200 LANIID^E. 



The Great Shrike feeds upon mice, shrews, small birds, 

 frogs, lizards, and large insects. After having killed its 

 prey, it fixes the body in a forked branch, or upon a sharp 

 thorn, the more readily, as is supposed, to pull off small 

 pieces from it. It is from this habit of killing and hanging 

 up their meat, which is observed also in other Shrikes, that 

 they have been generally called Butcher-birds. Part of a 

 letter from Mr. Henry Doubleday of Epping, in reference to 

 the Great Shrike, is as follows : " An old bird of this 

 species, taken near Norwich in October 1835, lived in my 

 possession twelve months. It became very tame, and would 

 readily take its food from my hands. When a bird was 

 given it, it invariably broke the skull, and generally ate the 

 head first. It sometimes held the bird in its claws, and 

 pulled it to pieces in the manner of Hawks, but seemed to 

 prefer forcing part of it through the wires, then pulling at 

 it. It always hung what it could not eat up on the sides of 

 the cage. It would often eat three small birds in a day. In 

 the spring it was very noisy, one of its notes a little resem- 

 bling the cry of the Kestrel." Sheppard and Whitear state 

 that Hoy having observed a Great Shrike frequenting a thick 

 hedge near his house, found on examination three frogs and 

 as many mice spitted on the thorns. As the bird was so 

 shy as not to be approached within gunshot, he set six 

 small steel traps, each baited with a mouse. On the follow- 

 ing day two of the traps were sprung and the baits gone. 

 Hiding himself and watching, he soon afterwards saw the 

 Shrike dart down upon a bait and rise perpendicularly, but 

 this time not quickly enough, as it was caught by two of its 

 toes. 



Mr. Blackwall has recorded of this species that a bird- 

 catcher near Manchester, having arranged the cage contain- 

 ing his call-bird, and set limed twigs about it, a Great 

 Shrike flew to the cage and was caught. Having placed it 

 in a dark cage with the Redpolls he had previously taken, he 

 was surprised and mortified, on reaching home, to find it 

 had killed all its fellow-captives. A Shrike, as recorded in 

 the 'Zoological Journal' (ii. p. 26), which was taken alive 



