100 



consequence, he throve best of all, and escaped the sleek obesity 

 of the rest of the party. 



During the time that I kept these Shrikes, they fed chiefly on 

 egg, bread and milk, and raw meat. But from the first they 

 showed a keen relish for insects. Thus I noted on August i6th, 

 " The three young Shrikes all exhibit great excitement when a 

 House-fly passes, and take House-flies and Bluebottles readily from 

 my fingers. They appreciate dried ' ants' eggs' (really ants' cocoons), 

 but like far better a Mealworm or a Daddy-long-legs ; and snap 

 eagerly at an intruding Wasp." 



But they seemed to take a delight in holding their live food as 

 gingerly as possible. Thus, on October 25th I offered No. 2 a 

 fine Bluebottle, just as I sat down myself to breakfast. He was 

 not hungry, having just swallowed two plump Mealworms ; so he 

 sidled up, took the Bluebottle delicately, and then held it dangling 

 in the air by a single wing. Naturally the wing tore, and gave way, 

 and the fly returned to the window pane, to No. 2's disgust. But 

 his brother bird, my favourite No. i, had watched the proceedings 

 from an upper perch with the air of a connoiseur. I re-captured 

 the fly, and offered it to No. i ; he took it most carefully by the 

 thorax, and holding it tightly, first crushed and then bolted it. 



A little later, I offered No. 2 another fly, and he proved that he 

 had learnt discretion; for though he seized it by the legs, he 

 raised his right foot, and grasped it for a moment between his 

 talons, then seized it by the abdomen with his beak, and forthwith 

 swallowed it. 



On October 28th, I noted that No. i ate bread and milk in 

 rather a peculiar way, viz., by holding it between his toes, using 

 his foot therefore as a hand, whilst he pulled the bread to pieces 

 with his beak, resting during his meal on his left leg and on the 

 support of the upper part of the tarsus of the right leg ; that is to 

 say, that his right foot being engaged and unable therefore to grasp 

 the perch, he leant upon the edge of the tarsus. 



These young Red-backed Shrikes never refused food ; but if 

 gorged already, would hang the fresh supply upon a cross wire, or 

 lay it down on the edge of a perch. Perhaps the point about 



