THE BUTCHER-BIRD 21 



flicker, somewhat to my surprise, showed no sign 

 of panic, or even of fear. He simply moved 

 aside, as much as to say, " Oh, stop that ! Don't 

 bother me ! " How the affair would have re- 

 sulted, I cannot tell. To my regret, the shrike at 

 that moment seemed to become aware of a man's 

 presence, and flew away, leaving the woodpecker 

 to pursue his exploration of the apple-tree at his 

 leisure. 



The shrike has a very curious habit of singing, 

 or of trying to sing, in the disjointed manner of 

 a catbird. I have many times heard him thus 

 engaged, and can bear witness that some of his 

 tones are really musical. Some people have sup- 

 posed that at such times he is trying to decoy 

 small birds, but to me the performance has al- 

 ways seemed like music, or an attempt at music, 

 rather than strategy. 



Southern readers may be presumed to be fa- 

 miliar with another shrike, known as the logger- 

 head. As I have seen him in Florida he is a very 

 tame, unsuspicious creature, nesting in the shade- 

 trees of towns. The " French mocking-bird," a 

 planter told me he was called. Mr. Chapman 

 has seen one fly fifty yards to catch a grasshop- 

 per which, to all appearance, he had sighted 

 before quitting his perch. The power of flight 

 is not the only point as to which birds have the 

 advantage of human beings. 



