42. 



tion, and is finally lined with a fine 

 soft coat of wool and cotton rags. 



The yellowish white eggs are 

 thickly spotted with small dots of a 

 greyish brown color, the spots grow- 

 ing denser as they approach the 

 larger end; in size the eggs will 

 compare favorably with those of 

 Brewer's black-bird. 



Strictly speaking the Shrike is 

 not a flock bird but goes through 

 the world on his "own hook," or at 

 least never acquires a larger amount 

 of company than that of his true 

 and devoted mate. During the 

 period of incubation, especially after 

 the appearance of the young, the 

 old birds become very bold on an 

 appproach to the nest, and will fly 

 around a persons head in very 

 menacing attitudes. 



I have often placed my hand over 

 the nest, for the sake of observing 

 the actions of the old birds; they 

 become very restless hopping around 

 close to my hand, and some times 

 approaching so close as to almost 

 touch my fingers, but instantly with 

 drawing to a safe distance upon the 

 slightest movement of my hand. 

 All this time they will be indulging 

 in their peculiar snapping noise, 

 which I never hear them make use 

 of except on these occasions. 



The Shrike is the avowed enemy 

 of the bee-martin and many a des. 

 perate fight have I witnessed be- 

 tween these well matched and de- 

 termined little warriors. The succ- 

 essful party on such occasions gen- 

 erally being the one in closest prox- 

 imity to his individual nest. I have 

 also witnessed several interestino; 



combats between this bird and the 

 sparrow hawk, but lack of space pre- 

 vents me going into further details. 

 A. M. Shields. 



Los Angelos, Cala. 



You spoke in a late issue of the 

 Times of the butcher birds being so 

 bad in Los Angeles. They got so 

 bad here that we have waged war on 

 them with a shot-gun. They not 

 only pulled the heads off of our 

 canary birds, but killed young chick- 

 ens. Our chicks were not safe until 

 they were two or three weeks old, 

 and many of them came to their 

 death by the worthless butcherbird. 

 Over three hundred of the above 

 named birds have been shot in this 

 valley this season. 



Los Angelos Daily Times, August 

 o, 1885. 



For The Ornithologist. 



Canadian Wild Birds. 



By W. L, KELLS. 

 III. 



The Red-bellied Nuthatch, 

 (sitta caxdensis.) 



In size and color this species is 

 similar to the more common, White- 

 bellied Nuthatch; its lower parts, 

 however have a reddish hue; its 

 notes though also similar, are more 

 prolonged and plaintive. 



This Nuthatch is generally found 

 only in the deep evergreen woods 

 where it remains throughout the 

 year. It makes a nesting place for 

 itself like the woodpecker, or chick- 

 a-dee, in some' soft rotten wood, and 

 when this cavity is of sufficient size 

 and depth it makes a nest of fine 

 material at the bottom, and lays 



