802 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Judd.!| One species, commonly known as the butcher bird (Lanius 
doreals), nests far to the north, but winters in the United States. 
It is a frequenter of orchards and open lands, where it constantly 
watches for its prey—mice, an occasional small bird, and what few 
insects it can obtain in winter. It is an inveterate enemy of the 
English sparrow, which it finds in parks and suburbs of cities and 
towns. A peculiar habit largely increases its usefulness. Its instinct 
for hunting is so keen that it can not refrain from taking its game 
whenever and wherever it can find it, and as the bird frequently is not 
hungry at the time of capture, it spits the prey on a convenient thorn, 
sharp twig, or barb of a wire fence. It was formerly supposed that 
the provisions thus saved were for future use; but although some may 
be subsequently eaten, most of them are left to dry up or decay. 
LoGGERHEAD SHRIKE.—The loggerhead shrike (Landus ludovicianus) 
is more southern in distribution. Its habits are similar to those of the 
butcher bird, but as it is with us during the summer, it captures more 
insects and fewer birds and mice. As it rears its young here, however, 
and so has occasion to use more food, it is probably fully as beneficial 
as the other species. Shrikes kill small birds, and to that extent do 
harm, but they seem to prefer mice when these can be obtained. 
BIRDS HARMFUL TO ORCHARDS. 
The other side of the subject under consideration remains to be 
shown. The injurious habits of a few birds have already been men- 
tioned. In the case of the shrikes, the destruction of small birds is 
likely to be detrimental, as small birds are generally valuable aids to 
the cultivator; but the injury done in this indirect way is more than 
counterbalanced by the destruction of mice and insects, which form 
the great bulk of the shrike’s food. Sometimes the damage is more 
direct. A few birds feed in winter and spring on buds of trees, both 
in forest and orchard. Birds of this habit will be briefly considered. 
PURPLE FINCH AND HOUSE FINCH. 
The so-called purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus) breeds in the 
northern tier of States and to the northward, west to the Dakotas, and 
south in the Allegheny Mountains as far as North Carolina, and win- 
ters from the southern part of its breeding range south to the Gulf 
States. When migrating in spring it subsists somewhat on buds of 
fruit and other trees, and tater occasionally destroys the blossoms. 
The actual damage done by the Eastern purple finch seems trifling, but 
in the case of its Western relative, the house finch, or linnet (C. mev?- 
canus frontalis), the matter is much more serious. This closely related 
bird does much harm, especially in California, by destroying the flower 
buds of peach, apricot, almond, and other trees. In many cases serious 
1 Bulletin 9, Biol. Surv., Dept. Agr., 1898. 
