BIRDS OF KANSAS. 515 



GENUS LANIUS LINX.EUS. 



"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. Gulmeii decurved from base; the mandible abruptly bent 

 down in a powerful hook, with an acute lobe near the tip. Tip of lower man- 

 dible bent upwards in a hook; the gonys very convex. Rictus 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 sixth or seventh. Tail longer 

 than the wings, much graduated, the feathers broad." 



Lanius borealis VIEILL. 



NORTHERN SHRIKE. 

 PLATE XXXI. 



Winter sojourner; quite common. Arrive early in November; 

 leave in March. 



B. 236. R. 148. C. 186. G. 70, 261. U. 621. 



HABITAT. Northern North America; south in winter to about 

 latitude 35; breeds north of the United States, and occasion- 

 ally in the higher mountain regions of the latter. 



SP. CHAB. Adult: Above, clear bluish ash, blanching on the rump and scap- 

 ulars; below white, always vermiculated transversely with fine wavy, blackish 

 lines; a broad black bar along side of head, not meeting its fellow across fore- 

 head; interrupted by a white crescent on under eyelid, and bordered above by 

 hoary white, that also occupies the extreme forehead; wings and tail black, the 

 former with a large white spot near base of the primaries, and white tips of most 

 of the quills, the latter with the outer web of the outer feathers edged, and all 

 the feathers except the middle pair broadly tipped, with white, and with con- 

 cealed white bases; bill and feet bluish black; eyes blackish. Young: The 

 colors much less pure and clear. Above, grayish brown, scarcely or not whiten- 

 ing on the scapulars, tail coverts and forehead. The younger the browner, 

 sometimes almost with a rusty tinge; grayer according to age. Below brownish 

 white (the younger the browner), the wavy dark markings stronger than in the 

 adult; the bar along the head poorly defined, merely dusky, or quite obsolete. 

 Wings and tail brownish black, with less white than in the adult. Bill plumbe- 

 ous brown, flesh colored at base below. At a very early age, the upper parts 

 are probably vermiculated somewhat like the lower, as in the same stage of L. 

 ludovicianus; but this state I have not observed. In old age the dusky ver- 

 miculation of the under parts is much diminished, but I have never seen it 

 absent altogether. This feature, coupled with the particular character of the 

 head markings and the large size and comparatively short tarsi, will always dis- 

 tinguish this species from L. ludovicianus or excubitorides. (Coues.) 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 10.00 14.60 4.60 4.60 1.05 .70 



Female.. 9.80 14.40 4.50 4.45 1.02 .70 



