2A.A. Palmer, 0//r Small Eastern Strikes. [july 



OUR SMALL EASTERN SHRIKES. 



BY WILLIAM PALMER. 



Three Shrikes are universally understood to occur in North 

 America east of the Plains. The Northern Shrike {La>iius Iwfealis)^ 

 a winter visitant in our eastern States ; the Loggerhead (Z. ludo- 

 vicianus), which is considered a fairly common bird over most of 

 the region between Maine and Florida and Ohio and Illinois to 

 Louisiana; and the White-rumped (Z. /. exciibitoroides), which is 

 supposed to inhabit Canada, Michigan, and westwards. 



An examination of considerable material, 176 specimens, com- 

 pels me to relegate excnbitoroides to the Plains region west of the 

 immediate Mississippi wooded drainage area ; Indovicianiis to the 

 South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and Florida, and to recognize a 

 new form as occupying much of the remaining region of the East. 



Historical Synopsis. 



The name Lanius ludoviciamcs was first given by Brisson ^ to a 

 bird from the region then known as Louisiana. On his description 

 Linnseus "- based his binomial name composed of the same words. 



Vieillot ^ describes two Shrikes, one Lanius borealis, the other 

 Z. ardosiaceus, whose habitat he gives as Georgia, Florida, and 

 Louisiana. 



Wilson knew but two Shrikes, one the northern, which he called 

 Z. excnbitor, thinking it identical with the European bird, and his 

 Lanius carolinensis'' which he found on his visit to South Carolina 

 and Georgia. Of this he says : " This species inhabits the rice 

 plantations of Carolina and Georgia, where it is protected for its 

 usefulness in destroying mice." We may be sure that Wilson 



' Orn., II, 1760, 162, pi. 15, fig. 2. 



23. N., I, 1766, 134. 



3 0is. Am. Sept., I, 1807, Si. 



^ Am. Orn., Ill, 1811, 57, pi. 22, fig. 5. 



