The Burgess Bird Book for Children 



thing, and that he thought Peter must have been 

 dreaming and didn't know it. 



"You're wrong, Johnny Chuck. Peter hasn't 

 been dreaming at all," said Skimmer the Swallow, 

 who, you remember, lived in a hole in a tree just 

 above the entrance to Johnny Chuck's house. He 

 had been sitting where he could hear all that Peter 

 had said. 



"Well, if you know so much about it, please 

 explain," said Johnny Chuck rather crossly. 



"It's simple enough," replied Skimmer. "Peter 

 just happened to find the storehouse of Butcher 

 the Loggerhead Shrike. It isn't a very pleasant 

 sight, I must admit, but one must give Butcher 

 credit for being smart enough to lay up a store of 

 food when it is plentiful." 



"And who is Butcher the Shrike?" demanded 

 Peter. "He's a new one to me." 



"He's new to this location," replied Skimmer, 

 " and you probably haven't noticed him. I've seen 

 him in the South often. There he is now, on the 

 tiptop of that tree over yonder." 



Peter and Johnny looked eagerly. They saw a 

 bird who at first glance appeared not unlike Mocker 

 the Mockingbird. He was dressed wholly in black, 

 gray and white. When he turned his head they 

 noticed a black stripe across the side of his face 

 and that the tip of his bill was hooked. These 

 [262] 



