82 NATURALIST'S CABINKT. 



Curious stratagem for decoying prey. 



same manner. These were so fixed, that they 

 hung by the neck till he had leisure to devour 

 them. This singular practice has given rise to 

 the appellation of butcher-bird. 



In America, these creatures have been ob- 

 served to adopt a curious stratagem for the ap- 

 parent purpose of decoying their prey. A gen- 

 tleman there, accidentally observing that several 

 grasshoppers were stuck upon the sharp thorny 

 branches of some trees, enquired of a person who 

 lived near the spot, the cause of the phenome- 

 non ; and was informed that they were sluck 

 there by these birds, which are called by the 

 English in America nine-killers. On further en- 

 quiry he was led to suppose, that this was an in- 

 stinctive stratagem adopted to decoy the smaller 

 birds, which feed on insects, into a situation 

 where they might be seized with facility. The 

 butcher-bird is called nine-killer from the suppo- 

 sition that he sticks up nine grasshoppers in suc- 

 cession. That the insects are placed there as 

 food to tempt other birds, is said to appear from 

 their being frequently left untouched for a con- 

 siderable length of time. 



During summer, these birds remain among 

 the mountainous parts of the country; but in 

 winter they descend into the plains, and nearer 

 human habitations. The females make their 

 nests on the highest trees, and lay about six 

 egjjs, of a white colour, encircled at the large 

 end with a ring of brownish red. The nest, on 



