The Birds' Calendar 



more barbaric from the throat of any bird, es- 

 pecially a " song-bird ; " and according to all 

 reports this was a fair exhibition of its musical 

 ability. 



Its food consists of insects, mice, and the 

 various small winter-birds, and it is accustomed, 

 for some unknown reason, to impale some of 

 its victims upon thorns, or sharp twigs, al- 

 though it is asserted upon very good evidence 

 that it never feeds upon what it has thus stored 

 up. In these cases its pleasure in cruelty seems 

 to prompt it to capture the prey when not 

 hungry, and, having no use for it, it is dis- 

 posed of in this manner. It is well that the 

 name of this bird should be a lasting memento 

 of its infamy. But although neither gifted nor 

 handsome, it yet deserves our thanks for its one 

 redeeming feature, viz., that it makes havoc 

 among the English sparrows. Would that it 

 were ten times larger, so that it could obliterate 

 more of them ! 



Of about two hundred species of the shrike 

 family in the world, there are only two in this 

 country the northern, which breeds in north- 

 ern Maine and beyond, and comes down into 

 the more southern States in winter, and the 

 loggerhead shrike, inhabiting chiefly the South- 



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