BIRDS AND BIRDS. 155 



assassin of the small birds, whom it often destroys in 

 pure wantonness, or merely to sup on their brains, as 

 the Gaucho slaughters a wild cow or bull for its 

 tongue. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Appar- 

 ently its victims are unacquainted with its true char- 

 acter and allow it to approach them, when the fatal 

 blow is given. I saw an illustration of this the other 

 day. A large number of goldfinches in their full 

 plumage, together with snow-birds and sparrows, were 

 feeding and chattering in some low bushes back of 

 the barn. I had paused by the fence and was peep- 

 ing through at them, hoping to get a glimpse of that 

 rare sparrow, the white-crowned. Presently I heard 

 a rustling among the dry leaves as if some larger 

 bird was also among them. Then I heard one of the 

 goldfinches cry out as if in distress, when the whole 

 flock of them started up in alarm and, circling 

 around, settled in the tops of the larger trees. I 

 continued my scrutiny of the bushes, when I saw a 

 large bird, with some object in its beak, hopping 

 along on a low branch near the ground. It disap- 

 peared from my sight for a few moments, then came 

 up through the undergrowth into the top of a young 

 maple where some of the finches had alighted, and I 

 beheld the shrike. The little birds avoided him and 

 flew about the tree, their pursuer following them 

 with the motions of his head and body as if he 

 would fain arrest them by his murderous gaze. The 

 birds did not utter the cry or make the demonstration 

 of alarm they usually do on the appearance of a 



