Identifier: birdsofnewenglan00sam (find matches)
Title: The birds of New Englandand adjacent states: containing descriptions of the birds of New England ... together with a history of their habitats ... ; with illustrations of many species of the birds, and accurate figures of their eggs
Year: 1870 (1870s)
Authors: Samuels, Edward Augustus, 1836-1908
Subjects: Birds Birds Birds
Publisher: Boston : Noyes, Holmes
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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Text Appearing Before Image:
he first primary about half the second, which isequal to the sixth or seventh; tail longer than the wings, much graduated, thefeathers broad. COLLYRIO BOBZ&LIS. — Baird. The Great Northern Shrike; Butcher-bird. Lanius sepfeninonalis, Bonaparte. Syn. (1828), 72. Bon. List (1838). Nutt.Man., L (1832) 258. Lanius horeaUs, Audubon. Syn. (1839), 157. Lanius excubitor. Wils., I. (1808) 74. Aud. Orn. Biog., IL (1834) 534. Description. Above light bluish-ash, obscurely soiled with reddish-brown; forehead, sides ofthe crown, scapulars, and upper tail coverts hoarj-white; beneath white, the breastwith fine transverse lines; wings and tail black, the former with a white patch atbase of primaries and tips of small quills, the latter with the lateral feathers tippedwith white; bill blackish-brown, considerably lighter at the base; black stripe fromthe bill through and behind the eye, but beneath the latter interrupted by a whitishcrescent. Female and young with the gray soiled with brownish.
Text Appearing After Image:
Great Northern Surike, Butclier-bird, Collyrio borealis. Baird. THE GREAT NORTHERN SHRIKE. 269 Length, nine and eighty-five one-hundredths inches; wings, four and fifty one-hundredths inches; tail, four and eighty one-hundredths inches; its graduation,ninety one-hundredths inches. THIS species, although not uncommon as a winter visitorin New England, is seldom seen here during the sum-mer months; and I think that it very rarely breeds in tlieseStates, and then only in the most northern and retiredsections. It makes its appearance about the last week in October,and is seen until the last week in April. During this period,it preys upon small birds, mice, and such insects and larvseas it finds in exposed situations, such as fences, piles ofstones, &c. In watching for its prey, it usually remains perched on astake or small tree, in a field or meadow, carefully scanningthe surrounding neighborhood. When a mouse or othersmall mammal presents itself in the grass, the bird foldsits wings,

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