BUTCHER BIRDS 167 



The nests of the various species of shrike resemble 

 one another very closely. Speaking generally, the nest 

 is a neatly made, thick-walled, somewhat deep cup. 

 All manner of material is pressed into service — grass, 

 roots, wool, hair, leaves, feathers, pieces of rag, paper, 

 fine twigs, and straw. The whole forms a compact 

 structure firmly held together by cobweb, which is the 

 cement ordinarily utilised by bird masons. 



The nursery is usually situated in a small tree, a 

 thorny one for preference, in the fork of a branch, or 

 the angle that a branch makes with the main stem. 

 Seen from below it looks likes a little mass of rubbish. 

 As a rule one or two pieces of rag hang down from 

 it and betray its presence to the egg-collector. 



The normal clutch of eggs is four. The ground 

 colour of these is cream, pale greenish, or grey, and 

 there is towards the large end a zone of brown or pur- 

 plish blotches. 



The shrike is not a shy bird. I have sat within eight 

 feet of a nest and watched the parents feeding their 

 young. No notice was taken of me, but a large lizard 

 that appeared on the branch on which the nest was 

 placed was savagely attacked. The young seem to be 

 fed chiefly on large green caterpillars. 



Newly fledged butcher birds difier considerably from 

 the adults, and while in the transition stage are some- 

 times rather puzzling to the ornithologist. 



