WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE. 347 



approach each other so closely in appearance that we are almost 

 brought to the conclusion that they are simply different races of the 

 same bird which should not have been separated. Those found in 

 Ontario are of the western race. They were first observed about 

 1860, and have since become quite common, extending north to the 

 banks of the Saskatchewan, where they were observed by Prof. 

 Macoun. The species is also included in Mr. Thompson's list of the 

 "Birds of Western Manitoba," and is said to be "abundant all over" 

 from May till September. 



In Southern Ontario the little Shrike is not found in the city nor 

 in the dense bush, its favorite haunts being along the roadsides in 

 the open country, where it may often be seen on a fence-post or 

 on the telegraph wire by the railway track. My first acquaintance 

 with this bird at its home was made on one of my Saturday after- 

 noon excursions, shortly after its first appearance in this part of the 

 country. While driving along a back road east of the city, my 

 attention was attracted by an ancient negro, who, with a table fork 

 fastened to the end of a fishing pole, was poking vigorously into the 

 ■centre of a very large, dense thorn-bush near his shanty. Getting 

 over the fence to find out what he was doing, I was informed that a 

 little Chicken Hawk had its nest in there, and that it had killed two 

 of his young chickens. Looking along the pole, I saw in the heart of 

 the dense bush a Shrike's nest with some young ones, which one of 

 the old birds was valiantly defending, biting at the end of the fork 

 when it came too near the youngsters. Taking the pole from the 

 man's hand I worked it into the bush, but it broke before I got it 

 out, and this put an end to hostilities for the time. I tried to con- 

 vince my colored friend that he was mistaken about the bird having 

 killed his chickens, that this kind lived only on grasshoppers and 

 <;rickets, but he insisted that it was a Chicken Hawk, giving em- 

 phasis to the name by the use of several profane adjectives, and 

 vowing he would have him out before night, even if he should have 

 to burn him out. The appearance of the bush the next time I 

 passed that way indicated that he had carried out his threat. 



My opinion regarding the food of this species, which I gave in 

 good faith at the time, I have since had occasion to change, and to 

 believe that after all Sambo was probably right on the subject. 

 For twenty-five years no one could have gone a few miles into the 

 ■country in any direction near Hamilton, during June, July or 

 August, without seeing one or more pairs of these birds in suitable 

 places, until the year 1886, during which not one was observed. 



