DUSKY, GRAY, AND SLATE-COLORED 337 



He does destroy numbers of small birds each year, and 

 for this we condemn him ; but, on the other hand, the 

 good he does may outweigh the 

 evil. Jerusalem crickets, grass- 

 hoppers, field mice, and lizards 

 form the largest part of his diet, 

 and it would be difficult to com- 

 pute his value to the farmer. 



Except for the difference in 

 environment, the nesting habits 

 of the White-rumped closely re- 

 semble those of the California 

 Shrike. In fact, but for location, 

 an expert can scarcely distinguish 

 the nest and eggs of the one 

 from those of the other, and the 

 sets of different pairs of birds often differ as much as 

 those of the two species. 



622 a. White- 

 rumped Shrike. ' 



" Impaling tJteir prey on thovns, " 



622 b. CALIFORNIA SHVilKK. — Lanius ludovicianm 

 gambeli. 



Family : The Shrikes. 



length: 8.00-10.00. 



Adults : Upper parts slate-gray, tinged with brownish ; upper tail-cov- 

 erts sometimes abruptly light grayish, or even white, same as the 

 white-rumped shrike ; under parts dull white or grayish, darker on 

 sides ; breast usually distinctly undulated or narrowly barred with 

 grayish, and sometimes tinged with pale brown. 



Young: Similar to adults, but colors less distinctly contrasted. 



Geograpliical Distribution : California, especially the coast district. 



California Breeding Range : Coast region from Red Bluff to San Diego. 



22 



