.SHRIKES. 161 



(Lanius coll arts) that the following check was given to a 

 plague of locusts. The account was sent from the Cape of 

 Good Hope in 1829. During the spring of that year, the 

 locusts ahounded to such a degree on the southern coasts of 

 Airica, that the whole country was completely ravaged, and 

 the most serious apprehensions -were entertained for any re- 

 newal of vegetation which the rains might promote, when 

 the locust-birds made their appearance in vast flocks and 

 successfully interfered. The writer adds, that their mode of 

 attacking, and destroying, and impaling these destructive 

 insects, was quite extraordinary, and far surpassed all human 

 efforts. 



Mr. Selby, a celebrated English naturalist, was fortunate 

 enough to see the whole process of pinning a Hedge-sparrow 

 by one of these Butcher-birds. Having seized his victim, he 

 immediately killed it, and then hovered with it in his bill for 

 a short time over the hedge, apparently occupied in selecting 

 a thorn suited to his purpose. Upon disturbing it, and 

 advancing to the spot, he found the Sparrow already firmly 

 fixed by the tendons of the wing, at the selected twig. In 

 another instance,, a Shrike was observed busily occupied near 

 a thorn hedge; on examination, three frogs, and as many 

 mice, were found regularly spitted on thorns. With the 

 design of catching this Butcher-bird, six very small steel 

 traps were set, baited with mice. On the following day two 

 of the traps were found to be sprung, and the baits gone. 

 As it was not an easy matter to accomplish this without 

 being caught, the traps were then watched. At length, the 

 Shrike approached, and darting down, was rising perpen- 

 dicularly with his prize ; but in this instance, notwithstanding 

 the celerity of his movements, the teeth of the trap caught 

 his claws and secured him by two of the toes. The bird was 

 put in a room, in which a thorn-bush was placed, and some 

 dead mice provided, one of which he was soon observed to 

 seize, and spit on a thorn with the greatest quickness and 

 dexterity.* 



That one of the reasons for thus transfixing their prey is 



* Lin. Trans., vol. xv. 



M 



