82 COLLURIO LUDOVICIANUS. 



They are also, as their name implies, solitary, for it is difficult to find more than a single pair in 

 any one locality at a given time. Although some remain to breed in Massachusetts, yet the 

 majority pass on farther north. The nests, like those of the Red-eyed Vireos, are placed in the 

 fork of a swaying limb. While breeding the birds are quite attached to each other and if one 

 is killed the other will remain near the spot for a considerable length of time. This species 

 migrates late in September, reaching Florida in early November. 



FAMILY XII. LANIID^E. THE SHRIKES. 



Bill, short, stout ; upper mandible strongly curved and deeply notched. Sternum, almost precisely similar in form to 

 that of the Vireonidte. Wings, proportionately short and rounded. Tail, long and also rounded. 



Although the sternum of this family closely resembles that of the preceding, showing their affinity, yet all 

 of our species may readily be distinguished from the Vireontdw by the more strongly curved and deeply notched 

 bill. The wings are proportionately shorter and the tail longer. 



GENUS I. COLLURIO. THE BUTCHER BIRDS. 



GEN. Cn. Bluish or brownish- ash above; beneath, white, banded with black, in some stages. Wings and tail marked 

 with black and white. Other characters as given above. 



The peculiar bills of these birds give them a hawk-like aspect, yet their other anatomical and osteological 

 features are those of the passerine birds, while their well executed songs proclaim them to be true Osciues. 



COLLURIO LUDOVICIANUS. 

 Loggerhead Shrike. 



Collurio Ludovicianus BAIRD, Review of American Birds, 1866, 443. 

 Collurio excubitoroides BAIHD, Review of American Birds, 186G, 445. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, medium. Sternum, stoutly built. Tongue, thin, horny and acuminate; with 

 the end bifid and provided with cilia, which in young specimens extend along the sides. 



COLOU. Adult. Above, slaty-blue, darkest on the head and lightest on the rump, which in some specimens 

 becomes nearly white. Line on the forehead, stripe extending through the eye and down on the neck, wings, and 

 tail, black. Outer webs of tertiaries, tips of secondaries, basal third of primaries, terminal band on all, excepting 

 the two central tail feathers and under portions of body, including under tail coverts, white. Sides, flanks, axillaries 

 and under wing coverts, bluish-ash. 



Young, similar, but browner above and obscurely barred below with dusky, especially on the breast. 



Nestlings differ in having the two central as well as the other tail feathers tipped with white. The white 

 on the secondaries is marked with yellowish, while there are indications of yellowish barrings above the terminal 

 markings. Both rows of upper wing coverts are finely barred With yellowish-white. The remaining upper and 

 entire lower parts, excepting the throat and abdomen, crossed with fine wavy lines of dusky. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Only known from the closely allied C.borealis by the smaller size and continuous line over the forehead; 

 otherwise the markings of these two species in adult and nestling plumage are very similar. The young of the 

 northern species are browner above than the same stage of Ludovicianus and the dusky lines below are much more 

 prominent. The whiter rump and upper tail coverts, together with other minor differences exhibited by specimens 

 of this species taken west, are too slight characters upon which to base a species, especially when specimens are 

 constantly found that form a perfect chain of gradation between the two varieties. Therefore I have not hesitated 

 to place the name excubitoroides as a synonyme of Ludovicianus. Distributed as a resident and partly migratory 

 species throughout Southern and Central United States, straggling to Mass. (H. A. Purdie.) 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of seven specimens. Length, 9-20; stretch, 12-35; wing, 3-85; tail, 3-90; bill, -70; 

 tarsus, 1-05. Longest specimen, 9-50; greatest extent of wings, 13-20; longest wing, 3-90; tail, 4-00; bill, -75; 

 tarsus, 1-20. Shortest specimen, 8.75; smallest extent of wings, 12-25; shortest wing, 3-75; tail, 3-75; bill, -65; 

 tarsus, -95. 



