AXD NEIGHBOURHOOD. 77 



down into the grass upon a beetle, grasshopper, or 

 other insect, every now and then varying this per- 

 formance with an aerial excursion after a passing 

 cockchafer, dragonfly, butterfly, or bee. In the case 

 of a large or tough insect the bird generally fixes it 

 on a thorn, and deliberately pulls it to pieces and 

 devours it therefrom, but grasshoppers, small moths, 

 bees, &c. are for the most part disposed of hawk- 

 fashion, i. e. held by the feet of the bird, and torn up 

 and eaten from the perch. As far as I could observe, 

 this method is not adopted by the female Shrike, who 

 seems to roam about more than the male, and to feed 

 a good deal upon the insects caught and impaled by 

 her mate, though of course she does a good deal upon 

 her own account also till she begins to sit, when I 

 believe that she is entirely supported by the male. I 

 have never actually seen one of these Shrikes take a 

 bird, but they often do so ; and I have more than 

 once found the remains of small birds, in one instance 

 a young Whitethroat [Curruca cinerea), impaled in 

 the Shrike's larder. With the above exception and 

 one large earthworm, I never found anything but 

 insects in these thorny depositories ; but it is stated 

 on good authority that this species also takes mice 

 and shrews. Unlike the Great Grey Shrike, the 

 present bird seems to have very little fear of man at 

 any time, and I have often sat for a considerable time 

 within twenty yards and in full view of a male Shrike, 

 who pursued his avocations, as above described, with- 

 out troubling himself in any way about my observa- 

 tion. The nest is large, built of strong grass-stalks 

 and moss, generally, but not always, lined with some 

 wool or hair, often with no lining but a few fine roots or 

 twigs, and situated in the thickest part of a bramble- 



