r>00 LANIUS EXCUBITOR. 



Having contrived to reach the house, without disturbing the 

 bird, although I passed within twenty yards of the tree, I 

 charged my gun with a mixture of Nos. 4 and 6, and in a few 

 minutes stood within a long range of him. But observing that 

 his attention was fully occupied with a host of Buntings and 

 Chaffinches hovering and diving about his head, and shrieking 

 their alarm notes, I rapidly advanced within twenty-five yards, 

 and brought him to the ground. Great was my joy at shoot- 

 ing this very rare bird, and much also, let me assure you, did 

 I feel, when I learned that you were so well pleased with the 

 present. On the 25th of the same month, one of the plough- 

 men informed me that he had observed a similar bird fly over 

 the field in which he was at work." 



In a paper entitled " Reminiscences of the Rhine," published 

 in the Naturalist, No. IV, p. 164, is the following notice of this 

 bird. " I can testify to the power assigned to it by some naturalists, 

 of varying its notes, or rather imitating those of other birds. Not 

 exactly indeed ; for my first acquaintance with the Butcher-bird 

 was occasioned by 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, pro- 

 longed to any thing like a continuous song. Its grave ash- ' 

 coloured garb, with its j)eculiar black patch on the cheek, soon 

 convinced me that my unknown friend was the Butcher-bird, 

 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 set a host of 

 ininor warblers to flight." 



Young. — The young when fledged have the bill greyish- 

 brown, blackish toward the end ; the feet blackish-brown ; the 

 upper parts brownish-grey, the tail-coverts faintly barred with 

 dusky ; the lower parts greyish-white, tinged with brown, and 

 transversely barred with brownish-grey ; the lateral band on 

 the head brown ; the wings and tail blackish-brown, marked 

 Yvith white as in the adult, but to a less extent. 



