THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 257 



few nesting pairs uliidi are not very conspicuous in our summer bird 

 life. 



In autumn, winter and early spring we again see the vagrant flocks 

 of (Vdarbirds alighting on the tree tops, sitting upright with crests 

 cii-ct fn a moment or two and then whirling away with a few sighing 

 notes. 



Mr. Chapman records a nest, with eggs, as late as September 13th. 1 



Family LANIID^E. 



THE SHRIKES. 



A family peculiar, among Passerine birds, for their raptorial habits 

 of its species. The strong hooked and notched bill recalls that of a 

 Hawk. 



Our two species belong to the typical Shrikes, and are distinctly 

 beneficial birds, feeding on mice and grasshoppers for the most part. 



a. Wing, 4.35-4.60. NORTHERN SHRIKE, p. 257 



aa. Wing. 3.75-4. MIGRANT SHRIKE, p. 258 



621 Lanius borealis Vieillot. 



Northern Shrike, Butcher-bird. 



PLATE 69. 



Adult male. Length, 9.50-10.50. Wing, 4.50. Above, plain blue-gray, white 

 on the rump, forehead and some of the scapulars ; wing and tail, black ; sec- 

 ondaries tipped with white : outer tail feathers, white, others tipped with 

 white in decreasing amount, sometimes lacking on the central pair ; under sur- 

 face, white : chest and sides of body more or less mottled with narrow dusky 

 vermiculations ; ear region and spot in front of the eye, black. 



Adult female. Duller in color. 



Yoiuiff in first autumn. Brownish-gray above, head markings, wings and 

 tail dusky instead of black; dusky vermiculations much more extensive, cover- 

 ing the rump and all the lower surface, except the chin and lower abdomen. 



Ii;itli<'r srarc-e, but apparently regular, winter visitant. December 

 M lo March 1st. 



Wliile with us the Shrike is a solitary bird. We see him perched on 

 tin- top of some thorn bush on the meadow, or on a tall tree in the 



1 Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., N. Y., 1890, p. 2. 



17 



