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THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



succession, and continue foraging for more, 

 which he ate upon the spot as soon as caught. 

 I never witnessed the act of impaling a bird 

 or mouse, but I suppose it would be the same 

 as for a grasshopper ; and in the instance to 

 which I refer the bird worked the unfortunate 

 insect on the thorn with his beak, pushing 

 and pressing it down with various strokes, 

 until it was fixed to his satisfaction. But we 

 have not yet finished our study of Shrikes — ■ 

 having still to consider their flight, their voice, 

 and especially their domestic habits. There 

 are two very different birds of this country 

 which the Shrike resembles in the relative 

 proportions of the wings and tail, as well as 

 in the general conformation of the body. 

 These are the Mockingbird, Mimus /><>/;/- 

 glstius, and the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accip- 

 iterfuscus. Now if we picture to ourselves a 

 bird whose attitudes, movements, and espec- 

 ially whose mode of flight, may partake on 

 occasion of those of either of the birds just 

 named, we shall have no wrong idea of the 

 varied actions of which. the Shrike is capable. 

 The close general resemblance of the Shrike 

 to a Mockingbird is really remarkable. The 

 two are about of the same size, shape and 

 color — in fact, it is not the easiest thing to tell 

 them apart at a little distance, especially when 

 they are flying. The similarity has long since 

 been duly noted and commented upon ; in 

 tact, Swainson went so far as to make it the 

 basis of a strong argument in favor of his 

 fanciful quinarian theory of affinity. The 

 mode of flight, then, of the Shirke, under 

 ordinary circumstances, is necessarily much 

 the same as that of a Mockingbird, being 

 light, wayward and even undulatory, when 

 the bird is simply moving about at his ease, 

 or foraging for the humbler kinds of prey that 

 contribute to his support. Yet even under 

 these conditions there is a certain dash about 

 it, giving hint of the spirit he can infuse into 

 his actions when he calls his powers to their 

 full display. Then, in the manner of the 

 Hawk, his flight, is strengthened, firmly 

 sustained for long distances, and on occasion 

 quickened at a prodigious rate ; the climax of 

 this exploiting being reached when he plunges 

 headlong after his prey, hurtling like a very 

 Hawk. He is said at times to hover in the 

 air, just over his intended victim, as if taking 

 aim before he stoops to his quarry ; but this 

 can hardly be a characteristic habit, or it 

 would not have escaped my attention. I do 

 not remember to have ever witnessed it, 



though it need not be doubted that the action 

 is sometimes performed. When not on the 

 wing, we may observe in the Shrike's habit- 

 ual attitudes the same blending of Mocking- 

 bird and Hawk ; or rather, the transition from 

 one to the other, when his air of indifference 

 and rather ' slouchy' appearance give way to 

 the martial bearing which indicates that his 

 attention is riveted upon intended conquest. 

 So versatile and animated a spirit as that 

 which the Shrike possesses necessarily seeks 

 expression. There is no reticence about this 

 bird, whose harsh outcries we may in turn 

 interpret to mean anger and exultation — the 

 challenge and the conquest — while the course 

 of his passionate life runs on in almost incess- 

 ant warfare. These notes mean much the 

 same as the stridulation of the Kingbird, 

 in whose temper there is much of kinship 

 with the Shrike, both being impatient and 

 aggressive birds. But notwithstanding the 

 magnitude of his exploits, the Shrike is not 

 a very lofty character after all ; he picks 

 many a needless, quarrel with his Iretful 

 fellows, and all the petulance of a wilful, 

 badly-governed disposition may be traced in 

 some of the harshest of the cries that greet 

 our ear. It is easy to say, and quite sate to 

 make the assertion, that nothing more un- 

 musical than the Shrike's notes is often 

 heard ; and it is usual to compare the voice 

 of this bird to the creaking of a sign-board, 

 or the grating of any other rusty hinge. But 

 I suspect, though I am not a competent 

 witness in this case, that those are right who 

 ascribe to the Shrike some powers of song, 

 limited though they be. Technically speaking, 

 the Shrike is as truly Oscine as the Mocking- 

 bird itself; and no d priori reason appears 

 why his notes should not at times be modu- 

 lated with a tuneful quality. Several authors 

 have in fact asserted such to be the case, 

 protesting fairly against any sweeping denunci- 

 ation in this particular. Thus, in speaking 

 of the Great Northern Shrike, Audubon says : 

 — 'This valiant little warrior possesses the 

 faculty of imitating the notes of other birds, 

 especially such as are indicative of pain. 

 Thus it will olten mimic the cries of Sparrows 

 and other small birds, so as to make you 

 believe you hear them screaming in the claws 

 of a Hawk; and I strongly suspect this is 

 done for the purpose of inducing others to 

 come out from their coverts to the rescue of 

 their suffering brethren. 



(To be Continued.) 



