176 SHRIKES. 



the production of its favourite food ? If so, it might be 

 desirable to ascertain to what species of insect it gives 

 the preference, which might lead to some curious infe- 

 rences in natural history, throwing light on the remark- 

 able locality observed so often in the animal as well as 

 vegetable world ; for, notwithstanding the greatest care 

 and attention, although not the slightest difference of 

 soil, climate, or situation can be pointed out, it has been, 

 often remarked, that an insect, or a plant, abundant in 

 one place, is not to be found in another, at no great 

 distance. 



A few years ago, a naturalist, for curiosity, removed 

 to his garden several webs-full of the larvae of the brown- 

 tail moth (Ph. phceorrheus), which, from its numbers and 

 voracity, had been looked upon as a perfect scourge 

 where it abounded. For a time, the caterpillars seemed 

 to feed and thrive, and finally spun themselves up. In 

 the next season, however, few came forth ; and at the 

 season when the hedge might have been expected to 

 swarm with the newly-hatched eggs, not one appeared. 



But to return to our Shrikes : in the parts of England 

 frequented by them, no great difficulty or acute observa- 

 tion is requisite for finding them out. In the first place, 

 the bird announces its arrival by a croaking and most 

 unmusical voice, from the summit of some tree ; then it 

 builds a large and ill-concealed nest, which, if not found 

 out by actual detection, the male will usually discover by 

 its own imprudence, manifesting great uneasiness and 

 clamour when any one approaches. No sooner are the 

 eggs hatched, than the female lends her aid to the disco- 

 very of her brood, uniting her vociferations to those of 

 the male. And should the nest, by extraordinary good- 

 luck, continue undiscovered, no sooner are the young 

 ones capable of making a noise, than they all join in the 

 cry upon any approach to their bush. We have noticed 

 the lengthened kindness existing between the old and 

 young birds ; this begins from the moment of their 

 issuing from the egg ; for no birds can be more assidu- 



