THE LESSEE GEEY SUllIKE. 67 



reared from the nest, they require much less attention, soon 

 becoming contented with any kind of food. 



Jlreeding* The large, irregular nest of these Shrikes is ge- 

 nerally found in a tree, in a garden, or in the outskirts of a 

 grove. It is made of roots, green leaves, and wool, lined with 

 wool and feathers. The female lays five or six reddish eggs ; 

 in colour a greyish white, spotted about the middle with brown 

 and violet grey. The male assists in the hatching, which lasts 

 fifteen or sixteen days. The young birds grow so quickly, and 

 are so soon fledged, that notwithstanding the late arrival and 

 early departure of this bird, it yet breeds twice in a favourable 

 season. The young ones are fed with beetles and grasshoppers. 

 Till the first moulting, they are entirely without the black 

 stripe on the forehead ; the upper part of the body is a dark 

 ashen grey, marked hardly perceptibly with red ; the under 

 part white, tinged on the breast with yellow, and on the sides 

 with red. They may be taken from the nest as soon as the tail 

 begins to grow ; and at first fed on ants' eggs, and afterwards 

 with bread soaked in milk. 



Mode of Taking, They cannot be taken alive, except by 

 putting limed twigs on the bush, or branch, on which they are 

 observed to perch, when watching for insects. They are as in- 

 cautious as they are afterwards docile, flying without hesitation 

 into the snare. 



Observations and Attractive Qualities. The male is a bird of 

 wonderful docility ; the female, as is usually the case, does not 

 sing. These Shrikes not only imitate, like others of their 

 species, certain passages of other birds' song, but repeat the 

 whole with the greatest exactness ; and even seem to have little 

 or no song of their own. Tor example, they repeat perfectly 

 the song of the Nightingale, though wanting of course the 

 round full tones ; and that of the Lark. This power makes the 

 Lesser Shrike a very desirable bird to the amateur. I have re- 

 marked that it seems to take especial delight in mimicking the 

 call of the Quail. I possessed one which, however lively in 

 its song, always stopped, in order to imitate the Quail's call, 

 whenever it heard it ; and the latter, before it became ac- 

 customed to the mimicry, would go furiously about the room, 

 endeavouring to find its rival. 



