126 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



In my wanderings up and down, noticing 

 trifles, I have seen the woodland youngsters 

 stick all sorts of what they consider objec- 

 tionable creatures, after killing them, on thorns 

 and in forks and clefts of trees and bushes. 

 "Jist as a bit o' a warnin' like to t'others as 

 was about " ; that was their way of gibbeting 

 offenders. 



Year by year this really fine -looking bird 

 retires from the area of the so-called improved 

 system of agriculture. Changes affect its well- 

 being as a migrant, and in my own immediate 

 neighbourhood the great shrike has almost 

 ceased to visit. 



Chack-chack-chack-chack-chack ! This is 

 the notice the Red-backed Shrike, or, as he 

 is commonly called, the butcher-bird, gives out 

 to let you know he is here again. In size he 

 approaches the common corn-bunting, which, 

 by the way, is wrongly named, for at the 

 present time if I were offered five pounds for 

 one of these birds I should not know where 

 to procure it. So much for one so-called 

 common bird. Now the butcher-bird really is 

 common, not to the degree the sparrow is, but 

 pairs of these birds may be met with, as you 

 travel along in all places which are suitable to 



