HE ORNITHOLOGIST. 



&^2- 



* u^)^ 



Vol. 1. 



TWIN BLUFFS, WIS., NOV., 1885. 



No. 6. 



For The Ornithologist. 



The White-rumped Shrike. 



Of the many birds to be met with 

 in this neighborhood, the White- 

 rumped Shrike, is certainly one of 

 the most universal inhabitants. 



Wherever you go, in valley or 

 highland, in thick groves or isolat- 

 ed trees on barren plains, this bird 

 is sure to be found, and you always 

 find him at home, wherever he is; 

 he always manifests the same haugh- 

 ty indifferent air, and when disturb- 

 ed acts as though his private domain 

 had been infringed upon and the in- 

 truder should receive his deserts ac- 

 cordingly. 



His food consists principally of 

 small insects, beetles, grasshoppers 

 etc, but he never hesitates to destroy 

 small birds, lizards, and even young 

 snakes, when they are so unfortunate 

 as to "come in his way." Indeed he 

 has become os audaceous in this vici- 

 nity of late, that he went so far as to 

 approach our very house; where the 

 pet canary was enjoying a little 

 fresh air — his cage being hung in 

 the open balcony — cruelly pouncing 

 upon the little singer, and perpetrat- 

 ing a cold blooded murder by un- 

 ceremoniously pulling his head off. 

 Now that is carrying matters too far, 

 but still the "Butcher-bird" is not 

 satisfied with killing our canaries, 

 but attacks our young thoroughbred, 

 three-day-old chicks, and out of a 

 litter of twelve or thirteen disposes 



of six or seven in the same manner 

 as he does the birds, apparently for 

 no other reason than to see the little 

 victims "kick and squirm." Now 

 that does settle it; as a personal suf- 

 ferer from his ravages; and a desire 

 for ."sweet revenge," I shall in the 

 future endeavor to unscrupulously 

 dispatch every Shrike that dares to 

 show itself in this vicinity. In anoth- 

 er column a clipping from a paper of 

 this place, shows that other persons 

 besides myself ai*e waging war upon 

 this little tyrant, for the same reason. 



The White-rumped Shrike is a 

 very prolific breeder laying from 

 four to seven eggs, and often 

 produces as high as four sets in a 

 season; fresh eggs can be found in 

 this locality at any time from the 

 middle of March to the middle of 

 July. April and May however are 

 the most profitable months to ob- 

 tain eggs of this species, in large 

 quantities and in prime condition. 



The Shrike generally chooses a 

 thick close shrub or tree for a nest- 

 ing place, and the orange and lemon 

 trees appear to be its favorites here, 

 although the bird will take almost 

 any close b;ishy tree that comes con- 

 venient. The exterior of the nest is 

 composed of thorny prickly twigs, 

 especially the small coarse limbs of 

 a shrub called the tumble-moss when- 

 ever that is obtainable. The in- 

 terior is composed of finer and finer 

 material, as the nest nears comple- 



