CHARACTER IN FEATHERS. 67 



shrike is a taciturn bird. If he were a politi- 

 cian, he would rely chiefly on what is known 

 as the " still hunt," although he too can scream 

 loudly enough on occasion. His most salient 

 trait is his impudence, but even that is of a 

 negative type. " Who are you," he says, 

 " that I should be at the trouble to insult 

 you ? " He has made a study of the value of 

 silence as an indication of contempt, and is al- 

 most human in his ability to stare straight by 

 a person whose presence it suits him to ignore. 

 His imperturbability is wonderful. Watch 

 him as closely as you please, you will never 

 discover what he is thinking about. Under- 

 take, for instance, now that the fellow is sing- 

 ing from the top of a small tree only a few rods 

 from where you are standing, undertake to 

 settle the long dispute whether his notes are 

 designed to decoy small birds within his reach. 

 Those whistles and twitters, hear them ! So 

 miscellaneous ! so different from anything which 

 would be expected from a bird of his size and 

 general disposition ! so very like the notes of 

 sparrows ! They must be imitative. You be- 

 gin to feel quite sure of it. But just at this 

 point the sounds cease, and you look up to dis- 

 cover that Collurio has fallen to preening his 

 feathers in the most listless manner imaginable. 

 " Look at me," he says ; " do I act like one on 



