NOTES BY THE WAY 



year I have seen at least a dozen while passing along 

 the road. One day I saw one carrying its prey in 

 its feet, a performance which I supposed it 

 incapable of, as it is not equipped for this business 

 like a rapacious bird, but has feet like a robin. 

 One wintry evening, near sunset, I saw one alight on 

 the top of a tree by the roadside, with some small 

 object in its beak. I paused to observe it. Pre- 

 sently it flew down into a scrubby old apple-tree, 

 and attempted to impale the object upon a thorn or 

 twig. It was occupied in this way some moments, 

 no twig or knob proving quite satisfactory. A little 

 screech owl was evidently watching the proceedings 

 from his doorway in the trunk of a decayed apple- 

 tree ten or a dozen rods distant. Twilight was just 

 falling, and the owl had come up from his snug 

 retreat in the hollow trunk, and was waiting for the 

 darkness to deepen before venturing forth. I was 

 first advised of his presence by seeing him approach- 

 ing swiftly on silent, level wing. The shrike did 

 not see him till the owl was almost within the 

 branches. He then dropped his game, which proved 

 to be a part of a shrew-mouse, and darted back into 

 the thick cover, uttering a loud, discordant squawk, 

 as one would say, "Scat! scat! scat!" The owl 

 alighted, and was, perhaps, looking about him for 

 the shrike's impaled game, when I drew near. On 

 seeing me, he reversed his movement precipitately, 

 flew straight back to the old tree, and alighted in 

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