LA^'MD.K — THK .^ IlIKKS. 4^9 



Dr. Coues found this sjiccics very cciniiion in tlic neiuliliorliood of Coliini- 

 biii, S. C, tVe(|iu'ntinL; the wooded stivct.^ and wasti' tiidds oi' that city. On 

 one oct'asi(»n he ohserved a Lo^^erhead laisily t"oiaLjin_Lj for insects in tlio 

 ^a<junds of the Capitol. From the toj» of a tall Imsh it would oeeasionallv 

 sally out, capture a lari^'e ;4rasv,li(>j)per, and i any it to a tree near by, full of 

 sharp twigs, it woidd then proceed to impale the in.sect on one of these 

 points, remain awhile watching the result of its ])erforniance, and then re- 

 sume its post on the bush, watching for more grass lio]>pers, some of which, 

 one by one, it caught and imi)aled in like manner, others it ate on the si)ot. 



This curious hal)it of impaling insects, mcjre or less common to t)ie entire 

 family of Shrikes, seems to admit <jf no satisfactory exj)lanation. In this 

 case the bird thus secured them when apparentlv hunnrv, eatin«: sr>me and 

 impaling others. Yet, so far as I know, it never makes any use of thos i it 

 thus impales. 



Mr. Audubon states that in South Carolina it is quite common along the 

 fences and hedges about the rice plantations at all seasons, and that it ren- 

 ders good service to the planters in the destruction of field-mice, as well as 

 of many of the larger insects. He speaks of its song as consisting only of 

 shrill, clear, creaking, prolonged notes, resembling the grating of a rusty 

 hinge. His account differs, in many r^^spects, from the more minute and 

 exact descriptions of IJev. Dr. Uachman. In pursuing its prey, he states 

 that it invariablv strikes it with its bill before seizing- it with its claws. 



In reference to its song, Dr. Ijachnian states that it has other notes besides 

 the grating sound mentioned by Audubon. During the breeding-season, and 

 nearly all the summer, the male bird ])osts itself at the top of some tree 

 and mak'.\s an effort at a song, which he compares to the first attempts of a 

 young Brown Thrush. This is a la])ored effort, and at tinies the note.^ are 

 not un))leasing, but very irregular. 



Dr. Uachman also claims that the male evinces marked evidences of attach- 

 ment to his mate, carrying to her, every now and then, a grasshoi»per or a 

 cricket, and driving away hawk or crow as they apj)roach the nest. 



He also states that ho has usually found the nest on the outer limbs of 

 trees, often from fifteen to thirty feet from the ground, < nd only once on a 

 bush so low as ten feet from the ground. He has occasionally seen these 

 birds feeding on mice, and also on birds that liad been a})parently wounded 

 by the sportsman. It will .sometimes catch young birds and devour them, 

 but its food consists cliieily of grasshoppers, crickets, c leo])terous and other 

 insects, including l)utterflies and moths, which it will pursue and capture 

 on the wing. Dr. liachman has observed its habit of pinning insects on 

 thorns. In one instance he saw it occu])v itself for iiours in sticking uj), in 

 this wav, small fishes tlirown on the shore, but he has never known them to 

 devour anything thus im])aled. 



This Shrike is partially migratory in South I'arolina, as a few maybe 

 found all winter, but only one tenth of those seen in sunnner. It is also 



