424 XOUTII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



tlK'sanie manner to tlu' object n]>nn wliicli it is next t<> li^^lit. Tin- tli^lit is 

 pt'iiniincd in an undnlatin;^ niannt-r, the l>inl sustaining itself a short time 

 oy a ra])id tlntterinLC of tht^ wini,rs, and sinkinij: as this nintion is snsjKjnded. 

 As it Hies, the white pateh on the wing, with tlie general anpear.mee of its 

 gniy and wliite plumage, increases its resemblance to tlie Mocking-Iiird. 



Thougii very partial to thorn-trees (hon«'y-lo(*ust), other trees having a 

 thick foliage — as those canopied hy a tangled mass of wild gra]»evines — 

 are fre«piently occupied as nesting-places ; while a ]>air luMpiently makt» 

 their home in an api>le-orchard, selecting the nld untrimmed trees. The 

 situation of the nest varies according to the character of the tre(^ ; if in a 

 thorn-hush, it is placed next the trunk, encased within ju-otecting hunches of 

 thorns ; hut if in an ai>i)le-tree, it is situated, generally, near the extremity of 

 a horizontal hranch. The nund)er of eirgs is generallv six, l>ut Mr. Ii'idu'wav 

 has sevei-<d times found seven in one nest. Xo hird is more intrejud in the 

 defence of its nest than the ]»rescnt one ; at such times it loses, a]>parently, 

 all fear, and hecomes almost frenzied with anger, ali^htirig so near that one 

 might grasp it, were he (piick enough, ind with o{>en mouth and spretid 

 wings and tail threatening the intruder, its attacks accompanied hy a i)ecu- 

 liar crackling noise, interru})ted by a harsh, grating (pia, qua, qua, slowly 

 rej»eated, hut emphatically uttered. 



The hal)it peculiar to the Shrikes of im])aling their victims Mr. Kidgway 

 has observed freipumtly in this species; for this j)urpose the huig and ex- 

 tremely sharp thorns of the honey-locust serve it admirabiy ; and "spitted" 

 upon them he has found shrews, mice, grjisshoppers, sjiiders, and even a 

 Cliimnev-Swallow {('lurtum }ul(ujicn)\ and, in anttther instance, but u]>on 

 the upright broken-ofi" twig of a dead weeil in a field, a large spider. He has 

 also known this bird t(» dart at the cage of a Canary- liird, and frighten the 

 poor inmate so that it thrust its head between the wires, when it was innne- 

 diately torn off by the powerful Iteak of the r)Utclier-Iiird. 



The young of this species becomes a very jdeasing and extremely docile 

 ])et. Mr. IJidgway has known one which, though fully grown, with power 

 of flight uninjured, and in possession of unrestrained freedom, came to its 

 j)os.sessor at his call, and accompanied him through the fields, its attachment 

 l)eing rewarded by frecpient " doses " of grasshoi)i)ei's, caught for it. It had 

 been fully feathered l)efore taken from the nest. Unfortunately the vocal 

 capabilities of this Shrike are not suihcient to allow its becoming a gen- 

 eral favorite as a j^et; for, although possessing considerable talent for 

 mimicrv, it imitates onlv the rudest sounds, while its own notes, consist- 

 ing of a grating, .sonorous qua and a peculiar creaking .sound, each with 

 several variations, are anything but delightful. 



