( 1» ) 



THE 



BUTCHER-BIRDS. 



THE great Butcher-Bird is about as large as a thriifli ; is afli-co- 

 loured j its bill black, an inch long, and hooked, whereby, toge- 

 ther with its carnivorous appetite, it ranks among rapacious birds ; its 

 legs and feet (lender. The leffer Butcher-Bird is little above the fize of 

 a lark j the fmalleft not fo big as a fparrow. Live as well on fkHi as on 

 infeds, and thus partake, in fome nnealure, of double qualities. 



The nmoft redoubtable birds of prey refpcft them j the kite, the buz- 

 zard, and the crow, feem rather to fear than feek an engagement. No- 

 thing in nature better difplays the refpefh paid to courage, than to fee 

 this little bird, apparently fo contemptible, fly in company with the 

 lanner, the falcon, and other tyrants of the air, without fearing their 

 power, or avoiding their refc^ntment. Small birds, which are its ufual 

 food, it feizes by the throat, and ftrangles in an inftant. V\'"hen it has 

 killed a bird or infe^l, it is aflerted that it fixes them on fome neig-hbour-- 

 ing thorn, and, when thus fpitted, pulls them to pieces with- its bill. It 

 js fuppofed, that as Nature has not given this bird (Irength fufficient to 

 tear its prey to pieces with its feet (as hawks do; it has rccourfe to this 

 expedient. 



During fummer, fuch of them as conflantly refide here (for the fmaller 

 red butcher-bird migrates in autumn, and returns in fpring) remain among 

 the mountainous parts of the country; but in winter they defcend into 

 the plains. The larger kind neftle on the higheft trees ; the leifer build 

 in bullies; lay about fix eggs, white, encircled at tlie bigger end with a 

 ring of brownilh red. The female feeds her brood with caterpillars and 

 other infecls while very young ; but foon accufloms them to fl<^fhj which 

 the male procu<-es with furprifing induftry. The whole brood live in ont? 

 family, generally compofcd of the male, female, and five or fix young. 

 It is eafy to diltinguifh thefe birds atadilbmce, not only by their going 

 in companies, but by their m.anner of flying, which is always up and 

 down, ieldom direct or Tideways. 



The woodchat is brown, and not red. There is fl:ill another, lefs than 

 the former, found in the marflies near London ; a bird of prey, though 



not 



