The White-rumped Shrikes 
595 
There is less excuse for this lesser butcher to turn upon his fellows 
than for his greater kinsman from the North (L. borealis invictus), because 
insect food is plentiful in California the year around. Nevertheless, 
it is notable that most published instances of his defection have occurred 
in the winter months. Tyler 1 has seen them capture House Finches 
and Goldfinches, but regards the Western Vesper Sparrow (Pocecetes 
gramineus confinis) as a more frequent victim than either. Mr. Charles 
H. Richardson saw a California Shrike overtake and kill a Golden- 
crowned Sparrow ( Zonotrichia coronata ), near Pasadena, and on exam¬ 
ination of the victim he found that its neck had been cut and the vertebra; 
broken. 2 The date was Feb. 6th; so that even in this mild climate 
some provocation of 
hunger may be urged 
in extenuation of this 
dreadful act. Mrs. 
Stephens thus summar¬ 
izes her experience with 
these birds in San 
Diego: 3 “For the last 
two or three years a 
pair of California shrikes 
(.Lanius l. gambeli) have 
inhabited the euca¬ 
lyptus trees growing in 
our yard. In the yard 
are also two large cen¬ 
tury plants. The 
thorns on these century 
plants are favorite sham¬ 
bles of the shrikes. 
Some of the food items 
observed sticking on the 
thorns are: Lizards of 
several species including 
‘horned toads’ (. Phryno - 
soma), scorpions, centi¬ 
pedes, Jerusalem crick¬ 
ets, beetles, young quail, 
adult and young horned 
1 Birds of the Fresno District, by 
John G. Tyler (1913). P- 96. 
2 Condor, Vol. X., p. 92. 
3 Mrs. Kate Stephens in The Con¬ 
dor, Vol. 8, p. 130. 
Taken in San Diego Photo by Dickey 
CALIFORNIA SHRIKE AND YOUNG 
