DOUBTFUL CHARACTERS 127 



their requirements. In all his actions and in 

 his general behaviour he is like his larger 

 relative, with this difference, that in some of 

 its ways he is almost as familiar as the robin : 

 you can watch all its actions without any 

 trouble. The smart little fellow commands 

 attention, and well does he deserve it ; he 

 challenges it with "chack " ! The nest is very 

 like that of the missel-thrush, and as a rule it 

 is easily discovered ; in fact, when their young 

 are well out, they will let you know where it is 

 by their scolding chatter. 



Although the butcher-bird makes a most 

 interesting pet, its nature being bold and 

 fearless, 1 have never seen one single bird of 

 this species domesticated by country people ; 

 nay, more than that, when I have expressed 

 a wish for a nest of young butcher-birds 

 this was before the Bird Protection Act was 

 in force somehow or other I never got 

 them. There was the same aversion to med- 

 dling with jack-bakers, as they were called 

 by those whom I asked to get them for me, 

 as there is in some parts of Ireland at the 

 present time to killing a wild swan. Some- 

 thing, it is believed, will surely happen after- 

 wards. Of course I could have got them 



