OF NEAV ENGLAND. 1G3 



mainiiig near Boston from the first of October until April " or 

 even May." They vary greatly in abundance from year to 

 year, following, to a great extent, the migrations of our very 

 irregular visitors, the "Red-polls" and Pine Finches. 



While with us, they are usually to be seen singly or in pairs 

 about farms, orchards, fields, and meadows, though so ex- 

 tremely bold as to take up their abode in the Public Garden 

 and Common of Boston, where they prey upon the English 

 Sparrows and have several times been shot. "When on the 

 watch for their pre}', they take a perch not far from the ground, 

 and may be observed to flirt their tails much like the Pewees, 

 now and then taking low and rapid flights from bush to bush, 

 or tree to tree, particularly if pursued. On detecting what 

 they wish to seize, the}' pounce upon it, if upon the ground, or 

 pursue it through the air, if a bird, with force, great rapidity, 

 and an almost infallible certainty of aim. As their bills are 

 particularly powerful, the muscles about their head highly de- 

 veloped, and their feet naturally weak, they use the latter 

 solely for perching. They use their bills, on the other hand, 

 to seize the birds which they pursue, generally by the neck, 

 thus suffocating them, and afterwards to tear their flesh. 



Their food consists of grasshoppers, mice, and principally 

 our smaller winter-birds of the finch-tribe who associate in 

 flocks, — the Snow-birds, Snow Buntings, Tree Sparrows, "Red- 

 polls," and Pine Finches. I have seen one dart after a flock 

 of Goldfinches, who escaped by flying upwards. The Shrike 

 followed with effort and a rather laborious flight, until, despair- 

 ing of success, he turned and dropped with the speed of an 

 arrow, arresting himself instantaneousl}^ on approaching the 

 earth. He afterwards dashed into a company of Tree Spar- 

 rows, who showed much less address in escaping his clutches. 

 They separated and fled to the bushes, whilst he followed one 

 through a thicket and seized him on the other side. The 

 Shrikes have several times been known in their boldness to 

 enter cages, and to kill the inmates, though sometimes fortu- 

 nately trapped themselves afterwards, and made captive. 



The "Butcher-birds" are best known by their notorious 



