218 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



BUTCHER-BIRD 



(Tasmanian Jack, Whistling Jack, Collared Crow- 

 Shrike), 



€racticiis destructor, Tciiiiii. 



Krak'ti-kus des-trvk'tor. 

 Krahtikos, noisy ; destructor, destroyer. 



Cracticus destructor, Gould, " Birds of Australia," fol., vol. ii., 



pi. 52. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9. 



Key to the Species. — Throat white ; back grey; flanks and sides of 

 upper breast greyish- white ; bill strong and well hooked ; culmeu 

 ].25 to 1.5 inches in length; nostrils longitudinal slits about the 

 middle of the bill. 



This is the bird I love to think of as the autumn songster. 

 As a whole, the bird fauna is at its brightest strength of song 

 in the spring and nesting time. The Eeed- Warbler tunes his 

 warbled lay in the swamps in the dark hours of the night ; 

 the Black and White Fantail in the timber when the diurnal 

 forms of life are sleeping ; and the Bush-Lark at heaven's 

 gate when the moon is pouring its light upon the cornfield. 

 Then the autumn comes to claim the hedgerows and 

 Butcher-birds to play their part. To myself this is a part of 

 autumn : a charming quarter of the 3^ear. 



Altogether nine Butcher-birds are found in Australia. The 

 present species is the most common of the genus. C. nigri- 

 gularis occurs in the dry parts of the Murray River system. 

 The Magpie is the nearest relation to the Butcher-bird, but 

 one is much more insectivorous than the other. When named 

 Lanius in the first meeting, it was well called so, as it is a 

 true butcher in so far as it hangs up little birds (Silver-eyes, 

 &c.) within forked branches and proceeds at once to dis- 



