BIRDS. 147 



the outskirts of woods and in hedges. It is some- 

 times called the Butcher-bird, from its habit of 

 impaling its prey upon thorns in the vicinity of its 

 nest. Mr. Hewitson says, " Seeing a Red-backed 

 Shrike busy in a hedge, I found, upon approaching 

 it, a small bird, upon which it had been operating, 

 firmly fixed upon a blunt thorn ; its head was torn 

 off, and its body entirely plucked." This is a 

 sufficient answer to those who assert that this bird 

 does not " spike " its prey. 



We might class together all our birds under three 

 groups, our permanent residents, another of summer 

 visitors, and a third of winter visitors ; or we 

 might associate together the birds of prey and the 

 insectivorous birds, and the granivorous birds; but 

 for all the purposes of this work no elaborate system 

 is essential, and they may be named in the usual 

 order in which they are commonly classed. 



The Blackbird and Thrush, although plentiful 

 enough and well known, are not exclusively wood 

 birds ; but this cannot be said of another : 



" } Tis the merry Nightingale 

 That crowds, and hurries, and precipitates, 

 With fast thick warble his delicious notes, 

 As he were fearful that an April night 

 Would be too short for him to utter forth 

 His love chant, and disburthen his full soul 

 Of all its music." 



This " syren of the woods " is one of our visitors, 

 and a welcome one, too, for its song is unsurpassed. 

 Many a writer has pronounced eulogies on the music 

 L 2 



