Bramble-bees and Others 



worthy because of his savage mania for 

 forked gibbets, the thorns in the hedgerows 

 whereon he impales the voluminous contents 

 of his game-bag — little half-fledged birds, 

 small Lizards, Grasshoppers, Caterpillars, 

 Beetles — and leaves them to get high. To 

 this passion for the gallows, which has passed 

 unnoticed by the country-folk, at least in my 

 part, he adds another, an innocent botanical 

 passion, which is so much in evidence that 

 everybody, down to the youngest bird's-nester, 

 knows all about it. His nest, a massive struc- 

 ture, is made of hardly any other materials 

 than a greyish and very fluffy plant, which is 

 found everywhere among the corn. This is 

 the Filago spathiilata of the botanists; and 

 the bird also makes use, though less fre- 

 quently, of the Filago germanica, or common 

 cotton-rose. Both are known in Provencal 

 by the name herbo dou tarnagas, or Shrike- 

 herb. This popular designation tells us plainly 

 how faithful the bird is to its plant. To have 

 struck the agricultural labourer, a very indif- 

 ferent observer, the Shrike's choice of ma- 

 terials must be remarkably persistent. 



Have we here a taste that is exclusive? 

 Not in the least. Though cotton-roses of all 



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