122 PASSERES. 



butcher-like, has given him both scientific and 

 vulgar appellations. Mr. Selby says : "I had 

 the gratification of witnessing this operation of 

 the Shrike upon a Hedge-sparrow (Accentor modu- 

 laris) which it had just killed, and the skin of 

 which, still attached to the thorn, is now in my 

 possession. In this instance, after killing the 

 bird, it hovered with the prey in its bill, a short 

 time, over the hedge, apparently occupied in 

 selecting a thorn fit for its purpose. Upon dis- 

 turbing it, and advancing to the spot, I found the 

 Accentor firmly fixed by the tendons of the wing 

 to the- selected twig." * We are informed by Le 

 Vaillant that the same habit marks this bird 

 in the wilds of South Africa; and he observed 

 that the spine or thorn was invariably thrust 

 through the head of the prey, whether insect or 

 bird, which was not devoured at the time of im- 

 palement, but allowed to hang until the calls of 

 hunger induced the Shrike to return to its stored 

 provision. And the allied species in North Ame- 

 rica (Z,. borealis, VIEILL.) resorts to the very same 

 practice, as recorded by Heckewelder, Wilson, 

 and others. 



The same singular habits are retained in capti- 

 vity. Mr. Yarrell has extracted part of a letter 

 from Mr. Doubleday, of Epping, a well-known 

 naturalist, to the effect that an old Grey Shrike 

 had been in his possession twelve months, having 

 been captured near Norwich, in October, 1835. 

 It had become very tame, and would readily take 

 its food from its master's hands. When a bird 

 was given it, it invariably broke the skull, and 

 generally ate the head first. It sometimes held 



* Br. Ornith. i. 149. 



