90 FLASHLIGHTS ON NATURE 



near it stands the well-stocked parental larder. 

 The young butcher-bird, as soon as he can fly, 

 is taught to eat insects from the family hoard, 

 and later on to pick them up for himself on the 

 wing in the open. He is usually hatched about 

 the beginning of June ; by the middle of July, 

 his mamma and papa take him on the insect hunt 

 into neighbouring gardens. In his early plumage, 

 he takes after his mamma, but already shows some 

 signs of the white tips and black markings which 

 will distinguish him as a male bird in his adult 

 existence. 



Once abroad in the world, he grows apace ; 

 and this is necessary, because, about September, 

 he will have to fly off with his affectionate parents 

 on a long, forced journey to warmer winter quarters. 

 Not, of course, that he minds the winter in itself ; 

 but the flies and beetles are gone ; their sole 

 representatives are now the eggs and chrysalids ; 

 mice and lizards have retired into winter quarters ; 

 no small birds are about in the unfledged condi- 

 tion where one gets a fair chance with them ; and 

 altogether there is nothing for it but to travel south 

 and find more plentiful support in some warmer 

 country. 



So southward the family flits, when partridge 

 shooting begins, first over Channel to France, and 

 then on to the Mediterranean. But food is scarce 

 even in Provence and Italy during the winter 

 months ; so our wise young shrike and his parents 

 do not loiter about with the invalids and flaneurs 

 at Cannes or Naples ; they strike right across sea, 



