SHRIKES, OR BUTCHER BIRDS. 237 



robin's. But in catching flies they are at one in activity and 

 dexterity. How different from the more clumsy attempts of 

 those unsuited by nature to catch insects ; for on coming along- 

 South Street, on May 24th, 1888 (the Queen's Birthday), I saw 

 a female sparrow chasing a pretty large moth, but it was fairly 

 baffled, and had to give up the chase. 



The next famiiy which forms une of the typical divisions of 

 the Incessores, or Perchers, is the Laniadce ; but as there is only 

 one of five sub-families (vizt., the La?iiana, or Shrikes) found 

 in Britain, I need not mention the other four. 



FAMILY II 



(The Genus Lanius.) Linn. 



Shrikes, or Butcher Birds. 



The generic features of this sub-family (which represent the 

 tribe in Britain) are — bill thick and strong ; upper mandible 

 hooked at the point and strongly toothed, something like a 

 hawk's, to whom in their rapacious habits they bear resem- 

 blance ; claws arched ; legs and wings of moderate length. The 

 general form is compact — tail long. Their food chiefly 

 •consists of insects, but sometimes of small birds and animals, 

 which they transfix on a thorn and tear in pieces with their 

 bill ; hence their name of butcher birds. They do the same 

 with the larger insects. Some of them, like the fly-catchers 

 and some other birds, have a partial change of plumage — 

 chiefly the males in spring — as well as the usual moult in 

 autumn. Three species are found in Britain, but none remain 

 all the year. These are the great cinereous shrike, the wood- 

 <;hat shrike, and the red- backed shrike. 



