THE BUTCHER-BIRDS OR SHRIKES 



TS IT not curious that among our so-called 

 -■■ song birds there should be two, about 

 the size of robins, the loggerhead and the 

 northern shrike, with the hawk-like habit of 

 killing little birds and mice, and the squirrel's 

 and blue jay's trick of storing what they cannot 

 eat? They are butchers, with the thrifty 

 custom of hanging up their meat, which only 

 improves in flavour and tenderness after a day 

 or two of curing. Then, even if storms should 

 drive their little prey to shelter and snow should 

 cover the fields, they need not worry nor starve 

 seeing an abundance in their larder provided 

 for the proverbial rainy day. 



In the Southern and Middle States, where the 

 smaller loggerhead shrike is most common, 

 some children say he looks like a mockingbird ; 

 but the feathers on his back are surely quite a 

 different gray, a light-bluish ash, and pearly on 

 his under parts, with white in his black wings 

 and tail which is conspicuous as he flies. His 

 powerful head, which is large for his size, has a 

 heavy black line running from the end of his 

 mouth across his cheek, and his strong bill has a 

 hook on the end which is useful in tearing the 



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