March 
beyond the danger of interruption by a relapse 
into winter. More stately and self-conscious 
than the ardent and self-forgetful little song 
sparrow, he cannot be as artless. There are 
several points of human contrast between these 
earliest of the familiar birds. 
At about this time a somewhat unusual and 
in many respects unattractive specimen came 
upon the scene, known as the northern shrike, 
or butcher-bird, a sort of miniature vulture in 
its habits, and by one of the inexplicable mys- 
teries of science classed among the song-birds! 
It has the unenviable distinction of being the 
smallest bird of prey, at least in our own fauna, 
for it is no larger than a robin. Its body is of 
an ash color, the wings and tail are black with 
white markings, and the forehead black with a 
broad black stripe through the eye. All in all 
it has an ominous look. But it must at least 
be said in its favor that it sails under no false 
colors, like the blue jay. Probably it knows 
that man’s approbation is not worth the humili- 
ation of hypocrisy. My attention was first 
called to it by hearing a harsh, uncouth noise, 
as unmusical as the creaking of a hinge, which 
it somewhat resembled, but with a venomous 
touch of animosity. I never heard anything 
83 
