18 



THE OSPEEY. 



On June 6, we found the nest occupied by four 

 newh' hatched j'oung-, and although they were 

 not at all pretty at first, every day made a won- 

 derful improvement in their apjiearance. When 

 just hatched, the clumsy little weaklinj^s were 

 almost pitiful to see, but in a few days their 

 e^'es were o})en and their bodies rajiidly develop- 

 ing. When nine days old they were quite 

 thrush-like, and we determined to g-et a plioto- 

 g'raph before any further advance niig^ht render 

 it impossible. Taking his camera along, my 

 friend accompanied me to the nest just before 

 sunset on Jmie 15, and the accompanying photo 

 is the result of our efforts. The oldest soon 

 wondered what we were about, and probably 

 feeling that in the absence of his parents he 

 should be guardian of the younger children, 

 climbed up to the edge of the nest to get a clear- 

 er view. Instantly he was "taken", and I am 

 glad to have this permanent record of the early 

 history of one who has since then probably be- 

 come a distinguished personage in the thrush 

 world. Next day he and two of his companicms 

 left the nest, but a weakling- was forced to re- 

 main a day longer. Then on June 18, the nest 

 was empty, and I was compelled to search dili- 



g-ently through the undergrowth for a chance to 

 observe them further. 



The old birds were very busy now su])plying 

 food for a family of six adults, and the song" of 

 the male was seldom heard except occasionalU' 

 at sundown. During- the day he and the female 

 scoured the ravine and the immediate surround- 

 ing-s thoroughly for food, and the quantities of 

 worms, grubs, insects and berries that the 

 young- birds devoured was truly astonishing-. 

 Towards the end of the month they were able 

 to do for themselves, and as the mosquitoes 

 were far less interesting and very numerous, I 

 was content to leave the birds to other observers 

 during the holiday season. In September, how- 

 ever, I ventured into the ravine occasionall3' 

 again, and, finding- my old acquaintances with- 

 out difficulty, kept up my observations until 

 they migrated southward about September 20. 



Thus closed my acquaintance with one of the 

 most interesting- bird families I have ever met, 

 and although these notes may g-ive nothing- 

 new. I trust that the reader will pardon my pre- 

 sumption, as everj'one is apt to overestimate a 

 new "find." 



THE BUTCHER BIRD IN FLORIDA. 

 By Mrs. M. A. Ohijngek, Winter Haven, Polk Countv. Florida. 



The Gray Shrike or Butcher Bird, a native of 

 the southern states, is of a pleasing blue gray 

 color above, and of a much lighter hue under- 

 neath. In repose, its black wings show a white 

 spot midway' of their length, and its black tail 

 sometimes a narrow edge of white, but, during 

 flight, these are more conspicuous. From the 

 center of a black band on either side of its head 

 are visible its bead-like black ej^es. 



It has a round head, thick neck, and plump 

 body and is, altogether, trim and neat in appear- 

 ance. It is sometimes called Dentirostral, from 

 the inner edges of its hooked bill being toothed 

 or notched; thus it is enabled to more easily 

 catch and hold its prey, and more readily tear it 

 to pieces. It is also called Excubitor, Sentinel, 

 and Watcher, all having the same meaning, from 

 its habit of watching- for prey. Besides this 

 multiplicity of names, it is sometimes desig-- 

 nated Log-ger-head, though I fail to understand 

 why such a brig-ht little body should be accused 

 of stupidity*. 



With an acqtiaintance of several 3'ears, I have 

 witnessed many interesting incidents relating 

 to this sturdy little bird. When we first settled 

 here, among the sand hills, in the pine woods 

 there were found, under deca^'ing log-s and loos- 

 ened bark, a great many cockroaches, which 

 seemed to think that as we were destroying their 

 habitations they were entitled to the occupancv 

 of ours. In our destructive war on these pests, 

 the Shrike took the greatest delight, and would 

 perch on shrubbery near the house and watch 

 for any that might be thrown out. A box or 

 drawer that had been unused for some time, would 

 sometimes contain a dozen or more of them; this 

 would be carried into the yard, and the call 



"Butchie, Butchie, Butchie" was sure to bring 

 two or three of these birds to their enjoyable 

 fea.st; and soon ever^' roach was disposed of, as 

 the birds would carr3' awaj- what could not be 

 eaten at once. If during- the hatching- season, 

 the bird would feed its mate on the nest. If there 

 were young birds, both parents would quickly 

 supply their wants, then, if a surplus of food 

 was at hand, the insects were stuck on the sharp 

 points of stubby oak twigs, or the small orange 

 trees close b}' forfutm-e use if necessary. Some 

 of the birds, from feeding them in this manner, 

 become so tame that thej'" could be called from 

 any place within hearing, and finally', overcame 

 their natural fear sufficiently to take the food 

 from our hands, or if the food was not forthcom- 

 ing- when desired, a plaintive "To-leet, To-leet, 

 To-leet," from the housetop or a near-by bush, 

 would g-ive warning- of their patient waiting-. 

 The boys would sometimes dig- out field-mice, 

 which were quite plentiful and very destructive 

 to newly planted seeds. On some of these occa- 

 sions, a Shrike would alig-ht near by, his alert 

 e\'e watching evei'y movement, and when mou- 

 sey, in his efforts to escape his pursuers, thrust 

 his head from the sandy earth, he was eagerly 

 seized, and carried away to be impaled on a sharp 

 thorn or twig- to be eaten at leisure. 



One writer claims that this voracious little 

 bird always impales its victims alive, while 

 another asserts that the bird assures itself that 

 life is extinct before proceeding- to do so. I am 

 not positively sure which is correct, thoug-h I 

 have seen lagre grasshoppers swaying- their long- 

 legs and chameleons and snakes moving their 

 tails after being- thus impaled, yet they, and es- 

 pecially the latter, will do this for some hours 



*Tli3 nams Log^erh«ad does not necessirily involve the idea of stupidity but m ly have reference to a dispropor- 

 tioned— that is --heavy'' or large-head. It is with this sense that the same designation has been applied to various 

 other large-headed animals, as the species otherwise called Hawk-billed turtle. Alligator turtle, and Cbul). It has 

 also been given to other birds in the West Indies— kinds of flycatcher.— Editor. 



