Sbrtfte^lRotes 



not only stunted, but were half dead, their 

 stiff branches bare, save that a few leaf- 

 tufts showed in places and some beard-like 

 wisps of Spanish moss clung to them. On 

 the stiff, spike-ended dead part of a bough 

 the shrike, when I first saw him, was sit- 

 ting still, quite in the habitual attitude of 

 a sparrow-hawk, while the sparrows were 

 fluttering about in some tall rushes and 

 grass on the margin of a ditch. Two or 

 three minutes later he dropped nearly to 

 the ground, and then flew swiftly, close to 

 its surface, until he reached another perch 

 within a few yards of his chosen prey. 

 From this new point of observation he 

 took a quick view of the rushes wherein 

 the sparrows had hidden themselves ; then 

 he flew level along until he was directly 

 over the grassy tangle, and there hovered 

 in air for nearly a minute, quite stationary, 

 his wings quivering at full spread. 



A raw, stiff breeze was blowing from 

 the northwest, but its force did not appear 

 to trouble the shrike. He turned pres- 

 ently and went back to his perch, where 

 he stayed a long while motionless. A 

 132 



