WHEN THE shrike's VOICE IS HEARD 555 



to mean anger and exultation — the challenge and the con- 

 quest — while the course of his passionate life runs on in almost 

 incessant warfare. These notes mean much the same as the 

 stridulation of the Kingbird, in whose temper there is much of 

 kinship with the Shrike, both being impatient and aggressive 

 birds. But notwithstanding the magnitude of his exploits, the 

 Shrike is not a very lofty character after all ; he picks many a 

 needless quarrel with his fretful fellows, and all the petulance 

 of a wilful, badly governed disposition may be traced in some 

 of the harshest of the cries that greet our ear. It is easy to 

 say, and quite safe to make the assertion, that nothing more 

 unmusical than the Shrike's notes is often heard; and it is 

 usual to compare the voice of this bird to the creaking of a 

 sign-board, or the grating of any other rusty hinge. But I 

 suspect, though I am not a competent witness in this case, 

 that those are right who ascribe to the Shrike some powers 

 of song, limited though thej^ be. Technically speaking, the 

 Shrike is as truly Oscine as the Mockingbird itself; and no 

 a priori reason appears why his notes should not at times be 

 modulated with a tuneful quality. Several authors have in 

 fact asserted such to be the case, protesting fairly against any 

 sweeping denunciation in this particular. Thus, in speaking 

 of the Great Northern Shrike, Audubon says : — " This valiant 

 little warrior possesses the faculty of imitating the notes of 

 other birds, especially such as are indicative of pain. Thus 

 it will often mimic the cries of Sparrows and other small birds, 

 so as to make you believe you hear them screaming in the 

 claws of a Hawk ; and I strongly suspect this is done for the 

 purpose of inducing others to come out from their coverts to 

 the rescue of their suffering brethren. On several occasions I 

 have seen it in the act of screaming in this manner, when it 

 would suddenly dart from its i)erch into a thicket, from which 

 there would immediately issue the real cries of a bird on which it 

 had seized." Dr. Bachman further states that the Loggerhead 

 has other notes than the grating sounds Audubon attributes 

 to it : — " During the breeding season, and indeed nearly all 

 summer, the male ascends some cedar or other tree, and makes 

 an effort at a song, which I cannot compare to anything nearer 

 than the first attempts of a young Brown Thrush. He seems 

 to labour hard, making as it were almost painful exertions. 

 At times the notes are not unpleasing, but very irregular." 

 Many later observers concur in attributing moderate musical 



