^^s^ % 



LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovici- 

 anus). 



Length, about 9 inches. A gray, black, and 

 white bird, distinguished from the somewhat 

 (dmilarly colored mocking bird by the black 

 stripe on side of head. 



Range: Breeds throughout the United States, 

 Mexico, and southern Canada; winters in the 

 southern half of the United States and in 

 Mexico. 



Habits and economic status: The loggerhead 

 shrike, or southern butcher bird, is common 

 throughout its range and is sometimes called 

 "French mocking bird" from a superficial re- 

 semblance and not from its notes, which are 

 harsh and unmusical. The shrike is naturally 

 an insectivorous bird which has extended its 

 bill of fare to include small mammals, birds, 

 and reptiles. Its hooked beak is well adapted 

 to teanng its prey, while to make amends for 

 the lack of talons it has hit upon the plan of 

 forcing its victim, if too large to swallow, into 



the fork of a bush or tree, where it can tear it asunder. Insects, especially 

 grasshoppers, constitute the larger part of its food, though beetles, moths, 

 caterpillars, ants, wasps, and a few spiders also are taken. While the butcher 

 bird occasionally catches small birds, its principal vertebrate food is small 

 mammals, as field mice, shrews, and moles, and when possible it obtains 

 lizards. It habitually impales its surplus prey on a thorn, sharp twig, or barb 

 of a wire fence. (See Biol. Survey Bui. 9, pp. 20-24, and Bui. 30, pp. 33-38.) 



BARN SWALLOW (Hinmdo erythrogastra). 



Length, about 7 inches. Distinguished among our swallows by deeply forked tail. 

 Range: Breeds throughout the United States (except the South Atlantic 



and Gulf States) and most of Canada; winters in South America. 

 Habits and economic status: This is one of the most familiar birds of the farm and 



one of the greatest insect destroyers. From day- 

 light todarkontirelesswings it seeks its prey, and 



the insects destroyed are countless. Its favorite 



nesting site is a bam rafter, upon which it sticks 



its mud basket. Most modernbarns are so tightly 



constructed that swallows can not gain entrance, 



and in New England and some other parts of the 



country bara swallows are much less numerous 



than formerly. Farmers can easily provide for 



the entrance and exit of the birds and so add 



materially to their numbers. It may be well to 



add that the parasites that sometimes infest the 



nests of swallows are not the ones the careful 



housewife dreads, and no fear need be felt of 



the infestation spreading to the houses. Insects 



taken on the wing constitute the almost exclu- 

 sive diet of the barn swallow. More than one- 

 third of the whole consists of flies, including 



unfortunately some useful parasitic species. 



Beetles stand next in order and consist of a few 



weevils and many of the small dung beetles of 



the May beetle family that swarm over the 



pastures in the late aitemoon. Ants amount 



to more than one-fifth of the whole food, while 



wasps and bees are well represented. 



679 



