TITS, WRENS, WAGTAILS, SHRIKES, ETC. 



399 



streaks on these parts and the flanks are not so 

 beautifully oullinixl as in the Tree Pipit. This 

 bird is well portrayed on our coloured plate. 

 As it is docile and easily tamed, it does well in 

 an aviary of insect-eating birds, and also on the 

 same food and in the cages recommended for 

 the Tree Pipit. 



The Rock Pipit, Antluis obscunis (Newton), 



is a resident, and has much in connnon with the 



JMeadow and Tree Pipits in its 



The RocK night. Its song is inferior to 



*"*■ that of the Tree Pipit, and while 



somewhat similar in colour it is larger. Its 

 plumage above is olive-brown with the dark 

 centres somewhat broader and heavier. It is 

 also lighter on the throat and breast, the throat 

 being a dull white and a very conspicuous light 

 streak passes above the eyes. Though called the 

 Rock Pipit, from its favourite haunts being the 

 rocky solitary seacoast, the bird also frequents 

 low flat seashores, feeding on the insects and 

 small mollusca left by the receding tide. The 

 bird thrives in both cage and aviary on the 

 diet recommended for the Tree and Meadow 

 Pipit, and the same show and stock cages 

 answer well. Tlie Pipits may occasionally be 

 given, as a tit-bit, a little canary seed which has 

 been soaked in cold water for two days, chang- 

 ing the water two or three times, straining the 

 seeds as dry as possible, and drj'ing with a cloth 

 before use. 



The Red-throated, Richard, Tawny and 

 Water Pipits being only accidental visitors we 

 shall not treat of, beyond saying that they can 

 be kept in good health on the same food and in 

 the same cages as the other Pipits. 



The Shrike family, Laniidis, includes many 

 insectivorous birds, usually possessing a hooked 

 bill with a notch near the end of the upper man- 

 dible. They are sometimes called " Butcher " 

 birds from their habit of impaling small animals 

 and insects on thorns ; but we need only allude 

 to two of the family, viz. : 



The Great Grey Shrike, Laniiis excubilor 

 {Linn.}, is a winter and rather unconnnon 

 migrant, and being very hand- 

 some, is a favourite and suc- 

 cessful exhibition bird. It is 

 about 9 inches in length, the plumage is a pretty 

 ashen-grey throughout the upper part, shading 

 to white on the shoulders and under part, and 

 light grey on the breast and sides of body. The 

 greater wing-coverts are black, the lesser ashen 

 grey ; the primaries are the same colour as the 

 greater coverts, but the inner have white spots 

 at the ends and the outer are edged with a 

 whitish grey. Two white patches are formed 

 on the wings from the white base of the primaries 

 and outer secondaries. The tail is wedge-shaped, 

 and the outer web of the outer feathers is white ; 



The Great 

 Grey Shrike. 



the others are black, and all tipped with white 

 on the centre feathers, gradually increasing in 

 extent to the outer feathers. From the bill 

 across the face runs a broad black stripe, a hue 

 stripe of white running round the forehead, 

 along the top and round the end of this black 

 band, losing itself in the white streak. The 

 female is not so bright in colour as the male ; 

 the white patches on the wings not so bold, 

 and the breast has a slight indication of greyish- 

 brown bars. 



This Shrike's food when at liberty consists of 

 small mammalia, reptiles, small birds and their 

 young, the larger insects, such as beetles, bees, 

 moths, etc., which it first impales on the strong 

 thorns of a bush before proceeding to devour 

 Ihem. In captivity, the nearer its food re- 

 sembles that obtained when at liberty, the 

 better the bird's health and the longer its life. 

 It should have a good insectivorous food made 

 crumbly moist, and be given in addition small 

 live, but disabled mice, or a sparrow whenever 

 procurable. Failing these for variety, give a 

 few live gentles, next day a few beetles, and on 

 another a few meal-worms or wasp-grubs, and 

 occasionally a little minced raw lean beef. 

 Shrikes must be kept in a cage or in a small 

 aviary by themselves and not with other birds. 

 They should have an all-wood cage, except for 

 the wire front, 3 to 4 feet long, 2 feet high, and 

 18 inches deep, with three perches arranged 

 thus , • , A nail can be driven through one of 

 the perches close to the front of the cage, pro- 

 jecting sulTiciently to enable the bird to impale 

 its larger tit-bits thereon. Although a bit unruly 

 when first caged, patience and a tit-bit when- 

 ever the bird is approached usually gains their 

 confidence. A well-matured, steady bird with 

 good colour and markings, perfect plumage, 

 rarely misses the prize list. The show cage 

 should be of the box pattern, 18 or 20 inches 

 long, 16 inches high, and 10 or 11 inches deep, 

 enamelled inside hedge-sparrow egg blue and 

 black outside. It should have two perches and 

 food and water vessels as for other insectivorous 

 birds. 



The Red-backed Shrike, Lanius collurio (Linn.), 

 is a sununer visitor, most numerous in the south- 

 eastern counties, extending as 

 1"'^^ far west as Cornwall, and north 



as Yorkshire, becoming rare 

 beyond these boundaries. It is, 

 like its predecessor, known as the Butcher Bird, 

 and has the same habit of impaling upon the 

 thorns of a bush the remains of its victims, such 

 as beetles, bees, wasps, and other insects, and 

 sometimes even small birds, mice and frogs. It 

 possesses a most voracious appetite considering 

 its size, and is very serviceable in destroying 

 many garden pests. In habits it has much in 



Red=bacKed 

 Shrike. 



