LAXIID-E — TEE .SHRIKES. 



417 



Both IMr. ATidulion and 'Sh: Xuttall ruler to this Slirike's imitating the 

 cries of other birds, apparently to decoy them within its reach. The former 

 has heard it utter cries like those of the Sparrow screaming in tlie cla\\'s of 

 a Hawk, to induce tliem to come out of their coverts and rescue their suffer- 

 ing iellows, and has seen them dart suddenly into a thicket in pursuit of one, 

 from which would soon issue the real cries of the bird it had seized. Xuttall 

 states tluit in some parts of Xew England this Shrike is called a Mocking- 

 Bird, on account of its imitations of the notes of smaller birds. Its inore 

 usual note resembles the discordant creaking of a signboard hinge. He also 

 states that it lias Vieen known to mimic the cpiaeking of ducks, so tliat 

 these would answer to it as to a decoy. He heard one of these birds, as 

 late as Xovember 1(1, uttering a low and soft warble, resembling that of the 

 Song Sparrow, immediately after ciianging it to the notes of the Catbird. 



When in pursuit of small biixls, it will dart down with closed wings, in 

 the manner of a Hawk, and seldom fails to obtain the object of its pursuit, 

 following it with rapidity and pertinacity through the thickets in which it 

 seeks shelter. When it seizes its prey, it alights on its back, and tears oj)en 

 its head. 



Its bold audacity and perseverance are quite remarkable, and are often dis- 

 played, in the fall, in the manner in whicli it will enter an apartment 

 through an open window and attack a Canary, even iir the presence of mem- 

 bers of the family. It rarely fails, if it gains access to the cage, to destroy its 

 inmate before the latter can be rescued by the intervention of those present, 

 and only by great promptness in sheltering the cage. In one instance the 

 writer was sitting at a closed window reading, with a Canary hanging above 

 him. Suddenly there was a severe blow struck at the pane of glass near 

 the cage, and the frightened Canary uttered cries of alarm and fell to the 

 bottom of its cage The cause was soon explained. A Shrike had dashed 

 upon the bird, unconscious of the intervening glass, and was stretched upon 

 the snow under the window, stunned liy the blow. He revived when taken 

 up, and lived sev^eral days, was sullen, Imt tame, and utterly devoid of fear. 

 He refused raw meat, but eagerly tore in pieces and devoured small birds 

 when given to liim. His tameness and indifference td our presence may have 

 been occasioned by stupor arising from his injury. In another case a Shrike 

 made a similar attack, but escaped unharmed, and though he remained about 

 the house several days, was too wary to allow himself to be decoyed within 

 gunshot. 



A nest of the X'orthern Shrike, containing six eggs, was obtained by 

 R E. McFarlane, at Anderson Eiver Fort, June 11, 1863. This is in many 

 respects in striking contrast with the ne.sts of its kindred species of the 

 Southern States, far exceeding them in its relative size, in elaborate finish 

 and warmth. It is altogetiier a remarkable example of what are known as 

 felted nests, where \arious materials are most elaborately worked together 

 into a homogeneous and symmetrical wliule. It is seven inches hi diameter 



