262 INSECTIVORJE. 



They are short- winged birds, and bounce or leap along in the 

 air; but they drop down very rapidly. The descent and 

 ascent are much facilitated by the motion of the tail, which 

 is rapid in the vertical direction, strong in its coverts, and 

 capable of being spread out like a fan. The air and attitude 

 are expressive of boldness and activity. These birds have 

 been called " pies," from supposed resemblance to the magpie 

 and the jay, but their characters are quite different : they do 

 not croak or chatter ; they cannot be taught to articulate ; 

 they do not eat carrion \ and it is not ascertained that they 

 plunder the nests of other birds. There are only three species 

 known as British : and one, 



THE GREAT ASH-COLOURED SHRIKE (LaniUS excubltor\ 



is merely a straggler, and a straggler not at any usual time of 

 migration, the few specimens that have been found in the 

 country having been in winter ; and certainly not as regular 

 winter migrants, the rare ones of which come late, and after 

 very severe weather. The bird cannot, indeed, be regarded 

 as much of a migrant in latitude in any country, for it rather 

 follows the habit of the resident insectivorse the woodlands 

 in summer, and the lower plains in winter. The British spe- 

 cimens are, in all probability, blown by east winds from 

 Germany, where they are abundant. The weather which 

 precedes the appearance of these birds that straggle " out of 

 time," wants to be more carefully noticed than it has been. 



The great shrike is ash-grey above, white below, has a black 

 stripe across the eye \ the middle of the tail, the bill, the feet, 

 and the stiff hair-like feathers, all black. It is ten inches 

 long, fourteen broad, and weighs between two and three 

 ounces. Its habits on the continent are more migratory. 

 Indeed, those of most insectivorous birds are so ; as they can 

 range to the polar ocean in summer, but are driven out of 

 great part of Russia in the winter. 



