oe eee ee

 ] ‘es P ey fi

c 9 c C ¢ decc yed OY anch, 1 allie S forth in
Pp | e e itcherbl 1 Lar Us. K ] Cc g a 0 5 t Sc A
r¢ yriat nam of Bt t h orl rc 22 Je e tin 1 st tion na twig Ot le 1 I fe »

it is pr i its remainine so perched for a lone

it of insects which happen to pass near ; and it is probably from its remaining : fi a

pursult O se A ce ‘ , or » accounting .

: hat it has obtained the name of excuditor, or the Sentinel—although another mode o accoun ing for

PA i. : fi to its being employed on the Continent in trapping Hawks, when, being fastened

S « = © . spa 7 it > f
jis appellation has reference to g j se en

ee s the faleoner, by its loud screams, of the approach of a bird. Its flight is undulated,

x c 9 J o 2.

1 it apprise 4 :
to the ground, it ap] y it occasionally hovers in the manner of a Hawk.

and when searching for pre

or performed in a waving line ; ae moe i — =
I ing its prey in its bill, it appears that it sometimes employs its

eyes eran rece as carry
Although it is generally rept esented % = ‘ Ae
2 : Its ordinary notes resemble the syllables wee, wee, pronounced loudly and sharply,

et for that purpose. . ; : : = As
tee pe! arious sounds, and is said to imitate the notes and cries

and in anger it screams like a Hawk ; but it emits v be “Sle de Tolices ane
of many of the smaller birds for the purpose of attracting them. On the continent i : S 7 a
which - very large, in the fork of a branch at a considerable enh from the ground unin it a

: ‘ PC ini it with wool and hair. The eggs are from five to eight in
moss and stems of dry grass, and lining 1t wit 5 ae aia
number, of a greyish-white, marked toward the larger end vant spots of So ana : ie ae
their length is an inch and two twelfths ; and their greatest diameter ten twelithis: P ley ae 7 ; ie ve
against Crows and Hawks with admirable courage and skill, so as to pe to flight Pind possessec of ten
times their strength ; and their affection for their young corresponds with the autour of en Leo as
appears to be generally the case in animals. After the young come abroad, they remain with their parents
until the commencement of the pairing-season.

« Although individuals have been found with us at all times of the year, it has not been observed to breed
in this country. It is not uncommon in France, where it remains all the year, generally keeping to the
woods in summer and autumn, but approaching inhabited places in winter, and thus appearing to be more
numerous at that season. It is found as far south as Spain and Italy, and extends northward to Sweden,
Russia, Norway, and Lapland, but leaves those countries at the approach of winter. In England its
migrations are very irregular. It has been killed in Suffolk in January, April, May, and July ; in Norfolk
in the autumn ; and one frequented a thick thorn hedge near Mr. Hoy’s house at Higham, in December, but
was so shy, that it could not be approached within gun-shot. On examining the hedge, Mr. Hoy found
three frogs and as many mice, spitted on the thorns. He therefore set six very small steel traps, each
baited with a mouse. On the following day two of the traps were found sprung, and the bait gone. By
watching in concealment, Mr. Hoy soon afterwards observed the Shrike dart down to a bait perpendicularly,
but not quick enough to escape, as it was caught by two of its toes. The bird was carried alive to the
house and placed in a room in which a thorn bush was fixed, and some mice given to it; one of which it
was observed, through a hole, to spit upon a thorn with the greatest quickness and adroitness.”

A writer in the ‘ Naturalist ’ says :—‘ I can testify to the power assigned to this bird by some naturalists of
varying its notes, or rather imitating those of other birds. Not exactly, indeed ; for ny first acquaintance
with the Butcherbird was occasioned by my hearing notes not entirely familiar to me, though much
resembling those of the Stonechat. Following the sound, I soon discovered the utterer; and while listening,
to my surprise, the original notes were discarded and others adopted of a softer and more melodious
character, never, however, prolonged to anything like a continuous song. Its grave ash-coloured garb, with
its peculiar black patch on the cheek, soon convinced me that my unknown friend was the Butcherbird, that
petty tyrant of its neighbourhood, carrying on incessant warfare and wanton waste of life amongst the small
fry of the Passerine order, and whose war-cry was wont to put all minor warblers to flight.”

To the above I would add that the materials of which the nest is formed

appear to vary according to the
nature of the country in which it is built ;

thus the late Mr. Wheelwright describes a nest taken by himself
in Lapland as one of the warmest and most comfortable he had ey
outwardly of dead fir branches, and lined with a very thick ]
Grouse.

er seen, being large and deep, built
ayer of the pure-white feathers of the Willow-

The male has the head and upper surface clear er
lores and moustache-like streak on the side of the he
of the primaries and secondaries and the tips of
coverts and all the under surface white ;
shaft, which is black ;

ey; line across the forehead and over the eye white ;
ad black ; wings black, with the exception of the bases
all but the first four primaries, which are white ; upper tail
three outer tail-feathers white, except the basal portion of the
remainder of the tail-feathers black ; tipped with white, which lessens in extent as the
feathers approach the centre ; upper mandible brownish black, margine
Os mandible yellowish grey, brownish black at the tip; irides dark br

The difference in the female has been pointed out above.

The young have the upper parts brow
blackish brown. As the birds adv
white, and the wings and tail darl

d with yellowish grey at the base ;
own; feet brownish black.

nish grey ; tail-coverts faintly barred with dusky; wings and tail
ance In age the upper surface becomes of a purer grey, the under surface
ker,
The Plate represents
‘presents an adult male. The Shr i
: Irew o1 : . " 1
1 the thorn is the Sorex araneus, Linn.