GREAT GREY SHRIKE.— Lonins excubitor. 



fowler then retires to liis own little hut, places the strings which draw the net within 

 reach of his bird, and watches the Shrike out of a small window which commands the 

 mound where it is perched. Feeling secure that the Shrike will not suffer a hawk to 

 come within sight without giving notice, the fowler takes out his netting or other 

 sedentary work, and continues his labour. 



Hundreds of birds may pass over the net without the Shrike giving the least alarm, 

 but as soon as it can see a falcon, it flutters about, gets uneasy, and at last begins to kick 

 and squall with terror. Eoused by the sounds, the fowler jerks some strings com- 

 municating with perches on which living pigeons are perched, and the flutter thus 

 occasioned attract the falcon's attention and induces him to stoop for a prey that appears 

 so easy. As the foe approaches nearer, the Shrike's terror increases, and as the falcon 

 swoops at the pigeons, the Shrike screams with fear and runs for shelter under the tiny 

 hut. This movement is a signal for the fowler, who draws the strings of his net and 

 incloses the falcon as he makes his dart on the pigeons. 



The voice of the Shrike, although sufiiciently harsh on occasions, is capable of great 

 modulation, so that the creature can imitate the cries of many birds, and even copy witn 

 some success the sweet notes of the songsters. 



The nest of the Grey Shrike is situated in forests, and is placed in the lofty branches 

 of some tall tree. The substances of which it is made are fine grass, roots, mosses, down, 

 and wool. The eggs are from four to six in number, and are bluish-grey, spotted at the 

 large end with deep grey and brown. The colour of this species is pearl-grey on the 

 upper part of the body ; the chin, breast, and abdomen are white ; the quill-feathers of 

 the tail black vavieg'^ted and tipped with white ; and a black band crosses the forehead, 



