INSESSORES. 185 



which occur m the more open parts of the country ; in fact I 

 scarcely know of any Australian bird so generally dispersed. 

 Its presence is at all times betrayed by its extraordinary note, 

 a jumble of discordant sounds impossible to be described. It 

 is nearly always on the trees, where it sits motionless on some 

 dead or exposed branch whence it can survey all around, and 

 particularly the surface of the ground beneath, to which it 

 makes perpendicular descents to secure any large insect or 

 lizard that may attract its sharp and penetrating eye; it 

 usually returns to the same branch to devour what it has 

 captured, but at times will resort to other trees and impale 

 its victim after the manner of the true Shrikes : mice, small 

 birds, and large Phasmice come within the list of its ordinary 

 diet. September and the three following months constitute 

 the period of incubation. The nest, which is large and cup- 

 shaped, is neatly formed of sticks, and in some instances 

 beautifully lined with the shoots of the Casuarina and fibrous 

 roots. Considerable difference is found to exist in the colour 

 of the eggs, the ground colouring of some being dark yellowish 

 brown, with obscure blotches and marks of a darker hue, and 

 here and there a few black marks not unlike small blots of 

 ink ; while in others the ground colour is much lighter and 

 the darker markings are more inclined to red, and to form a 

 zone round the larger end; the eggs are generally three in 

 number, one inch and three lines long by eleven lines broad. 



Under ordinary circumstances this species is very shy and 

 retiring, but at times is altogether as bold ; as an evidence of 

 which I may mention, that having caught a young Eopsaltria 

 and placed it in my pocket, the cries of the little captive 

 attracted the attention of one of these birds, and it continued 

 to follow me through the woods for more than an hour, when 

 the little tenant, disliking its close quarters, effected its escape 

 and flitted away before me : I immediately gave chase ; but 

 the Crow-Shrike, which had followed me, pounced down 

 within two yards of my face and bore off the poor bird to a 



