March 



beyond the danger of interruption by a relapse 

 into winter. More stately and self-conscious 

 than the ardent and self-forgetful little song 

 sparrow, he cannot be as artless. There are 

 several points of human contrast between these 

 earliest of the familiar birds. 



At about this time a somewhat unusual and 

 in many respects unattractive specimen came 

 upon the scene, known as the northern shrike, 

 or butcher-bird, a sort of miniature vulture in 

 its habits, and by one of the inexplicable mys- 

 teries of science classed among the song-birds ! 

 It has the unenviable distinction of being the 

 smallest bird of prey, at least in our own fauna, 

 for it is no larger than a robin. Its body is of 

 an ash color, the wings and tail are black with 

 white markings, and the forehead black with a 

 broad black stripe through the eye. All in all 

 it has an ominous look. But it must at least 

 be said in its favor that it sails under no false 

 colors, like the blue jay. Probably it knows 

 that man's approbation is not worth the humili- 

 ation of hypocrisy. My attention was first 

 called to it by hearing a harsh, uncouth noise, 

 as unmusical as the creaking of a hinge, which 

 it somewhat resembled, but with a venomous 

 touch of animosity. I never heard anything 



83 



