330 General Notes. [f " k 



then, keeping the head above the twigs, it drew the neck firmly into the 

 base of the fork, at the same time stepping backwards and tugging at the 

 head with all its strength, frequently beating its wings vigorously to add 

 to the force of the pull. This task completed to its apparent satisfaction 

 (the entire operation consumed at least three or four minutes), the bird 

 began eating again but in a somewhat listless manner, making long 

 pauses between the mouthfuls. Evidently its appetite was about sated. 

 At length it flew into a neighboring tree where it sat for a long time 

 dressing its feathers — a decidedly necessary attention, for, as I could 

 plainly see through my glass (I now stood within fifteen or twenty 

 feet), its plumage was in sad condition; the feathers of the forehead 

 and throat were matted and soaked with blood, the breast was reddened 

 perceptibly and the bill was almost wholly of a carmine tint. After 

 getting itself into somewhat better trim it flew into some young 

 pines. 



I now examined the mouse. The Shrike had not touched any part of 

 the body, but the skin had been torn away from the entire neck, and the 

 muscles and other soft tissues were almost entirely gone from the 

 shoulders and sternum to the base of the skull. The body was untouched 

 and the skull showed no sign of injury, but the cheek muscles had been 

 eaten pretty cleanly away, as had also the entire throat, with the tongue. 

 Both eyes were whole and in their sockets. This examination confirmed 

 the conviction which I formed while watching the Shrike and mouse 

 struggling together, viz., that the bird killed the mouse partly by 

 throttli?ig — that is by choking and shaking it — and partly (perhaps 

 chiefly) by cutting its neck open on one side. No attempt was made to 

 stun the mouse by striking at its skull, such blows as I saw delivered 

 being evidently intended to keep the mouse at bay until the Shrike 

 could close with it and get it by the neck. 



While I was examining the mouse the Shrike began uttering a mewing 

 cry among the pines. This seemed to be a remonstrance directed at me. 

 I went to the spot and found the bird sitting low down amid dense pine 

 foliage looking rather dumpy and unhappy. About an hour later I 

 returned to the alders and examined the mouse again. As far as I could 

 detect it had not been touched in my absence. I did not see the Shrike 

 again. 



The next day at 10 A. m., I visited the alder thicket but the mouse 

 was gone. As there were no tracks in the snow beneath where it had 

 hung I concluded that the Shrike must have returned and removed it. — 

 William Brewster, Cambridge, Mass. 



The Carolina Wren in Winter in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. — On 

 Jan. i, 1891, I shot a male Carolina Wren (T/iryof/iortts ludoviciaiius) 

 and observed another of the same species. For several weeks previously 

 the ground had been covered with snow, which, however, was rapidly 

 melting at this time. The bird was in full song and appeared not at all 



