upper tail-coverts more or 



less distinctly paler (sometimes nearly pure white), the jugulum and sides 



scarcely tinged with grayish. 



