160 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



terior web, and in other respects agreeing with Audubon 

 and Wilson. This is the third time I have experienced 

 the very unsatisfactory manner in which Lanius borealis 

 and Lanius carolinensis have been described by different 

 authors, and really, judging from the light ash colour of 

 the head, neck and back of the present specimen, the size 

 of the bird and the length of the quill feathers, I am 

 almost inclined to think that both belong to the same 

 species. On referring to De Kay's " New York Fauna," 

 however, I find Lanius septentrionalis the only species 

 thus described, and the characteristics of the young stated 

 to be " greyish drab " and " four of the middle tail feathers 

 wholly black." His excellent illustration of that bird has 

 the ends of the outer primaries entirely black, the inner 

 ones being slightly margined with white. The length is 

 stated to be from ten to ten and a half inches and the 

 extent fourteen inches. Now all these statements perfectly 

 agree with the present specimen, and indeed with two 

 former ones obtained here, and which from the four black 

 feathers of the tail I was induced to set down as Lanius 

 carolinensis. I am, therefore, satisfied that the Shrike now 

 under consideration, and those which have hitherto been 

 noted as " Loggerheads," are the young of Northern 

 Shrike or Butcher Bird, Lanius septentrionalis of De Kay's 

 " New York Fauna." 



March ilth. — Heard that a "large white bird" was seen 

 on White's Island, opposite this town, in the early part of 

 the day, causing a considerable sensation among the clerks 

 of various stores ; of these, one ran to borrow a gun, 

 another to obtain a supply of ammunition, while a third 

 was dispatched for copper caps, and during all these 

 preparations the bird took wing, with its long legs dangling 

 behind it, and wended its way in the direction of the Chief 



