THE snUTKES. 153 



THE Gl'E.Vl' AMi;UIi AX SIIIMKE. 



The great Amei'ic;iu sliriko is ;ibout. leu inelu's In leiiglh. The upper part of its head 

 is pale cinereous, the under parts ui'e white or dusky coh)ur, thiekly marked with luiuutc 

 ti-ansverse curving lines of light brown ; the wings arc bkick, tipped with white, and the 

 logs, feet, and claws are black. The appearance of this bird at once shows its character- 

 istics of energy and courage, and these qualities it abundantlj" displays. The method it 

 adopts of seizing and impaling insects has given rise to many curious conjectures in 

 reference to the reason for which this is done. One gentleman, on visiting a young 

 orchard at Bcthlohem, in America, was surprised to find some two or three grasshoppers 

 stuck on the sharp thorny branches, and inquired of his tenant the reason of it ; when lie 

 was informed that they were secured there by a small bird of prey, called by the Germans 

 ncuntodter, ninekiller — which caught and impaled nine grasshoppers a day ; and he 

 supposed that, as the bird itself never fed on grasshoppers, that it did this for its own 

 ploasvu'e. This suggestion led to various speculations in the mind of the observer ; but 

 the inferences lie drew do not appear to be so correct in fact as they were fanciful in 

 themselves. lie seems to have overlooked the fact that grasshoppers were the 

 favom'ite food of the ninekiller, and to have forgotten that such bait wovdd be of little 

 use to a bird who can seize his prey by power of flight. 



Mr. Wdson mentions an instance of one of these shrikes, which hud the temerity to 

 jjursue a snowbird into an open cage, and before any one could arrive to its assistance, 

 it had already strangled and scalped it, though it lost its own liberty by the exploit. "In 

 short," he says, " I am of opinion that his resolution and activity are amply sufficient to 

 enable him to procure these small birds whenever he wants them, which, I believe, is 

 never but when hard pressed bj' necessity, and a deficiency of his favourite insects ; and 

 that the crow or the blue jay may, with the same probability, be supposed to be laying 

 baits for mice and flying squirrels, when they are hoarding their Indian corn, as he for 

 birds, v,'hile thus disposing of the exuberance of his favourite food." 



The peculiar practice on the part of the shrike, as observed by others, may, however, 

 find its explanation in the fact of its having been endowed with a strong, sharp, and 

 powerful beak, a broad liead, and great strength in the muscles of its neck ; but 

 its legs, feet, and claws, are not proportionately developed, and are unequal to the task 

 of grasping and tearing its prey, like those of the falcon or owl kind. 



THE LOGGEKHKAD SHBIICE.* 



The loggerhead shrike bears considerable resemblance to the great American shrike, 

 but diflers in being somewhat smaller in size, and darker in colom-. It is principally to 

 be found in the rice plantations of Carolina and Georgia, where it is valued in eouse- 

 quenee of its destruction of mice. It may be seen sitting on a fence for hom-s together 

 beside the stacks of rice, watching for its prey, and as soon as a mouse appears, darting 

 upon it like a hawk. Its note, we are assured, during March, bears a striking- 

 resemblance to the clear creaking of a sign-board in wintry weatlier. 



This bird is about nine inches long ; the wings are black, tipped with white ; the tail 

 is cuneiform, the four middle feathers being entirely black, while the four exterior ones 

 are partly or wholly white. 



The head, back ofthe neck, wings, back, and tail of the Lantus Leuchorhynchus is black, 

 the lower wing-coverts and body beneath are white. The length of the bird is seven 

 inches. The Barita, of which we give an engraving, is exceedingly voracious. 



* Lanius Ciil'olemnsia. 



