BIEDS AND BIRDS 141 



The shrike is a citizen of the world, being found 

 in both hemispheres. It does not appear that the 

 European species differs essentially from our own. 

 In Germany he is called the nine-killer, from the 

 belief that he kills and sticks upon thorns nine 

 grasshoppers a day. 



To make my portrait of the shrike more complete, 

 I will add another trait of him described by an acute 

 observer who writes me from western New York. 

 He saw the bird on a bright midwinter morning 

 when the thermometer stood at zero, and by cautious 

 approaches succeeded in getting under the apple-tree 

 upon which he was perched. The shrike was utter- 

 ing a loud, clear note like clu-eet, clu-eet, clu-eet, 

 and, on finding he had a listener who was attentive 

 and curious, varied his performance and kept it 

 up continuously for fifteen minutes. He seemed to 

 enjoy having a spectator, and never took his eye off 

 him. The observer approached within twenty feet 

 of him. "As I came near," he says, "the shrike 

 began to scold at me, a sharp, buzzing, squeaking 

 sound not easy to describe. After a little he came 

 out on the end of the limb nearest me, then he posed 

 himself, and, opening his wings a little, began to 

 trill and warble under his breath, as it were, with 

 an occasional squeak, and vibrating his half-open 

 wings in time with his song. " Some of his notes 

 resembled those of the bluebird, and the whole per- 

 formance is described as pleasing and melodious. 



This account agrees with Thoreau's observation, 

 where he speaks of the shrike "with heedless and 



