THE VIEEOS AND SHRIKES 



191 



covered banks. They are watchful and suspi- 

 cious, but when flushed they do not immediately 

 fly bej'ond gunshot, as nowadaj^s every bird 

 should do. The Louisiana Water-Thrush strong- 

 ly resembles the wood-thrush, but is one-fourth 

 smaller. 



THE VIREO FAMILY. 



Vireonidae. 



It is quite difficult to point out pecuUarities 

 by which the vireos can be distinguished from 

 the warblers. They are placed next to the 

 shrikes because of a supposed resemblance to 

 those birds in the shape of the upper mandi- 

 ble — hooked and notched. The vireos look 

 so much like warblers that only an expert can 

 distinguish them. 



The Red-Eyed Vireo^ is distinguishable at 

 close range by its red eye with a white line over 

 it, and the White-Eyed Vlreo- also is marked 

 by the white color of its eyes. Both are fairly 

 good songsters, and the former is about as "do- 

 mestic," in its habit of frequenting the haunts of 

 man, as the yellow warbler. The former ranges 

 from Xew York northwestward across the conti- 

 nent, the latter only as far as the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. 



THE SHRHiE FAMILY. 



Lanidae. 



The Great Northern Shrike, or Butcher- 



Bird,'^ is a bird of very striking personality. In 

 appearance he is a high-headed, well-dressed 

 dandy. In disposition, he is to-day a fierce lit- 

 tle bird of prey, feeding solely upon flesh food; 

 but to-morrow he will change into a modest in- 

 sect-eater. It seems very odd to find a bird of 

 prey among the Perching-Birds. 



The Butcher-Bird is a bird of the North, breed- 

 ing from Labrador to Alaska and visiting the 

 United States only in winter, when it is almost 

 impossible to obtain food at home. The species 

 which we find in the United States in summer is 

 the Loggerhead Shrilie,"* which closely resem- 

 bles its northern relative, both in form and 

 habits. 



In the fields, you can easily recognize a Shrike 



' Vir'e-o ol-i-va'ce-us. Length, 6 inches. 



' V. no've-bo'ra-cen'sis. Length, .5 inches. 



' La'ni-us bo-re-al'is. Length, about 10 inches. 



■• L. lu'do-vi' ci-an'us . 



by his bluish-gray back, and large head. His 

 strong, hooked beak has a notch, or tooth, near 

 the end of the upper mandible. He is deliber- 

 ate and dignified in his movements, and like the 

 true sportsman that he is, he is happiest when 

 hunting. He catches and feeds upon small 

 frogs, mice, small snakes and even birds (so it is 

 said), and has the odd trick of hanging up, 

 impaled upon a thorn, dead game which he can- 

 not eat as soon as caught. Once I saw a Butcher- 

 Bird seize a large field-mouse out of a freshly up- 

 turned furrow, and fly away with it, struggling 

 vigorously. The mammal was so large and 

 heavy it was surprising to see the bird bear it 

 away. Many times I have seen dried frogs hang- 

 ing upon thorns, where they had been placed 

 when fresh, by Shrikes. 



Every Shrike is a feathered Jekyll and Hyde. 

 In summer and autumn, the harvest. of insects 

 is everything that could be expected. In- Dr. 

 Judd's Bulletin No. 9, Biological Survey, De- 

 partment of Agriculture, the hst of groups of in- 

 sects destroyed by the Loggerhead Shrike fills a 



LOGGBEHBAD SHRIKE. 



page, and includes such pests as caterpillars, cut- 

 worms, canker - worms, grasshoppers, crickets 

 and weevils. 



But mark the winter and early spring record. 

 Thirteen species of small birds are numbered 

 among the Loggerhead's victims, of which five 

 are sparrows, and others are the ground-dove, 

 chimney-swift, Bell's vireo and snow-bunting. 

 The Butcher-Bird is known to kill twenty-eight 

 species of birds, some of them valuable insect- 



