430 Birds of Colorado 
the secondaries white ; the tail with increasing amounts of white from 
the central feathers outwards ; the outermost pair wholly white, except 
for a small spot on the shaft towards its base; below white without 
freckling or vermiculation ; iris brown, bill black in summer, dusky- 
horn in winter, legs black. Length 8-25 ; wing 3-90; tail 3-90 ; culmen 
-55 ; tarsus 1.0. 
The sexes are alike ; young birds have the upper-parts finely vermi- 
culated with dusky and the lower parts also finely barred with dusky 
on a brownish ground. 
Distribution.—Breeding in western North America from Saskatche- 
wan to south-eastern California, northern Mexico and western Texas. 
In winter over the southern part of its breeding range, and further 
south to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 
The White-rumped Shrike is w common summer bird in Colorado, 
chiefly met with on the plains and at lower elevations and becoming 
rare in the mountains. The highest recorded localities seem to be 
those of Warren (08), who met with it between Sulphur Springs and 
Grand Lake in Middle Park on May 11th, and who tells me he occasion- 
ally met with it at Crested Butte at 9,000 feet, but always in the fall. 
It arrives from the south early in April (April 5th Aiken for El Paso 
co., April 9th—1l4th W. G. Smith for Loveland), and may winter 
occasionally in the southern part of the State. The following are 
further recorded localities: Boulder co. (Henderson), Denver 
(Henshaw), Limon, Pueblo and Del Norte (Aiken), Baca co. (Warren), 
Mesa co., wintering near Grand Junction (Rockwell), San Juan co. 
(Drew), La Plata co. (Morrison). 
Habits —The White-rumped Shrike preys chiefly on 
grasshoppers and other large insects, of which it must 
consume enormous quantities, less commonly on smaller 
birds and mice. It impales its prey on thorns, and 
frequently makes use of the barbs of barbed wire fencing 
for this purpose, though the reason for this practice 
seems uncertain. It catches its prey darting down on 
it from a fixed post, or sometimes hovering above it like 
a Hawk. It has a variety of call-notes and a not un- 
pleasing song. It breeds in May, and fresh eggs are to 
be found at any time during the latter half of the month, 
or even the beginning of June. It seems probable that 
in the plains at least two broods are raised. Dennis 
Gale’s notes give ample details on the nidification of 
