Plate CXCII. Male and Female.
Fourth quill longest, third little shorter, second shorter than sixth,
first half the length of second; tail long, graduated; bill
brownish-black at the end, paler towards the base; upper parts light
ash-grey, the ends of the scapulars and the upper tail-coverts
grayish-white; a streak of whitish over the eye; loral space and a
patch behind the eye brownish-black; first row of smaller
wing-coverts, larger coverts, and quills, brownish-black; secondary
quills and coverts edged and tipped with whitish; base of primaries
white, forming a conspicuous patch, when the wing is extended;
tail-feathers brownish-black, outer web of lateral feathers, and more
than a third of its inner web from the tip, white; the extremities of
all the rest, excepting the middle two, also white, gradually
occupying less extent on the inner feathers; lower parts
greyish-white, the fore part of the breast tinged with brown, and
faintly marked with transverse undulating lines of dark grey, as are
the sides. Female similar, but with the head and neck slightly tinged
with brown, and the lower parts more banded.
_Lanius Excubitor_ differs in being considerably smaller, and in
having the white on the wings and tail more extended, the bases and a
great portion of the inner webs of the secondaries, except the inner
three, being of that colour, as well as the bases of the primaries,
and forming a conspicuous spot when the wing is closed, and the outer
tail-feathers being often white in their whole length.
_Male_, 10-2/12, 14-2/12.
Breeds from Pennsylvania northward. During winter, migrates westward
to the Mississippi, and as far south as Natchez. Not uncommon.
Great American Shrike or Butcher Bird, Lanius Excubitor, Wils.
Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 74.
Lanius septentrionalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 72.
Lanius borealis, Greater Northern Shrike, Swains. & Rich. F.
Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 111.
Great American Shrike, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 258.
Great American Shrike, Lanius Excubitor, Aud. Orn. Biog. v.
ii. p. 534; v. v. p. 434.