412 



NOUTIl AMEUICAX JURDa 



Family LANIIDJE. 



The Shrikes. 



Cn.xu. Bill very |iowortiil, stroiiir. and niinh r(>inj)ross«Ml, tin- tip al»iuptly hookt'd. deeply 

 notfluMJ. iiiul witli a proniiiM'iit tooth l»rliiinl the iiuteh ; holh luandihlrs distinctiy notched, 

 the upi>er with a distinct tooth iM-hiiid, the lower with the point l>eMt up. Tarsi lon^'er 

 tlian the middle toe. stroii^dy sciitcllate. Primaries ten; lirst primary half the second, or 

 >horter (occasiomdly waiitiiiLr). Win,!/'' short, rounded; tail long and much graduated. 

 SiUe^ of tarsi with the plates «iivitle«l on the outside. 



Of tills family only a sinj^le gi'iius is known in Xortli America. 



(Jkms COLLURIO, Vkjors. 



Collnrio, Vi(i(ins, I'r. Z0..I. Soc. \si\, 42. O'}'!"'. /-"nin^'t ''-"'ubitor, L.) 

 Lnnins, Aucr. (ii<»t of Linn.kis, whosj* tyiw is L. crlsUitKH). 

 Colhjrio, O. n. Okay. liviiiis Hirds N. Am. 1858, '6'li. 



Ge\. CitAU. Feathers of forehead stilfened ; base of hill; ineludin^' nostrils, covorod by 



bristly feathers directed forward. Bill 

 shorter than the head, much com- 

 pressed, and very pou erful. Cuhnen 

 decurved Iroin l>ase, the manrlihle ab- 

 ruptly bent down in a powerful hook 

 with an acute lobe near the tip. Tip 

 of lower mandible l)ent upwards in a 

 hook : the c^onys very convex. Ric- 

 tus 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 



CdUvtin ncruhitornidfS. 



than the win«rs, much gra<luattMl. the feathers broad. 



But few species (jf this ijenus l)elonj]f to America, and these are confined to 

 the northern portion. For the purpose of more readily identifying the spe- 

 cies we present a brief diagnosis, and then furnish descriptions of all (includ- 

 ing a European ally) in a single table. 



Species. 



A* Outer webs of secondaries wholly white for basal half (mostly concealed 



by coverts, however). Upper eyelid white. 



C. excubitor.' Xasal tufts grayish-Avhite. Tn other respects, as regards 

 colors, like exriibiioroides. Wing, 4.20; tail, 4.00; tarsus, .95. Hab. 

 Euro])e. 



1 Lftniiis ccculfifnr, \ass. Syst. Xut. etl. 10, 94. • 



