416 NOIITII AMKHICAN IJIHDS. 



iRst and c^i'^ii of the Europcau liinl iii view in his description. We know 

 of a single recent instance in \vliicli tliis bird has bred within the limits 

 of tlie I'nited States, Ihuuyh it may breed in Xorthern and Eastein Maine. 

 ^Ir. r>uardinaii spoke of it as conniion onh' in winter, near Calais, l.)ut 

 lie has since met with its nest in Xew IJriinswick, witliin twelve miles 

 of St. Stephen. It was supposed liy his informant to be the nest of the 

 Canada Jay, but proved, on shootiny the pareut, to be that of the Xortli- 

 cru Shrike. When I'ound, it contained four e;j;;4S, but these had hatched 

 out bel'ore it was secured. Tlie nest was I'ound on the last of April, and 

 was built in a low spruce-tree. Mr. lioardman lias since seen these birds in 

 his neighborhood during the suuiuier. Professor Verrill thinks it is only 

 connuon in the autunni and winter in Western Maine, fn AVestern Massa- 

 chusetts, Mr. Allen cites it as uot very common, but a regular winter visit- 

 ant, from the last of October to the midille of A^iril. 



Mr. liidgway met with it frci|uently in the neighborhood of Carson City 

 during the wiuter, among the willows bordering the streams that How fi-om 

 the mountains. Dr. Coues also i'ound it as far south as Arizona, though 

 Mr. Dresser did not meet with any in Te.xas, nor did Dr. AVoodhouse notice 

 any in his e.\])edition to the Zuni. Captain Feilner found this species com- 

 mon, in the colder months, in the northeastern portions of California, and 

 Dr. Cooper gives it as aliumhint at the Cobuubia Iliver in October. 



Mr. Auduljon further states that in severe winters he has met with it as 

 far .south as Xatchez on the Mississi])])i. It is also not uncommon in Ken- 

 tucky during the same season, liut he never met with it near the seaboard. 



Mr. Kennicott's memoranda in reference to this species are to the effect 

 that he observed one individual at Fort Simjison, September 23, and again 

 October 22, but on no other occasion. Hoth of these specimen.s, when first 

 observed, were singing. Their notes, he states, M'ere 1(jw and irregular, but 

 were varied and (piite nnisical. Captain Ulakiston found these birds winter 

 residents on the Saskatchewan. 



In the fall and winter of IcSTl, a jiair of these birds was attracted to the 

 Common, in IJoston, by the large numlier of half-domesticated Kumpean 

 Sparrows. For a while they made daily inroads upon these favorites, killing 

 one or more for several days in succession. Tiiey apjteared to keej) them- 

 selves secreted most of the time, showing themselves each day e;irly in the 

 forenoon, and jiouncing ujion their victims, unaware of their near ])resence, in 

 the manner of a Hawk, aiming always at the heads, which were tiun olf and 

 devoured ; generally the iu^adh'ss remains were left uneaten. In one in- 

 stance where a Sparrow had been struck on the back, an ugly wound was 

 mad(!, the bird escaped alive, and was soon after seen, in the middle of Tre- 

 niont Street, apinirently not seriously injured. These Shrikes were so bold 

 and destructive that ]iaius had to be taken to watch for and shoot them. 

 Three were killed, on dilferent days, and each with a dead Si)arrovv in its 

 claws, upon which it was feasting when shot. 



