cannot be interpreted numerically. Even in the 20th cen- 
tury when many observers felt that both the shrike popu- 
lation and the hedge population were declining, no one 
made meaningful measurements to show the change. The 
earliest reference that could be called even roughly quan- 
titative was Ejifrig’s (1937) statement: “Formerly a pair 
[of shrikes] could be seen every two or three miles along 
the road, now one may drive for days without seeing 
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 
BIRDS COUNTED PER DAY 
12 24 
MAR 
l2 24 
APR 
one.” This statement presumably referred to the Chicago 
area, where, a few years later, Bartel (1942) recorded 
two shrikes on a 100-mile road transect made May 26, 
1942. Near Springfield, Illinois a much higher count of 
shrikes was obtained in 1946 (date not given): 35 adult 
shrikes along a 24-mile stretch of highway (DuMont & 
Smith 1946). 
Despite numerous subjective references to a declining 
CENTRAL 
a EGG LAYING 
“1a EGG LAYING 
12 24 
MAY 
12 24 
JUN 
12 24 
JUL 
