CUNNINGHAM'S BUSH SHRIKE— ffii&criicfes yclapa. 



It is a veiy retiring Lird, keeping itself completely out of view, but if once detected, 

 flinging itself into a state of ludicrous alarm at the sight of a human being. It generally 

 rastricts itself to the brushwood, and flits quietly among the densest sliade ; but if it should 

 be discovered, it immediately dashes upwards to a height of some forty or fifty feet, drops 

 as suddenly as it had mounted, then rises again, letting its legs dangle at fuU length, and 

 uttering a succession of terrified squeaks and yells. So quick are its movements^ and so 

 wary are its habits, that a single gunner can seldom succeed in shooting one of tliese little 

 birds, and the aid of a second sportsman is required before the craity and active little 

 creature falls to the shot. 



The food of the Yellow-breasted Chat consists principally of insects, and it has 

 a special predilection for the larger beetles, which it eats of such great dimensions, that 

 the spectator instinctively wonders how so small a bird can eat so large an insect. It will 

 also feed upon ben'ies and many kinds of fruit. The colour of this bird is dark olive- 

 green upon the upper porti(5ns of the body ; the breast and the under surface of the wings 

 are light yellow, and the abdomen is nearly white. 



