160 GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 



The Shrikes, which form the first genus of Tem- 

 minck's third order, Insectivores, are a well-marked 

 group, feeding almost, if not entirely, upon insects. 

 They were originally classed by Linnaeus in his first 

 edition of the "Systema Naturae, " published in 1735, 

 among the Falcons, but he subsequently formed them 

 into the distinct genus Lanius, still keeping them 

 among the Accipitres, or Birds of Prey. They were, 

 however, separated from this last class by Illiger and 

 Cuvier. Temminck, in the first edition of his "Manual," 

 placed them directly after his order Rapaces ; but as he 

 justly observes their manners and habits are so similar 

 to those of the great group comprised in his Insectivores, 

 that in his second edition in 1820 he placed them at 

 the head of that order. Schlegel places the Swallows 

 between the Raptores and the Lanidce. Swainson 

 classes them directly after the Raptores, while Bonaparte 

 separates them from that order by no less than twelve 

 families, including the Hirundinidce , Sylviadce, Paridce, 

 Merulidce, etc. 



The limits of this book will not allow me to enter 

 at length into the various reasons assigned for these 

 different generic positions. Temminck, however, did 

 not form his arrangement upon one or two peculiar 

 characteristics; he took a masterly view of the various 

 groups of birds, and he assigned to them the position 

 they hold in his classification, according to then- 

 natural affinities. Thus the Sturnidce are insect feeders 

 and have a musical note, but in their habits they 

 assimilate with the Crows, and he therefore excluded 

 them from the Insectivores, and placed them with the 

 Rollers, the Chatterers, the Orioles, and the Pastors, in 

 the Omnivores. But the habits of the Shrikes are 

 altogether those of our singing passerine birds, with 



